I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Koreatown, and while there were some positives, unfortunately, my overall experience was overshadowed by major issues.
First, the good: the staff at this hotel were fantastic. Everyone I interacted with was warm, friendly, and helpful. The hotel itself was clean and generally adequate for a short stay. The room was comfortable, though we did notice the bathroom sink had a drainage issue—it would occasionally fill with water and make a loud sucking noise as it went down. However, the biggest and most concerning issue was the activity happening in the alley directly outside our window. At nearly all hours of the day and night, there were large groups of people (sometimes 20 or more) gathering in the alley. We witnessed drug use, physical fights, vandalism (including spray-painting walls), and people discarding trash and even needles in the alley. The noise and chaos made it extremely difficult to sleep, even with the windows closed.
I've stayed in Los Angeles many times and am no stranger to the city, but this experience was by far the worst. It was honestly shocking to see how deteriorated the area has become, particularly right behind the hotel. While the hotel itself tried its best, the surrounding environment made the stay extremely uncomfortable and, at times, unsafe-feeling. I hope the hotel and city can find solutions to improve the safety and quality of the area. Until then, I’d recommend potential guests be aware.
