Go Bananas (USA Hostels Hollywood)

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Product:	USA Hostels Hollywood
Date:	02/12/00 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great location

Disadvantages: On the highway

The official IYHA hostels in Los Angels are just a touch too expensive to stay at ($24) considering there are some excellent cheaper backpackers in and around the city.
I stayed near Universal studios in the North Hollywood district at the Banana Backpacker motel and hostel on Cuihanga Blvd opposite the Hollywood bowl for a cool $18 bucks a night which included breakfast and a pack lunch on request.
The location is the biggest draw back as you are trapped in the hostel as the slipway to the highway is right out side the gate so it requires some hot footing to get on to the pathways in and around the hostel but you can pick up the souvenir number plate of the road free of charge. The traffic noise is not too bad.
Due to its glamorous location, Sunset and Hollywood Blvd are walkable as well as the Universal studio lots and if you ask at the desk they can tell you how to sneak up through the winding Hollywood Hills to get to the Sign so you can scratch the name on or take in the exceptional but smoggy view.
Rodeo drive and Beverly Hills require a bus journey or two and the hostel run a beach van every morning with a Venice pick up at 5pm.
The hostel have a great desk and reception with a very colorful owner who besides his hotel and hostel interests he also runs a small porn empire from the back room. We had some great parties while we were there in the two weeks.
The girls all show up and if your really seedy he lets guests go to a recording at his studios somewhere in the Hills.For the more frisky backpacker he holds auditions to see if you errrrr”measure up” for the movies! Don’t worry its not as bad as it sounds and all very LA.
The dorms are converted Motel rooms with four beds and a TV.The kitchen is ok although you tend to go out most nights to the bars or fall asleep after a long day walking or touring the cities vastness.
A bonus here is that they run a cool minivan trip for $40 dollars around all the notorio
us sites from the cities checkered past from OJ Simpson to the riots or famous movie locations. Well worth a spin.
The star of the show is an open air swimming pool with speakers and piped west coast rock whilst you sip a cool one during the warm summer evenings.

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