Perfect Mother-Daughter American Girl Getaway to LA

Plan the a little R&R with your daughter at the Orlando hotel.  They offer an American Girl Doll Package:  Included in your stay:
    
- Custom greeting card
- Photo upon arrival
- Bed and turndown service for doll and daughter
- Breakfast for two

This Los Angeles boutique hotel is perfectly situated in the trendy West 3rd shopping district --flanked on one side by the Beverly Center and on the other by The Grove.  There isn’t a better spot that puts you smack in the middle of specialty shops, high-end fashion malls, fine dinning with the perfect place to relax at the end of the day.

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1. The Orlando

8384 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, California

reviewed on: November 04 2011

"American Girl Doll Package"

In late October 2011, my 10-year-old daughter and I stayed at the Orlando hotel in West Hollywood for 2 nights. You will find this Los Angeles boutique hotel perfectly situated in the trendy West 3rd shopping district --flanked on one side by the Beverly Center and on the other by The Grove. This family owned hotel is a member of the Summit Hotels, which belongs to the Preferred Hotel Group.

We were there for a Mommy-Daughter getaway on the “American Girl Doll Package”. Arriving rather late on our first evening, my daughter was a bit too tired to have her photo taken with her American Girl dolls (part of our package). Although we said we’d come back to do it another time, I have to admit we forgot.  She did however receive a personalized note welcoming her and her dolls to the hotel.  

We stayed on the 5th floor in a Standard King with a city view.  We had a large King-sized bed plus a miniature American Girl doll sized bed!  The furnishings are very modern and included an armoire, open shelving that ran the half the length of the room, a small couch, and a nice sized desk. I also appreciated high-tech touches in the room including free Wi-Fi.  Additionally, there was a great bedside clock with an iPad charger, a separate Bose iPod docking station and a very large flat screen TV. Also worth noting, in the lobby, guests have free use of a Mac with a printer that I used to grab my boarding passes before heading home. For real technophiles the Orlando has launched it’s free own app that will make it super easy for guests to be in the know while they are staying at the hotel. It is like having the hotel concierge with you at all times.

Although your inclination may be to ask for a room on a high floor, rooms on 2nd floor at The Orlando have small patios. City view rooms have double French doors that lead out on to a small balcony and have a W. 3rd Street view. On the back, quieter side of the hotel there are patios that are on the same level as the pool.  I think it is worth the extra money to be able to open your door and take in some of that California sunshine.

You will find a small, under utilized, salt-water pool on the 2nd floor. It is only 4 feet deep. A small bench ran the length of the pool (approx. 1 foot deep). This could be good for younger children who might not be able to stand, as there was not a traditional shallow end. There are several lounge chairs and two very nice seating areas.  On the morning we went swimming, we had the whole pool to ourselves.

The hotel has recently undergone multi-million dollar renovations.  They enlarged the bathrooms, created two bedroom suites, and refurbished much of the hotel’s décor.  Included in this major renovation project is an all-new gastropub; The Churchill, which happened to open on the first evening we were there.  We had breakfast on their garden patio during our stay.  I immensely enjoyed my brioche french toast with maple bacon syrup while people watching.  There is no children’s menu but my daughter had no problem ordering breakfast off the main menu (average price for 2 people - $38).  Our breakfast was included on the first morning as part of the American Girl Doll package.  We treated ourselves and had that delivered via room service!

The location of this hotel is ideal for visitors who want access to one of the hottest shopping districts in LA. But most importantly for guests like us, the American Girl Doll store is a quick 10-minute walk away.  This was key as we spent the better part of one day at the store. My daughter was grateful to be able to come back to the hotel and play with her newly purchased American Girl doll items.

While there are cribs available (no extra charge) this hotel might not be the best choice for families with small children.  There are not many amenities that cater towards younger kids under 5. You only will find a children’s menu when ordering from room service and there are showers only, not a tub, in standard rooms. Plus the outlying area of the hotel doesn’t scream toddler friendly. The beach and Disneyland is nowhere in sight. I would suggest staying here though here if you are planning the perfect weekend getaway with your little fashionista.  There isn’t a better spot that puts you smack in the middle of specialty shops, high-end fashion malls, fine dinning with the perfect place to relax at the end of the day.

