When you choose a hotel, it’s usually because you’re on vacation and want a relaxing place to stay or you’re on business and you need a functional place to sleep. For one of my latest adventures, my hotel was chosen because it was within walking distance of the Hollywood red carpet.
How often can you say that?
I was planning to head to Los Angeles to cover the LA Auto Show when Nissan asked if I’d like to be their guest on the red carpet for the Hollywood premiere of Mary Poppins Returns (Nissan was a marketing partner for the movie).
What would YOU say?
Attending the premiere was enough of a dream for me but I getting the full Hollywood treatment was the icing on the cake.
We left the downtown Los Angeles area and headed to the Hollywood Roosevelt for the requisite hours of preparation for an evening hobnobbing with celebrities. That started with an escorted ride up to the penthouse where we had our hair coiffed and makeup applied by professionals while we sipped champagne and ate cheeseburgers.
Can you imagine my delight as I was waiting my turn for the glam squad when I looked out the window and saw…
This was real and surreal at the same time. Now I just needed to look the part. After 90 minutes of preparation, I went from drab to fab!
Before glamming it up Hollywood hair and makeup!
Then I simply had to head down to my room to slip on my dress and head to the hotel lobby for our special pre-event event!
Once inside, it was easy to imagine the decades of stars that had hobnobbed at the bar and under the arched ceiling. It felt just right to walk in with full Hollywood regalia and ask the bartender to make me something with vodka. In return, he provided me a pineapple and vodka with a maraschino cherry, which just felt right.
A short walk from the hotel was the Dolby Theatre (home to the Academy Awards) which was our destination for the evening. The theatre is located diagonally from the hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, which is closed entirely to traffic for movie premieres.
After previewing the movie and attending the after party (which you can read all about here), we made our way back to the hotel where we hoped for one more Hollywood nightcap. Alas, the bars had closed and I retired to my chambers happily falling asleep while visions of red carpet and celebrities danced in my head.
The Rooms at the Hollywood Roosevelt
The Hollywood Roosevelt offers two different areas on the property – the Cabana Rooms and the Tower Rooms. The Tower is the main building and where the hotel lobby is located. Since there was a chance of rain, I didn’t want to chance walking in the drizzle with my red carpet hair and makeup so I opted for a Tower room over a Cabana room.
The Deluxe room, seen below, is light and airy, large and modern, despite this being a historic hotel.
And look at these ceilings!
Location
As mentioned, this historic hotel is located in the heart of Hollywood and the perfect place for any red carpet prep. But if you’re not lucky enough to be walking the red carpet, it’s still an ideal location for any Hollywood site seeing like Mann’s Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Safety
We were outside of the hotel for such a short period of time that it’s tough to get a feel for the area. I can’t speak for other nights of the week but when there’s a red carpet nearby, you’ll find plenty of security on the streets!
Character
This hotel oozes old Hollywood. From Teddy’s Bar to the ballroom that housed the very first Academy Awards to the celebrity photo-lined hallways, you’ll feel the Hollywood glamour at this hotel.
Vanity
As you might expect in a Hollywood hotel, you’ll find a large, inviting vanity in the large, inviting bathroom. Seriously, just look at the shower! And you’ll find a full length mirror in the room.
I can also attest to the fact that they had an iron and ironing board in the room. Although you don’t really iron a red carpet dress, I did my best to use the steam function to get out a few creases.
Toiletries
It turns out that this was such a short stay that I didn’t even take a shower! After a night on the town, I wasn’t ready to wash off all that Hollywood glam. I actually got up at 4am for my flight home and I can only imagine what the people at the airport thought of my early morning flight makeup!
On the other hand, this is the kind of hotel where I would trust that the toiletries would be on point.
Comfort
For a one night’s stay (and a very short one, at that), the room was cozy and the bed was comfortable.
Snd if I was looking to spend a little extra time in the room, it had a fully stocked bar of drinks and snacks. And if you look closely, I do mean FULLY stocked.
Extras
And now for the extras! The extras are the things that make this hotel unique and special. It definitely has an old California vibe with colorful Spanish tile accenting the stairs and the lobby.
And, of course, the stairs lead you down to the historic lobby where people gather to dine and drink.
If you don’t happen to have a red carpet invitation waiting for you and you aren’t spending a lot of time in Hollywood, it’s at least worth checking out the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and staying where celebrities, old and new, have stayed!
