No Vacancy

You’re gonna love it-​trust me. If you love history this is the place. Go early when it’s a bit quieter and you can explore. A few bars, multi-​level and a surprise entrance. My bartender reminded me of Rocky Balboa-​as a bartender!!! Hardly understood what he was saying-​Too funny… Also have a burger by Kayson at «In Yo! Grill» –Enjoy it!

The place is probably nice inside if you can actually get in. I went last night with a group of 12. Got there at 9:40 and when we got to literally the front of the line we waited there until 10:40. The fucking bouncer dressed like a stupid cowboy was letting in people he knew, groups and groups. Whoever went up to the door and kissed he will let them in, mostly girls. Then at one point he was like. «You guys have been waiting for a long time. 10 right? I’ll do it I’ll do it». Waited 20 more minutes and nothing. Wtf like you are doing us a favor??? So we went next door to Dirty Laundry since there was no line and we had a lot of fun in there. So frustrating!

This is honestly one of my favorite bars in Hollywood. There’s a lot to enjoy from the special entrance, to the vintage/​old-​school vibe inside, wire walkers, jazz bands, and classic cocktails. If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend coming here at some point and it will be an experience to always remember.
Only downside is getting inside is always up the air. Come early, and I mean before 11, or you likely will not get in or have to wait forever. Make sure you have a good ratio of females in your group as well, it really makes a difference. Also upsetting how the bouncer/​managers favor towards letting in groups of people they know in first while others have been waiting for a long time.

I love secrets and adventures and that’s what this bar is built on. The swizzler is Devine and the staff is chill af. So much fun to be had. Brace yourself upon entrance.

Just went to this place last night, and had one of the best times ever!
Entering the building itself was a very unique experience, and once you are in the venue is just awesome. The patio area has warm fireplaces to sit next to by the back bar, and the main bar also has a great vibe.
When we first entered and were checking everything out we ran into Ryan the manager. This guy was super friendly and went out of his way to visit with us and make sure we had a good time. He showed us the patio bar where the bartender, Destiny, was again an amazingly friendly person who really made us feel at ease.
It seemed like for the entire night all the guys that we met were really interesting and the women were talkative and beautiful.
Definitely will be coming back here anytime I am in the area, as well as taking any friend that I want to show a good time and impress. This place is truly awesome!

Cool building. Terrible event planning.
They charge 100 bucks for a NYE party and then make everyone stand in line for over 30 minutes. This was an hour before midnight mind you.
Inside, they served substandard alcohol for the free bar. I mean, really bottom of the well, well drinks.
The «DJ» was absolutely horrendous.
They overbooked the place. It was crowded and not fun.
Repeated inquiries to their customer service were ignored.
Save your money and go somewhere else.

I’ve never heard of this place until a friend wanted to go. Reviewers were saying «the bouncers were awful» and «expect a wait» etc. We came here right before 10 on a Friday night and saw people outside thinking «play the like isn’t too bad». There were people inside the rope and they were let in shortly. One the line person let us in the bouncer checked IDs and we waited a short time before entering the place.
Being here is an experience itself with the burlesque shows they put on and the live music they play. It can be a bit packed as the place is small. The drinks weren’t too great and the bartenders could be friendlier. Overall the place isn’t bad and I’m so thankful I didn’t have to deal with the line getting in.

