This is part of a continuing series of my impressions and experiences staying at various hotels and resorts while traveling to attend concerts worldwide. This review is for the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – A Thompson Hotel – for a stay in July 2012.
Property: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – A Thompson Hotel
Location: Hollywood, California
Address: 7000 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Phone: (323) 466-7000
Website: www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/la/hollywood-roosevelt
Room Type/Class: Superior Queen (Booked); upgraded to poolside King then other higher floor King
Date: July 3-4, 2012
TripAdvisor Page/Reviews: LINK
Booking Source: Expedia
Overall Rating: 4/5 [Note: Score is totally subjective based on price, location, and comparison to “like” properties within same area and price range]
I chose the Hollywood Roosevelt for my stay while in Hollywood to see Information Society perform at King King, several blocks down Hollywood Blvd (walking distance). It is a historic hotel and seemed like it would be convenient to stay somewhat close to the concert venue, and other interesting Hollywood icons are nearby, such as Mann’s Chinese Theater across the street and down one block.
Driving to the property guided by GPS can be a little confusing, as there is no valet on Hollywood Blvd proper, but down a side street, so you may need to circle back around the rear of the hotel and back up toward Hollywood Blvd. to find the valet entrance. There is also public parking across the street from the valet entrance, but I opted for valet service, as I was staying just one night and did not need my car again until check out.
The property is really quite beautiful and nicely decorated – honestly, it is worth taking a stroll through the public areas even if you are not staying the night, just to check it out.
The staff at the front desk were awesome – very friendly and professional. The woman who checked me in offered to upgrade me to one of their newly renovated (and larger) King rooms near the pool, which she explained was much nicer and larger than the Queen room I had booked on special. I opted to check it out (first set of room photos below), but it was adjacent to the rear of the poolside bar, with lots of loud noise from glasses and dishes. Additionally, it was completely out of range of their WiFi service.
I called the front desk, and they offered to switch me to another King room on a higher floor (which seemed even larger and nicer, though was not as recently renovated). I much preferred this second King room. The second King room was even larger (very, very large) and comfortable with two windows for a lot of natural light, should you choose to open them up. I faced out to the Hollywood Blvd. side, so nice views as well.
As this room was not newly renovated, as the one I started with was, it was looking kind of aged. It could have used some deep cleaning – the walls on the window side were covered with thick dust from top to bottom, and I noticed from the light shining through that when the A/C was on, it would blow some of this dust around the room. The carpets and such were also stained. But overall, it “felt” clean, but noticed some of these things with closer inspection. If cleanliness is paramount, I would recommend requesting one of the renovated rooms (though I did prefer the older one myself).
The one downside was the room service – the food was extremely mediocre (and not very good) and expensive, so I wouldn’t bother with that again if I return for another stay. There are many eating options on site and nearby; I had only opted for room service in that I had been doing a lot of traveling and was recovering from a cold, so it was convenient (just not very good – really equivalent to average cafeteria food). On the topic of food and drinks, the rooms were well-stocked with lot of treats and drinks on a charge per use basis. I did find that $10 for a bottle of water was a little bit on the pricey side, of course.
The hotel appeared to be a popular destination for the younger crowd, in that the night I returned to the hotel following the concert I had come for down the street, the common areas on the main floor were packed with people. However, it was the night before the 4th of July, and there was a poolside DJ attraction, so I’m not sure if this was out of the ordinary. Even so, it was not particularly loud and everyone seemed to be behaving responsibly, so not a negative, just worth a mention. In my higher floor, I heard none of the noise from the party downstairs. However, I did hear a lot of noise from guests in a neighboring room, so the soundproofing is not very good, but it is an old building, so not surprising.
Internet service ranged from $15-$21 per 24-hour period, which was pricey, but not unusual these days. I opted for the fastest, $21 option, and did not find that it was all that fast (having published my concert review and uploaded some videos overnight).
All in all though, I really liked the hotel and would definitely stay there again if I am in the area for another concert or event. The location is awesome, the staff was helpful and attentive, and I thought the room was really nice.
Below are photos I took of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during my stay:
Hotel Room #1 (Floor Level, Near Pool, Renovated)
Hotel Room #2 (Higher Level, Not Renovated)
Jason DeBord