As someone who was born and raised in the LA area, going to Hollywood has never been a big deal. I’ve been there hundreds of times, though I haven’t done a lot of the “touristy” staples most people think of when they think of Hollywood. In reality, until I was in my early twenties, Hollywood Blvd was even grosser than it is now and it was kind of a place to be avoided (it’s still kinda gross and always crowded but it’s definitely better than it was). But there have always been hidden in plain sight gems along Hollywood Blvd, like the El Capitan theater and some truly amazing restaurants and bars. One of those not so hidden gems is the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The hotel was built in 1926 and financed in part by some Hollywood legends like Louis B. Mayer and Mary Pickford. It hosted the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929 and has been featured in countless movies and TV shows. Shirley Temple practiced her famous stairstep tap dance at the hotel. It’s where Marilyn Monroe met Arthur Miller (and supposedly the hotel is haunted by Marilyn’s ghost–she lived at the hotel for two years). Basically, it’s Hollywood history. I’d been in and walked through the hotel multiple times before, mostly because it has an awesome burger/shake place called 25 Degrees. But I’d never stayed there. And I don’t know that I ever would have spent the money to stay there, except Matt and I were celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary in the middle of a pandemic and we didn’t really want to travel anywhere. Hence, the staycation! We spent two nights at the Hollywood Roosevelt at the end of July and it was maybe one of the best vacations I’ve ever had.
First, the hotel is stunning. Like you could easily spend hours walking around and just looking at the architecture and the design and marveling at how gorgeous everything is. We arrived a couple of hours before check-in and spent some time meandering and I was enraptured. Also, the lobby (which turns into a cocktail lounge in the evening hours) looks very much like the old Tower of Terror lobby, which was a nice little nostalgia moment.
We also spent some time at the poolside bar until our room was ready. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the rooms because sometimes hotels like this a) have tiny spaces and b) rely on history to cover for mediocre rooms. However, I was pleasantly surprised by both the size and design of the room.
I mean, I love a hotel room that comes with a stylish bar!
The bathroom was on the small side, but it was updated and the water pressure was good so I was happy.
Once we checked into our room, we basically didn’t leave the hotel property for the next three days. We did make coffee runs in the mornings (there’s a Coffee Bean and a Starbucks within walking distance) and we had one dinner off-site, but other than that, we spent almost all of our time at the pool. And not going to lie, the Hollywood Roosevelt has maybe the best hotel pool I’ve ever seen. It’s huge, there’s plenty of cushy lounge chairs, lots of shade, and access to a bar with delicious drinks. If I could spend every day there, I would.
Honestly, we spent time at the pool each day we were there and I never got sick of it. All I did was swim and drink and read and lounge and it was fucking perfection. I’m sitting here writing this post and secretly planning a trip back because I need this kind of relaxation in my life on a regular basis please. On the surface, it seems like such a simple and boring trip, but every detail was amazing and I would 100% plan the exact same trip for another time.