The Holiday Lodge features a classic retro motel sign in bright red and yellow, but any visual charm at the hotel ends there. Its drab, gray exterior-corridor motel buildings look worn and many have peeling paint. The surrounding area is gentrifying but still a bit sketchy, and so while not unsafe per se, the Holiday Lodge is still the type of place where guests should take precautions. The front desk is staffed 24 hours a day and the hotel has 32 security cameras to monitor the parking lot, grounds, lobby, and buildings. There's no pool or other property facilities, so there is no real gathering point, and guests are generally out during the day visiting area sights. The Holiday Lodge is a good fit only for pure bargain hunters, willing to trade comfort for affordable rates and proximity to downtown attractions. 

The Holiday Lodge is on W 3rd Street in the Westlake area of Downtown Los Angeles in a gentrifying neighborhood that is still a bit gritty and run down. It’s not entirely unsafe, but it’s also not the type of area where it's generally advisable to go wandering around at night. A few restaurants, small shops, convenience stores, and discount stores are in the neighborhood, but there aren’t many attractions or much commercial activity. The 3rd St and Union Ave bus stop is a one-minute walk, MacArthur Park is a 10-minute walk, and Vista Hermosa Natural Park is a three-minute drive or a little more than 15 minutes on foot. 

The major downtown attractions aren’t really within walking distance, but they’re reachable within a short drive or bus ride. The Museum of Contemporary Art, The Broad contemporary art museum, and Walt Disney Concert Hall are all about five minutes by car or 15 minutes by bus, while the Staples Center, GRAMMY Museum, and Los Angeles Convention Center are a 10-minute drive or a 25-minute bus ride. Los Angeles International Airport is 25 to 45 minutes by car from the Holiday Lodge, depending on traffic conditions. 

Most of the guest rooms at Holiday Lodge are fairly spacious. All have a basic, budget motel feel, but many rooms liven the look with elements like wood headboards and floors, maroon curtains, baby-blue walls, maroon or rust-colored decorative throws, and shower stalls in pink tile. The view from the rooms is of the parking lot or street, and some rooms have balconies. While some have been renovated since 2015, many units are still dated and maintenance isn't always up to snuff.

All 58 rooms come with air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs with basic cable, and free Wi-Fi, and some add mini-fridges and microwaves, but none have coffeemakers. Bathrooms are small, with limited counter space around the sink. All have hairdryers and most have shower/tub combos (some are shower-only). Rooms have regular doorknobs with metal keys and no electronic keying, and they have chains rather than deadbolts. 

Facilities at the Holiday Lodge are extremely limited, with no swimming pool, eating options, or other major property features on-site. A lobby microwave is available for guest use and there's free coffee, and the front desk operates 24 hours a day. Free outdoor parking is available, with the lot monitored by security cameras. Wi-Fi is free throughout. The hotel is housed in three two-floor buildings with no elevator, so guests with limited mobility are advised to request ground-floor rooms.