After walking by this hotel centered in the heart of tourist Hollywood, I was eager to stay in one of the hotel rooms. I have to admit, I was disappointed.
It was an upgraded non-smoking room, and although it's been 'completely renovated,' the room smelled musty and of stale smoke. The paint job was sloppy and the furniture was beat up. The A/C had an incredibly loud drone, and could only be drowned out by the outdated television with bad reception (what 4/5 star hotel doesn't have flat screens?). It should also be noted that there are no bathtubs - it's a shower only. It would have been nice after a long day of amusement park rides and fighting traffic to soak in a hot bath; you can't go to the pool (and there's no hot tub I'm aware of) after 8 p.m. as it closes for the Tropicana club.
Overall, I'm sure the penthouse suites are first-class and pristine, but the rooms on the lower end clearly did not receive the same care and attention to detail.
Parking at the hotel is $30/day, which should be added to the price at booking instead of coming as a surprise upon arrival. There's nowhere else to park, so you're stuck paying it. To the Roosevelt's defense, I've found that this is common in L.A., but it would have been nice to be aware of this beforehand, especially to wary, unknowing tourists.
Hotel staff was genuinely friendly and helpful; they brought in an air freshener ion machine which helped slightly with the odor and staff also offered a different room. The maid service was thorough and the valet guys were pretty quick. Again, service upgraded this hotel when the rooms didn't.
The hotel's location is key if you want to do the Hollywood tourist experience; it's right across the street from Grauman's Chinese Theater and there are several great restaurants (Katsuya, Ammo, Dakota, etc.) in the area where you can spot celebrities enjoying a meal. But with the Hollywood setting come the tourist traps; this is not the place you want to go if you want to get away from it all. Having said that, if I were to get a great rate for the Roosevelt, I may stay there again, but couldn't guarantee it.
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