Hudson and the W Hotel Hollywood: A Love Story:)

The WOW Suite, W Hotel Hollywood

Hudson, who is six, loves hotels.

It started in London, when we stayed there a couple of years ago at a hotel on Curzon Street called the Washington Mayfair. He loved the room, he loved the elevator, the doorman, the front desk, the location - everything about it.

Recently, we needed to drive into Hollywood from Topanga and Hudson wanted to try out the wifi on the netbook Santa generously brought him at Christmas. We thought about where to go - Starbucks seemed too obvious - and Charong suggested the new W Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. (We used to live not too far away in Laurel Canyon.)

So along with our two year old daughter, Paradise, we all visited the spacious and very cool bar/lounge/lobby area of the W, which features a wide circular staircase and vast Swarovski crystal chandelier, a "bridge" suspended by (I'm guessing) steel wires and a kind of Moroccan-inspired lounging area with plenty of cushions.

Hudson got to use the free wifi and we all had fun exploring the elevators (the W calls them "lifts," the same as in England, a little touch that Hudson loved - they also have "Good Morning," "Good Afternoon" and "Good Evening" mats), the bridge (which has a view of the bar and lounge below) and the roof deck pool area, which has more Moroccan-themed cabana-style outdoor beds, a bar and great music playing. Paradise especially loved the big cushions in the lounge. Hudson loved the fried calamari and French fries.

I tweeted that Hudson was having a great time - and even before we left the hotel, the tweet was retweeted by LA Picks (Los Angeles Buzz).

A couple of days ago, I had to drive into Hollywood again. Hudson went with me and when I offered to buy him an ice cream, he asked if we could have it at the W Hotel. I asked if he'd prefer The Grove (a popular outdoor shopping mall, with fountains and a trolley car) but he was set on the W.

So we had our ice cream and Hudson asked an interesting question for a six year old: "If you were going to stay in a hotel, would they let you look at the rooms?"

I said yes and I could see where this was going, so I told him I wasn't sure if the W would show us a room, since it was pretty obvious we weren't going to be staying there that night.

I asked at the desk if my son could possibly see a room, since he loves hotels, and they couldn't have been nicer. Even though the hotel was almost at capacity (it was the night of the Grammys), within minutes a very friendly "Welcome Ambassador" named Simon had appeared.

Simon took us in the lift (reverting to my native tongue) to visit one of the W's rooms - which was quite beautiful. One of the features I really liked was a window seat - more of a sofa - from which you could gaze out at the Hollywood Hills. (These window seats, I've since learned, can be used as an extra bed, which is a really helpful feature in these budget-conscious times.)

Hudson loved the room and told Simon, on the way down, that he would like to live in a hotel when he's a grown-up.

Simon must have found this charming because, before we could leave, he checked at the front desk to see if we could visit a suite.

He then took us up to the appropriately-named WOW Suite (one of two, I believe), which occupies a north-east corner at the top of the hotel and features stunning panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills, the iconic Hollywood Sign and the snow-capped San Gabriel mountains in the distance.

Hudson was thrilled. Simon showed us the living area, the dining area, the suite's own kitchen and the bedroom that has a bath dividing it from the bathroom - so that you can lounge in the tub and watch TV or talk to your partner in bed. Hudson even found a narrow space between the dining and living areas that probably only he could squeeze through. The suite is large - certainly bigger than many New York apartments!

Simon really seemed to enjoy Hudson's appreciation for hotels - and the W Hollywood in particular - and I certainly appreciated how kind Simon was in indulging us. He chatted more with Hudson as we took the lift back down, then shook both our hands before I drove Hudson home.

In the car, Hudson was excited that he had seen the room and the suite - and now he, and we, have only to deal with his elevated expectations for his first apartment or house - or live-in hotel room - as an adult!

The WOW Suite bedroom, W Hotel Hollywood

W Hotel Hollywood
6250 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028
Tel: 323-798-1300