Hotel review: Gold-Diggers, Los Angeles

First impressions

I arrive to find a nondescript black-and-green building on a stretch of gridlocked road. A garish (yet endearing) sign outside tells me this is indeed the Gold-Diggers hotel, but the exterior aesthetic is more shady-dive-bar-bordering-on-crime-den than boutique hotel. Using a pin code to get inside, the art-lined walls indicate that the austere exterior is but a ruse; inside is another story altogether.

Like many Hollywood residents, Gold-Diggers is a slashie. It’s a recording studio, but also a bar, soundstage, live music venue and 11-room hotel. How very LA. The historic building’s colourful past adds some extra sizzle: the bar was once the domain of exotic dancers and the soundstage was used by legendary filmmaker Ed Wood in the 1950s.

The hotel doubles as a recording studio

The rooms

Forget standard-issue hotel bedspreads, each room is different from the other. My Full Single room is a studio-style affair, cleverly designed to balance form with function. Featuring velvet cushions, gold bathroom fixtures and a mural painted by local multimedia artist Kristi Head, the warm and inviting space is filled with colour, texture and character.

Each room is unique

Looking a little closer I discover unique touches rarely found in hotel rooms. Instead of the Gideons’ Bible, there’s a book of dystopian poetry. Goodbye clock radio; hello tape deck and cassette collection. Gold-Diggers also gets the basics right. The bed is comfy, the bathroom is spotless and stocked with Malin+Goetz products, and the balcony lets in fresh air and sunshine.
In true rock’n’roll fashion, the minibar is named ‘the Rider’ and includes everything from kombucha to cold brew and hangover patches. Sure, I could play tunes via the Alexa-enabled Sonos speaker system, but instead I load a David Bowie cassette into the tape deck and kick back like it’s 1985. Afterwards, I head downstairs to the bar where a bartender recommends his favourite ales. (I now see the need for in-room hangover patches.)

Accents add warmth and texture

There aren’t any bellhops or elevators at the entry of Gold-Diggers, so it’s best suited to independent travellers who don’t mind carrying their luggage up the stairs (pack light; there is, however, an ADA-compliant studio suite and lift access for guests with disabilities). It can get loud after dark, so earplugs are provided for a good night’s sleep. If you’re after poolside cocktails and 24-hour concierge service, then you’re in the wrong place. Art, music, interior design and late nights more your thing? You’ll fit in just fine at Gold-Diggers.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

Hotel review: Gold-Diggers, Los Angeles

We check into a design-driven Los Angeles hotel that moonlights as a recording studio, bar and soundstage.

Details

First impressions

The rooms

The IT verdict

Location: 7.5/10

Style/character: 10/10

Service: 7/10

Food and drink: 7/10

Value for money: 8.5/10

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