The North Hollywood Holiday Inn is a well managed, full service hotel with elegant Spanish style-architecture, once managed by famous Hollywood B-movie actress Beverly Garland, and it provides just about the closest accommodation for visitors to Universal Studios, to which the main entrance is 1.2 miles east, on the far side of the Hollywood Freeway US 101. A free shuttle is operated to the studios, and to the nearby train & metro (Universal City) stations, while the adjacent freeway leads to Hollywood Blvd 5 miles south, with downtown Los Angeles 5 miles further. The hotel has 255 rooms, large & clean, including KidSuites and larger celebrity-themed suites. All have a private balcony, enjoying fine views over the spacious, tree-lined grounds and across the surrounding residential district towards the Hollywood Hills. The other main facilities of the Holiday Inn are an all-day restaurant (Tula's California Cafe) with outdoor patio, a coffee room, lounge/bar, fitness center, sauna, tennis courts, outdoor pool, gift shop, and nearly 13,000 sq ft of meetings/event space.

Highlight of the AAA Three Diamond-rated Best Western Mikado Hotel is the on site Japanese restaurant & sushi bar, in operation here since 1963. The oriental theme extends to the peaceful courtyard garden at the center, with pools and tropical plants, providing a respite from the busy surroundings - the hotel is part of a line of businesses along Riverside Drive, right next to the US 101 Freeway towards the west side of North Hollywood. Rooms feature a microwave, refrigerator, dual shower heads and high quality bedding; many have views of either the pool or the gardens. Free full breakfast is served. Universal Studios and the Burbank Media Center are both within 5 miles.

The immediate neighborhood has little of interest, but Comfort Inn North Hollywood is just 3.7 miles from Universal Studios, and 6 miles from Disney, Warner Brothers and NBC in Burbank's Media Center. Rates are quite low yet this is a clean, fairly new and well managed hotel, with 60 good sized rooms (some with refrigerator and whirlpool bath), secure free parking, guest-use computer, and a shady outdoor pool. Free continental breakfast is available, including waffles. Additional food can be purchased from a supermarket right across the street (Lankershim Blvd).