We have been traveling for over twenty years. Never have we encountered a staff like the crew employed by the Magic Castle Hotel. These young people go the extra mile to make your stay in Hollywood memorable. We returned from a month-long vacation of the West Coast having stayed in 22 hotels and the Magic Castle was without a doubt the best experience. I was leery booking a hotel for a week which AAA rated only two diamonds but after reading the reviews by the "folks" on Trip Advisor, I decided to ignore the pros. Wise choice. The hotel is in an excellent location for tourist yet quiet. We did not want to rent a car as my husband had already driven 1,200 miles on the first leg of the trip. This hotel is close to all forms of public transportation and sightseeing venues. We arrived three hours before check-in time in hopes of storing our luggage. To our shock, the staff said our room was ready and we had been given a complimentary upgrade to a suite!!! The suite was immaculate. The staff recommended which tours were worthwhile, what to see on our own and how to get there and advised us what we should NOT do via public transportation. I had wanted to take the transit system to Long Beach to tour the Queen Mary. They were adamant it would not be safe to do so. Only my mother has ever been this concerned for my well-being. The staff even went so far as to call taxi services on my behalf (without my asking) to check rates to Long Beach. They advised public transportation to The Reagan Library in one day was not do-able either....too many stops thus not enough time to tour the Library. The staff booked tours for us, which when we tried to book ourselves, were told there were no openings....hence the name Magic! The heated outdoor pool in the courtyard is open 24/7. They just ask you keep the noise level reasonable after 9pm. The on-site laundry facility is suppose to close at 9pm but when I was doing laundry after that hour, they said "no problem". When I inquired as to why AAA only rated the hotel two diamonds, they explained that several factors are considered by AAA in their assessment which they don't tell the reader. 1. There is no bathroom in the lobby. This is silly as all 39 guestrooms are a short walk from the lobby. 2. There is no elevator. Another stupidity as there are only two floors. 3. No restaurant on site. Another no-brainer......there are two very classy restaurants right next door. The AAA rating of two diamonds is a terrible injustice to this wonderful hotel and their employees. To Ashley, Gretchen, Jason, Nick, Shawn and everyone else we came in contact with during the week......thank you.....you are all five stars in our book!!!!
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