My review is WAY overdue!!! A truly memorable experience! This was the first speakeasy I had ever been to and it will definitely impress you, no doubt. The entrance, especially. Came here a few years back on a Saturday night with Shanon Y. & Sidney T. for a fun girls’ night out. We didn’t know what to expect, but on a Saturday night, parking was seriously the BIGGEST pain in the ass… we were unsuccessful in finding street parking, so after what felt like forever, we gave up and just decided to valet park at the venue site for $ 10. Sure, $ 10 was cheap for this area, but wow… the valet was seriously understaffed. I’ll follow up on this matter later in my review. No Vacancy was brought to you by the Houston Brothers’, whom have achieved notable status and success with their other speakeasy bars: Harvard & Stone, Pour Vous, & La Descarga. I’ve read and have heard that you’ll only encounter top mixologists at No Vacancy, whom have been trained by only the BEST. Creators of the infamous 12-​drink menu (priced from $ 10 to $ 13) reads like a who’s who of the craft cocktail scene from only noteworthy top speakeasy bars and restaurants (guys from the Varnish, Roger Room, Bestia, Hemingway’s, Invention, & several other places).
Upon arrival, a line had already gathered outside the building, so we were just waiting to get in. After about 30 – 40 minutes, we were on our way inside. Woot! Upon stepping foot into the house, I felt as though we had transitioned into the 19^th century Victorian era. Prior to restoration, being moved, restructured, and serious renovations, this was the last standing Victorian style house on Hollywood Blvd. The original structure was built in 1902. I was mesmerized. The owners and the designers certainly did a fantastic job preserving the history of the structure and seemed to focus greatly on restoration and preservation through the construction & renovation process. I found many aspects to be so intriguing, like the rustic décor, a 1930’s style marble bar, a 1940’s mechanical horse, hotel lobby mail slots, an antique gift shop selling old memorabilia, and a really cool antiquated phone booth/​photo booth! You’ll have immense fun touring this place like we had!!! The stylish and gorgeous full bar downstairs was extremely packed… it took awhile to get drinks, but I can’t really comment on the alcoholic drinks because I was only able to order something virgin due to my pregnancy at the time. I ordered the China Doll (virgin), which was still delish. The alcoholic version consists of: Caprock Gin, jasmine water, lemon juice, coconut jasmine cream, & egg white. I’ll have to go back one of these days to sample everything on that list!
Onto the courtyard and the outdoor back patio, which have intimate seating areas, a trendy bar, a cozy fireplace, and a… tightrope overhead! On the weekends, you’ll get to experience entertaining performances that can include jazz bands, circus style feats, stunning sideshow acts, sexy burlesque dancers, and more! Coming here was an unforgettable experience, indeed.
To conclude & revisiting the awful experience with the valet, there was only 1 or 2 valet workers managing an overpopulated lot with an overwhelming influx of incoming cars and customers leaving the premises. Like Shanon Y. said, it was a serious «CLUSTERFUCK». Understaffed valet with wayyyy too many cars and customers to manage. People were seriously PISSED. To make matters worse, the valet retrieved the wrong cars for some and were just too slow. We waited about 30 mins to retrieve our car upon leaving. I hope the parking and valet situation have improved since I last visited No Vacancy because I’d definitely love to go back!

Had an absolute blast here! This place is a total trip from the second you walk in. I seriously want to own this place.
Came on a Thursday after grabbing dinner close by. Short line by 10PM, but we got in really quick. Place was pretty packed, but not annoyingly crowded.
Insanely cool vibe. Really really nice people from the bouncers, to the patrons to the employees/​servers (surprising considering I expected a stuck up cliché Hollywood crowd). Soon after we got there, an awesome funk band led by a guy with an afro in a one piece sequins outfit started playing, so that didn’t hurt either.
Wish there were more places like this. Definitely going back as soon as I’m back in that neighborhood.

This place is super cool and the way you enter this speakeasy is so interesting. It’s a must to visit in La.

This has got to be the coolest entrance to a bar I’ve seen hands down. I would hate to ruin the surprise for those who haven’t been… but just know you’ll be wow’ing about it for a while…
We came here on a Thursday evening around 10p for drinks. There was no line at the time and it seems like we beat most of the rush that evening. When you first walk up, you wait for the bouncer to give you the cue to enter.
Post your epic entrance, you’ll feel like you walked in to a house party back in your college days. Hanging out in the back yard, listening to a band play while you sit near the outdoor fireplace… oh…yeah.
It was definitely a cool concept and certainly something I would love to come back to time and time again and bring some of our friends and family visiting LA. The ambiance is pretty casual and definitely not the typical Hollywood crowd you see walking in to the main attractions.

