We just got back from a 2 day stay at the Hollywood Roosevelt and couldn't wait to get out of there. We were very disappointed. Maybe our expectations were too high, as we just came from the Beverly Wilshire (which I also reviewed and it was amazing), but I don't think so.
When we got into our (way overpriced) double suite on the 12th floor (after a wait), it was disgusting. Carpet had cigarette burns in it and looked gross, the leather couch had stains, the night stand had a big stain, the white curtains had very noticeable grease (or something) stains on them, the bathrooms looked gross, and the room, overall, smelled & felt 'dirty'. I realize the hotel is old, but 'old' doesn't have to mean run down or dirty. We've had our share of 2 star hotels that were very clean.
After talking to the manager, they brought us to another room on the 4th floor, with a great view of the back of a giant sign, and overlooking the roof and all the vents and junk you'd find on a roof. The room was somewhat cleaner, however, so we stayed. As we were going from 2 queens to a single king, they even brought up a cot for our daughter (and at no charge, he graciously offered!). While it was cleaner than the first, it was in no way a very clean room. We didn't even bother unpacking our bags, as the clothes were safer where they were. The bathroom was incredibly small, with only a tiny ledge that could barely hold a toothbrush and toothpaste. And the shower only had 1/2 of a door. Yes, 1/2. Which meant every time you took a shower, the bathroom floor was a giant puddle. We went through an incredible amount of towels just to clean up the mess.
Prior to moving rooms, they sent up the head of housekeeping to go over the room and she said that the double suites get really beaten up for some reason. Just some advice if you're going to stay here...
And another piece of advice - I don't know when the pictures of the rooms on the website were taken, but neither one of my rooms looked anything like them. I WISH we had a clean, modern looking room like the ones in the photos.
The pool area is pretty 'weird'. First, there's a bouncer and a hostess you have to get through. Once in, it's like Spring Break, with loud music & all 20-somethings partying. Not that it's an issue. It's just that most of the people there weren't even part of the hotel, or didn't seem to be. So you had all these young partiers taking up all the spots around the pool, and the hotel guests all on the outside, either trying to get a lounge or having to sit at a lunch table. If you're into people-watching, however, I don't think you'd find a better pool spot anywhere. It literally looked like everyone walked in off a Vogue or GQ magazine (or from a strip club). The hotel is apparently known for it's "pool scene" and I would have to agree.
On a postive note, it is right close to all the action on Hollywood Blvd. There's the Kodak Theater, the Chinese Theater, etc etc. If you want to be in "Hollywood", this is a central hotel.
One other (and only) positive note about the hotel is the staff. The concierge really helped us, the front desk did what they could, the pool-side bartenders were great, and the bellmen were good with taxi's and stuff.
On our way out, I had the bill for our stay. My wife said not to even show her or tell her what it was, as it would only make her sick seeing how much money we spent on a crappy 2 day stay here (never mind all the other costs at the hotel, like food & drinks, we didn't charge to the room).
I've contributed many reviews, over many years, to TripAdvisor. I've tried to give fair reviews to all hotels, restaurants, etc. In all that time, there was only 1 other hotel that I ranked 1 star.
This would be the second.
I'm sorry, but based on our stay, I would not and could not recommend this hotel.
hotel reviews