Average room Rates: Deluxe Rooms $209-$289 -  Deluxe Patio Rooms $249-$299

This review is based on a complimentary visit to The Orlando. I received no other compensation and the business owner did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view. All of the opinions I expressed are my own.

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2. American Girl Place LA

189 The Grove Drive
Los Angeles, California

reviewed on: November 04 2011

"Shop and Stay"

We don't live in a state where there is an American Girl Doll Store.  This year I decided to treat my daughter to a really special birthday gift-- a stay at The Orlando Hotel on W. 3rd, just 10 blocks from the American Girl Doll Store.  There, they offer an "American Girl Doll Package".

From the moment we stepped into the store, my daughter’s eyes were as wide as saucers. I wasn’t sure we would even make it past the first section! She perused every nook and cranny of the store, carefully looking over everything she had circled in the catalog before we had arrived. After spending several hours in the store she settled on her purchases.

Then she made an appointment to have her American Girl Dolls hair done.  There is the cutest hair salon on the first floor. $10 for short hair styles and $20 for long. We left the girls, grabbed a bite to eat across the street and then came back to watch them be styled.

I had also signed her up for a specialty class that was being held that afternoon in the upstairs cafe - Haunted Gingerbread Houses ($40/child).  This was great.  Parents are not invited, it is a drop off and dinner was included.  They started by decorating their own chef hat donning aprons before entering the room.  Girls could bring their own dolls or borrow one if they forgot theirs.  After an 1 & 1/2 you could come back to pick up your child and their project.

We have been to the American Girl Doll store in NYC several times and I have to say that we enjoyed this one so much better. The pace, staff and store as a whole was a lot less frenetic making the entire shopping experience so much more enjoyable.

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3. The Grove L.A.

189 The Grove Drive
Los Angeles, California

reviewed on: November 04 2011

"An Outing"

We didn't see very much of the Grove as The American Girl Doll Place is the first store you see if you come in on Gilmore Lane.  We spent the better part of the afternoon shopping there! However we did surface and had a nice outdoor lunch at Marmalade directly across the street.  We spied the free Grove Trolley that goes along First Street between The Grove and Farmer's Market but didn't hop on.  There are so many great shops here you could window shop (or shop for real) for hours.  The outdoor plaza atmosphere is really nice.  There is a Kids Club with regular events so it pays to check the web site before you go.

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4. Doughboys Cafe & Bakery

8136 West Third Street
Los Angeles, California

reviewed on: November 04 2011

"Chow Time"

Eat here for breakfast, lunch or dinner! The menu is HUGE! Smack in the middle of the chic West Third Shopping District is the perfect pit-stop for hungry kids and their parents.  With home cooked items like the "afterschool special" (grilled cheese & tomato soup), beefy mac & cheese, pizzas, and Grandma Rose's Rainy Day Special (tuna melt & chicken noodle soup) bellies will be full.  Make sure to leave room for their famous single serving Red Velvet Cakes!

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5. Magnolia Bakery

8389 West Third Street
Los Angeles, California

reviewed on: November 04 2011

"It Takes the Cake!"

Magnolia is all that and more when it comes to a cupcake shop.  If you have a little sweet tooth, or are one yourself, caution before entering!  This place is one big sugar high!  The cupcakes are gorgeous, but not cheep.  Classics (Vanilla/Chocolate) start at $3/each.  There are daily specials like s'mores, the sno-cap, the flour-less chocolate cupcake with vanilla bean and meringue butter cream frosting and the list goes on! It is best to check the web site or call ahead to see what will be on the menu that day.  

The shop itself is cute and designed like an old fashioned soda shop.  Stay and have yours there or take an egg carton of a dozen to go!

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6. Beverly Center

8500 Beverly Boulevard
Beverly Hills, California

reviewed on: November 04 2011

"Superb Shopping"

Your teen/tween may appreciate high caliber stores here like BCBG, Bloomingdales, Burberry, Coach, Diesel, Gucci and even Jimmy Choo but I am not sure your wallet will!  My 10 year old and I enjoyed window shopping and purchasing a few things at stores like H&M. We live in an area that doesn't offer much in the way of shopping at all so this was a real treat for us.  In terms of family friendly there are a handful of "kids retail stores" but really how kid-friendly is shopping?

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