Love No Vacancy because of the theme, live music, and the entrance. But hate that they’re really choosy at the door — it’s tough to get in on a weekend if you don’t have reservations. I’ve also tried RSVPing a couple of times online, but you really have to RSVP way ahead (3 – 4 days or even a week) because every time I try RSVPing a day or two before, they never respond in time. I mean, I’ve never really had a problem getting in, but I definitely see the hassle.
There was only one time I was shoo’d away even with a group of cute girls. It was a Saturday night, we tried getting in with no RSVP and one of the girls was dressed down with a large red/​blue flannel, light denim jeans, and flat boots — we kind of knew we weren’t «dressed up» enough to get in, but we still wanted to try just because we were around the area already bar hopping. They don’t expect you to dress super fancy, but they certainly follow the dress code posted on their website.
There is an outdoor bar which is nice and sometimes they have cookies for those waiting in line! On weekdays (Mon-​Wed) it’s a lot easier to get dressed casually. It’s worth it to show your friends from out of town or even friends that have never experienced prohibition-​themed bars. Music is usually always live, if there’s no band it’s mellow — definitely not a place for dancing, it’s more for grabbing a drink and chatting or catching entertainment. Weekends have burlesque/​tight rope performances which are pretty cool. Drinks are a decent price, not cheap but they have a nice lil cocktail menu and their mixologists are entertaining.
Not my go-​to bar because I prefer bar hopping in dtla but it’s always fun to come here once in a while. Also GREAT selfie lighting in the photobooth even if it’s broken.

Came here for their «Porch Sessions» series. Great venue for an intimate viewing of bands. Bars are well stocked and properly priced. Entrance had vibes reminiscent of the Haunted Mansion. Burgers on the grill smelled great.
Not sure how this venue fares as a club and their website isn’t maintained, so no luck getting info on upcoming artists/​events.

Neat idea with a decent (and very surprisingly large) place to enjoy a night out.
I came here with a large group, and fortunately we had table service so we skipped the really long and boring looking line.
Getting in what interesting. I thought the woman was creepy and very stern but at the same time comical (because it seemed like she took her job really seriously). The place felt pretty big despite looking like a shack from the outside. I spent most of my time at the patio, which was enjoyable with good music (some great throwbacks) and a live show (with mixed feelings, but at least we caught parts of the show).
Service here was quite rude. The staff gives the aura that we should feel really privileged to be here and were a bit standoffish. Maybe they’re just bitter that they have work on Saturday nights when the rest of their friends are out and about having fun… Or I’d like to think that to make myself feel better for being pushed around a couple times by the staff because it was just too darn crowded.

Used to love coming here.
It used to be good vibes, great service, and an awesome environment.
I came in Friday night on November 6^th. The two bouncers in the front said my boyfriend, his brother, and I couldn’t come in because they were over capacity.
I wish I was exaggerating when I say 5 girls came right after us and they let them in. While we were standing on the side debating where to go. Both bouncers looked at us and then quickly looked away.
We waited a bit to see if they would let others go after them and of course they did. A group of 7 people went in. (4 guys and 3 girls)
Kind of ridiculous.
I used to love going to any bar associated with Houston hospitality LA.
This left a bad taste in my mouth. I hope that they hire employees who value customer service.
I will not be returning to this bar.

This bar rocks… on the weeknights.
Do not even bother attempting to make it into this place on a weekend. Line gets crazy and I don’t know about you, but I hate waiting in lines. So, there you have it. I mean, even on the weekdays it’s crowded. But, it’s not unbearable.
I’m not going to give away the details on how you get inside because I loved being surprised. It’s definitely… unexpected.
The bar itself is so cool though. It’s all decked out like a 1920s speakeasy and, I swear, it feels like you’ve been transported back in time. The outdoor patio area is beautiful with the bar located in a small greenhouse. There’s typically a band playing outside and a DJ spinning fun throwback jamz inside. It’s a great time.
They do a show, but BEWARE, the show is ONLY on the weekends. There are no weekday shows. Learned that the hard way: waiting outside in the cold for hours thinking «Maybe the show will be next!» until I finally thought to ask a bouncer about it (duh).
Also, I still can’t seem to pinpoint what times the show actually occurs on the weekends, but if I ever do figure it out, you’ll be the first to know!

