Rodeway Inn near Melrose Ave — Hotel in Los Angeles

This Roadway Inn is a great value for the price. I made a prepaid, non-refundable reservation for a 2-night stay which totaled slightly less than one night at the boutique hotels where I usually stay in Koreatown. For this trip, I wanted to not only save some money, but also the hassle of staying in the places that have built-in nightclubs, more hipsters than you'll ever see gathered in one place, and the street noise that comes with Ktown.

Honestly, I was nervous about staying here given the Vine Street address and the price point, but ultimately all the people who took time to write articulate reviews in recent months swayed me to try it. The positive reviews are not wrong!

Pulling up to the location, I was a bit nervous I'd made a mistake given the rough state of the building's exterior and finding that the lobby had an unpleasant odor, probably from the old looking carpet that should be torn out. It was also a little disconcerting to sign a piece a paper that specifically stated drug use, etc are not allowed on the premises. Those things gave it a "no tell motel" vibe and I really hoped I didn't stupidly book myself at a drug & prostitution haven. But the gentleman behind the plexiglass who checked me in was extremely professional, warm, and courteous, and much nicer to deal with than the pretentious kids who work reception at the previously mentioned insufferable boutiques. That interaction reassured me enough to proceed to the next step of checking out the actual accommodations.

My room was absolutely adorable and super clean! The place has obviously undergone a fairly recent renovation to bring it up to speed with modern economy options like moxy, element, and aLoft. The many lighting options to choose from were fantastic, there was a breakfast nook in this king-sized room, in addition to ample desk space and very smart use of the space in general. A microwave, mini fridge, and single-cup coffee machine with Wolfgang Pick brand disks and a choice of two hot teas were provided in the "kitchenette" area. Outlets and USB plugs were everywhere. A large flat screen was mounted on the wall, with direct HDMI inputs beneath it so I could have plugged in my computer to watch movies if I'd wanted. The open closet space was smart and included a new ironing board & iron.

The bathroom was extremely clean, and I enjoyed the eco-friendly toiletries provided in wall-mounted, refillable containers. They actually had a higher end feel and smelled wonderful.

My bed and pillows were gloriously comfortable, much more so than the more expensive places. I had no trouble sleeping. The heavy duty, light blocking window shade also seemed to have a noise-blocking quality. I had total peace & quiet and darkened bliss.

The other hotel guests I encountered in the lobby the next morning where a complimentary breakfast of assorted juices, fresh coffee, and bread & pastries was provided were totally normal folks. Everyone was so quiet the night before, I wondered if anyone else was even there because I checked in after 11:00 pm.

I am glad I stumbled on this location (maybe it was on TripAdvisor?) when looking for alternatives to my usual spots. There aren't many choices in the very specific region I target when I come to L.A. to visit family who love nearby, and I'm glad to have found an affordable, extremely functional place to shower & sleep while I'm in town. No, it does not have a fancy bar and an over priced restaurant on site, nor does it have $50 to $65 per night valet parking, but it also doesn't have a "resort fee" and self-parking is available at a reasonable nightly price. I didn't rent a car this time, but I noted the parking was in a secured lot that anyone off the street wouldn't have access to.

I don't usually write reviews, but these folks deserve the effort it took for me to share my honest thoughts. For selfish reasons, I'm a little nervous about adding another great review and lessoning my chances of being able to book a room here again because it's a small place. But I'll definitely try to. book here the next time...

This my 5th visit to this location over a span of 7 years and my first time staying since the name change to Rodeway Inn.

As a semi-regular it is sad to see how this place has gone downhill since my last stay in July 2012 to this past Memorial Day Weekend.

Upon check in there were crumbs on the floor of the lobby(not a good first impression to a newbie) and the poolside tables were full of cigarette butts and ashes.

The room(a double bed upstairs unit) was spacious and supplies all of a traveler's basic amenities(i.e. refrigerator, microwave, A/C heat, cable) but the room/hotel is in dire need of a makeover. There was a large hole in the bottom of one of the walls, the microwave was old and dirty on the outside. My sheets and the bathroom counters were clean but had sparse hair all over them(apparently the housekeeper hair sheds, I'm assuming?) and the bathtub had 2 small holes and age stains on them. The free "breakfast" could use more variety(fruit?). Considering all of this, the rates should go down at least $5-10 dollars/night.

On the good side, the bed was comfy, the Time Warner cable was a plus(but the numbers and functions on the remote were faded and I had to guess some of the commands). The location is about 5 minutes away from the strip so you are close enough to the attractions, but far enough to seclude yourself from the noise chaos). There's a Pavillion(aka Safeway) grocery store right next door, a CVS on the corner and a 7-Eleven across from there.

The female manager that's been working there for years is still cool and the very attentive and quick to resolve issues.

All and all, it's a cool location if you are gonna spend most of your time outside and just need a place to crash. While I appreciate the times I've stayed at the EconoLodge/Rodeway Inn over the years, I think this will be my last stay (unless the place is renovated) :( Time...

Staff are all wonderful. Room was well fitted and comfortable. Location was great for us; near the Thai Consulate and next door to Pavilions grocery store.

There were noise and building code issues in our Accessible room 107, however, that people should know about. The smoke detector had a plastic bag over it, possibly from a recent construction retrofit of the room. It happens, but that's a fire-life-safety issue. Management needs to check every room IMMEDIATELY.

The switches were too high for ADA so it seems the work-around was to install occupancy sensors. Fine for us but the light goes off in the toilet/shower room leaving people in the dark because the occ sensor is out in the sink/kitchenette area. If someone was in the accessible shower and off their wheelchair, this is a safety issue. There's a blank plate in the toilet/shower room that may be a good location for a second occupancy sensor. No problem for us, so we didn't complain.

The refrigerator door is hinged so it would be inaccessible for anyone in a wheelchair. The counter should have been designed with the refer on the right or install a hinge-left refer. No problem for us but the sink blocks wheelchair roll-up to the fridge.

The bathroom has grab bars and a turning circle. The kitchenette is nice but the hotel doesn't have a hot water kettle even upon request. But the set up is very nice. We really liked it, no complaints

The 1 star deduction was for noise. The room above us had 2 large kids running and bouncing a ball. The breezeway above is right over our room and it was very loud, jarring at times. Before that family there was a woman whose phone conversation was unavoidably overheard. We tried to turn up the TV to allow privacy but we still heard every word. Sound-proofing the floor-ceiling separation is expensive, I understand that. Two clothes...