The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel | 7000 Hollywood Blvd | Los Angeles, CA 90028

It must be said that Los Angeles is a city that is absolutely plentiful in chic hotels, beautiful architecture, Hollywood legends, and a story to tell. With architectural landmarks that transport you back to a time when glamor and cool oozed throughout the city, Hollywood is home to one Hotel that embraces the essence of how things used to be. That Hotel is The Roosevelt. While I have frequented the restaurant and bar at Public Bar & Kitchen at The Roosevelt Hotel, I had never stayed at the hotel as a guest. Until now. The evening began with a stop at the bar in the hotel lobby after an evening at Jimmy Kimmel.

(Photos courtesy of Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – A Thompson Hotel)

It’s Monday night. As we walk through the doors just off of Hollywood Boulevard, we take a seat at the bar adjacent to the hotel lobby. Chic and open, there is an air of sentimentality. The bartenders greet us with a familiarity that is welcomed (Alex, Nicole – I think, and Mike the Barkeep). Granted I am with friends that work across the street at El Capitan for Jimmy Kimmel that frequent the Roosevelt after a show wraps but still, there is something to be said about service – good service. Back to this evening. Tonight, I am in desperate need of something; Something fun, something delicious, something sip-worthy, and above all, just a solid night out. Good company is a plus. My best friend orders a glass of red wine and insists I have some too. (It was that kind of a day.) I happily obey and as my hunger begins to gnaw at me with unnatural pangs, I also find myself submitting to it’s whim. This is when we ask for bread. Our bartender smiles and says, “I’m gonna go get you guys the good kind of bread. It’s heaven”. And it really is. We start with the bread, a healthy spread of butter (because sometimes you really gotta go for it), and I peruse the menu. I decide to go for Charcutterie and Cheese and honestly, the selection tonight is on par. The plate arrives with a hearty portion of meats, cheeses, honeycomb, and a compote made with fig. The meats and cheeses range from French and Italian, to Spanish and Californian and are quite delicious. After sipping my wine, happily pleasing my hunger, it’s now almost 11p and my eyes begin their heavy descent. It’s time to say goodnight and head up to my room.

(Not Room 309 – This is the  Cabana Garden Room)

Room 309

Once the elevator doors open you step into a hall that is adorned with art by way of celebrity black and white photos, a little Hollywood story, all framed in a black polished encasing. On the walk to my door is Marlon Brando’s encased homage. Very apropos. I enter my room which is modern and vintage all at once. Two beds with white linens atop a metal frame with a photo of what appears to be Sid Vicious,  just adjacent to the bed – a mini bar made of dark chocolate woods, a desk, a vintage base with modern shade for the lamp, and a reasonably sized plasma. Just outside my window is the roof. A bit strange and oddly loud but still, you can see the hotel sign and in spite of the people climbing just outside of my window the next morning (that’s another story), it feels oddly calming and strangely familiar. As I make my way through the small room I enter the bathroom. Concrete floors, slate walls, a pedestal sink, a chocolate colored shelf stocked with Bigelow products, and the shower/tub combo. All I can think if is how nice that bathtub will be now that I’ve enjoyed far too much wine and an insatiable charcutterie and cheese plate. And the bread! Let’s not forget to mention that bread (which for the record is NOT the standard bread). The room is quiet and wonderful and all I can imagine doing is writing. This is a rare night where staying in the room is the perfect way to spend the remainder of the evening. Wonderfully quiet with the option to sit and write, go for a late night walk, stroll to the pool (which I never actually made it to) – the night was peaceful and honestly, I don’t remember sleeping so well in a hotel. Waking up the next morning, I pull myself from the sheets and get up to make coffee. Unfortunately, I have a machine that isn’t working (at all) and so I call down to Room Service. Maruf, the gentleman that answers the call, soon after sends someone up to replace the coffee maker but also sends over a fresh carafe of coffee. It’s always refreshing when customer service is a priority. I pick up the Hotel Guide and look through the breakfast menu. I ordered from 25 Degrees brekafast menu.

(Photo above by Dawn Garcia)

25 Degrees

Room Service. This is the one area of EVERY hotel, no matter how lovely, I find where there is lapse in taste, flavor, and plausibility. It seems breakfast is the one safe bet. I should preface that by saying the only menu that has ever been of the quality one should expect at a hotel is breakfast. Lunches and dinners seem to unanimously disappoint wherever I’ve gone. I have yet to taste any other meal outside of breakfast at any hotel that astounded me. Onto breakfast.

Spa Breakfast: eff white frittata with asparagus | roasted tomato | fresh mozarella (I opt for feta)

Served with Hash Browns | Fresh Fruit (I order ALL berries) | Bacon (Well)

The breakfast arrives by way of Maruf – quite possibly the nicest hotel employee I’ve ever met. The food is warm, laid out beautifully, and cooked exactly the way I ordered. The hash browns are more of a hash cake with a balance of herbs and spice, the frittata cooked through and through and I can taste the freshness of the vegetables. The side of  bacon is cooked crispy just as I asked. I eat every last bite. The Roosevelt’s Room Service did translate from kitchen to room … this is something I definitely appreciate.

Public Kitchen & Bar

Admittedly I haven’t always been a big fan of Public. I’ve had a few major disappointments but I will continue to give it a try. Why? Because as all things, management changes, menus evolve, and improvements are bound to be made.

So as it turns out, The Roosevelt has redeemed itself in my eyes. After several unfortunate experiences at the Restaurant, I will gladly return to dine, enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine, partake of the full experience, and hopefully stay in a much bigger room. The Hotel is undergoing some new management changes but I suspect it will only continue to improve. If you’re down in Hollywood and want a late night bite, try the bar or venture into 25 Degrees or Public and have a unique experience.

Hollywood Roosevelt | 7000 Hollywood Blvd. | Hollywood, CA 90028
Tel: 323.466.7000 | Fax: 323.462.8056 | Reservations: 800.950.7667

Email: [email protected] | www.thompsonhotels.com

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