The effect of the glamour of No Vacancy will definitely wear out after the first or second visit. It pretty much dies after you walk through «the door.» Do yourself a favor and don’t search around for the way you get into the old hotel/​lounge. It most definitely will ruin the surprise, because I love the creativity here.
The Victorian-​styled house is beautiful and foreboding from the outside. They have a valet lot and it’s right off Hollywood Boulevard on a very small, nondescript street.
I’ve come three times and for three separate occasions: a regular evening for a birthday, buying bottle service and two different work parties.
For the first, we ended up getting a bottle in the «main» living room that overlooks the outdoor patio. The tables are in a half-​circle design, so we weren’t really separated from other people seated nearby. Still, we were near the DJ and that was fun, but very loud. Don’t expect to talk much. Typical bottle service, with a host & mixers, so that was fine.
The second time I came was for a work party, where the only drinks on the house were sponsored cocktails. They also wouldn’t let you grab more than one drink at a time.
The last time I came was for a Halloween party, which was intense and fantastic. Open bar and everything.
They have burlesque shows, tightrope walkers and «period» people serving you drinks, along with a DJ and lights outside.
The patio gets very cramped during the peak hours (at a regular night or even at a private event) as the venue overall is very small.
For some reason, there is an upstairs bar, but on all three occasions I went, it was never open.
Come check it out for the aesthetic and the old-​timey feel!

Waking to the front of the line being on the guest list
The attitude they have is disgusting
I don’t think I would recommend anyone to come here or do i think I would come here again
Not even gaining access dresses nice

As previous posts the entrance was a journey. Some posted to not spoil it for first timers so keeping my lips sealed.
Second visit (first time went on a Thursday), went on a Saturday night and it was packed. Getting a drink at the bar was insane. We tactically sent our tallest, prettiest girl to squeeze through by herself and order all our drinks. We went out to the back open area and constantly rubbing shoulders until we finally decided to call it a night.
It was definitely a cool expericence.

The best part about this place is the entrance — no spoilers so you’ll just have to see for yourself.
The décor and ambience of this place is pretty cool, but it was tainted by the extremely snotty employees working at the door not letting us into the speakasy as a big group so we all had to enter in small groups of 3 and basically LIE about not being all together. I get it if the place was packed to the brim but honestly, we got there early and it was TOTAL VACANCY. Put a really sore taste in my mouth. I could see the head employee in charge at the door come downstairs to spy on us to see if we all ended up congregating as a group which we did because we went to celebrate a birthday for a friend. Really ridiculous how unreasonable they were about letting our big group in because it wasn’t busy.
Learned some history about the speakeasy from couple cool bartenders which was pretty interesting. They were really nice. The bartenders paired with the entrance is why this is a 2-​star and not a 1-​star. Also a really fun photobooth.
Didn’t bother staying long enough to see any tight rope walkers because we just felt very unwelcome. Probably won’t bother coming back.

One of the coolest bar atmospheres I have been in. It feels like your in a southern estate home. The entrance is of course very interesting. Very speak easy feel. The drink list seemed fancy, and fun but I prefer my Old Fashioned and stay away from the hipster pre-​civil war mixologist libations that you pay $ 19 for and it’s basically a shot, and a half. No thanks.
The clientele is heavier weighted to the female side of the scale, which I prefer as scenery goes. The male clientele seems to be on the prowl. I am more for the divey, quiet bars but these are nice every once in a while.
The burlesque show is neat as it takes place on the porch where the band sets up, and then a high wire act to break up the monotony. interesting place but definitely somewhere to come once in a while. I say that because the one thing I don’t do is wait in line for a bar. I didn’t have to for this place, which is probably why I chose to go.

There is a reason this is one of the most difficult bars to get into after 9 o’clock. From the speakeasy entry to the delicious craft cocktails, to the history of the house (it was once owned by Charlie Chaplin and then was later rumored to be a brothel), No Vacancy is a memorable experience. The antiquity of the restored mansion, the twinkle lit patio, and the live jazz band create an ambience as if you are at modern Gatsby party among the whispering and the champagne and the stars.
The Jazz band plays about 11 on the back porch steps with a live burlesque, and if you hang out until 1230 or 100 there is a tight rope walker. They also sell food that looked amazing, but I haven’t tried yet, as I had already eaten when I arrived.
The only bummer about No Vacancy is that to see the shows you really have to commit your entire evening to one venue. Don’t bother trying to get in after 930, and on a Saturday night that might even be pushing it.