Based on my recent experiences staying in various motels and hotels in Arcadia and East Pasadena area, this Best Western inn provides the most balance of comfort, convenience, and cost.
If it weren't for the inadequate bathtub drain in my room and unsatisfactory experience with lobby counter staff, I would've bumped this review up to 5 stars based on the value.
・Price
The $100~120 post-Covid price range for a single person was reasonable, considering that even bare-minimum budget motels in this area costs $90~100 a night. Note that there's another BW Royale Inn right next door which has the higher $150~200 price point, so be sure not to get these two BWs mixed up when booking.
・Room
Very clean room, furnitures in good shape.
Comfortable soft king-size bed.
Room lighting is not too dim.
Closet comes with many hangers, ironing board, clothes iron
No pests spotted during 5-day stay.
Nightstand lamps have outlets and USB ports.
Functional air conditioner, small fridge, and cable TV.
Wifi was at least adequate for watching 1080p Youtube live streams.
Towels were soft and very well-stocked.
Two tissue boxes, one by nightstand and one at the sink.
Two trash cans.
Bathroom was adequate and supplied with soap, conditioner, and shampoo. I might've been unlucky because the bathtub's drain in my room didn't work very well and kept getting clogged by my long hair strands. The drain also doesn't close fully, so the tub itself had trouble holding in bathwater.
・Amenities
Free parking with ample spaces in the lot, though the more convenient side gate on the small street is closed at night.
No vagrants or loud noises aside from street traffic.
The complementary continental breakfast has decent selection: scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, cereals, orange juice, coffee, orange, apple, banana, yogurt, small pancake maker, toasted waffles and bread, packaged danishes and muffins. No bacon or ham.
2% milk only; no soy milk if you're lactose-intolerant like me.
The breakfast staff was very friendly and attentive. She was the most pleasant staff member I interacted with at this inn.
There was a sizable swimming pool, which I didn't use.
Laundry room's washer and dryer charged very reasonable fees comparable to laundromats, and of course detergent costs extra.
No exercise room, which I didn't need.
・Service
Don't expect the lobby staff to voluntarily ask or tell you anything. If you want any sort of AAA discount or even BW's own membership offers, you must ask about them yourself.
For whatever reason, I wasn't allowed to reserve multiple days in advance at the lobby counter and was repeatedly told at the counter I had to book everyday in order to extent my stay. It wasn't until this inn had no vacancy left that I found out I could've booked multiple days if I had done so through BW's website. Needless to say, I was quite irked that none of the lobby receptionists bothered to inform me of this even though I had already expressed my desire to stay longer.
・Location
Good location near the 210 freeway, convenient for driving to Universal Studio or Rose Bowl.
Somewhat close to the nearest Metro rail station that connects to Downtown LA.
Several restaurant options within 15~30 mins walking distance.
Within reasonable driving distance to Old Town Pasadena or Arcadia Mall and racetrack. read more