I stayed here for 3 nights in July. I had the previou reviews, so I was prepared for snooty staff and a very basic room.
Upon arrival the doorman offered to take our cases and we told him it was ok, as we did not have that much and he offered again, and one of his fellow staff told him ' They do not want it' , well that started a shouting match between them, I kid not.
Very strange, i have never seen anything like it!
The check in staff were very friendly, with another check-in counter who was not serving me even asking how I was.
Maybe cause I am young in my 20's I fit in with the clique!!
The rooms are different from a normal hotel but they were perfectly fine. The beds are EXTRA comfortable!!!
The bathroom does have a unusual red light but there is a normal light you can use as well.
It is true the lobby is very dark but all we did was walk through it to exit so I do not see the big deal!
The pool area has been re-done and looks good. The day we checked out and were waiting to go to airport, they were dozens of young hip guys and girls exiting in their swimwear and receiving their cars from Valet parking, so I presume that there are many people at the pool area not staying at the hotel. Which to me is not right, for as a guest of the hotel you should be able to use the pool when you want and not have it domiated with non-guests.
This hotel is definately catered for a younger crowd, as I am 25 I did not mind it. The location is great for Hollywood.
I would return to Roosevelt but as for LA, this is my 8th time there and I must say it seems to get dirtier every time. Being from Sydney which is very clean, it is a shock and something that I do not think you can get used to.

I just returned from a 3 night stay at the Hollywood Roosevelt. I had read some of the previous reviews before booking - and some of what others said was accurate.

The walls are very thin - bring earplugs. We could hear the couple in the next room, and it appeared they were having a normal conversation (i.e. no yelling or loud voices). One of the nights we stayed was a Saturday night, other guests were extremely loud when returning to their rooms at 3:00 a.m. – it sounded like they were inside our room. I suspect this is the norm for older hotels – sound-proofing was not the science it is today.

The room décor is nothing special – dark paint, black & white mural over the bed - very minimalist, not what you would expect from a place with such great history. The bed was VERY comfortable, although I thought housekeeping made a mistake when I noticed there was no top sheet – just a duvet. The air-conditioner was very noisy, we opted to shut it off and sleep with the windows open instead.

The pool was a HUGE disappointment. I always stay in hotels with pools as I like to go for a swim after a long day of sightseeing – I was shocked to return at 4:00 p.m. and find the pool packed with non-paying guests! It appears the pool and the Tropicana bar - which is adjacent to the pool, are the “IN” spots for the 20-something crowd of Hollywood. Many of the hotel staff let their friends in, and one morning I observed one of the pool guys placing reserved placards on 50% of the lounge chairs at 8:00 a.m. in the morning. I spoke to the front desk about this and was told that only hotel guests use the pool – this was a bold face lie, as I had over heard one of the pool staff talking to a group of 8 pool users about driving home and coming back later for drinks - most of the sunbathers at the pool had car keys with their belongings – not hotel cards.

If you want to be seen and be in the centre of the action – this is the hotel for you, if you want comfort and luxury - go elsewhere.

stayed here on a recent trip to Hollywood, the atmosphere was great and soooo hollywood...
I like the old style Hollywood glam.
I felt like a Movie Queen...

What have they done to this hotel with so much history? I have stayed at this hotel twice before and have always had a nice comfortable time. When I had a short business trip recently, it was logical to stay at a place that I knew I could trust. Big mistake, the moment I walked in, I could tell something drastically had changed. To start of everything was black, the walls, the floor and the staff dressed in black. Felt like I was in a Dracula film with all the gothic furniture. This darkness seems to be a growing trend with some hotels across the States. I could not find my card key in my bag the lobby was so poorly lit and people were almost walking into each other, I kid you not. My room was frightening. The room was black, the bathroom light was red and to top of it. A huge photo of a man with bright blonde hair in a black jumper was above my bed looking down at me. My friend had to cover it for me with a towel, so I couldn’t see it. They charge to for coffee and teas in you’re room too, that’s the first time for me!
The only advantages are the great locations near by; if you’re tourist it’s all at your doorstep. None of the staff were rude to me, that’s a plus, but I will never stay here again. It’s a shame because I had a big group of us going next year, but it’s safe to say I will be taking our business somewhere else. It is a shame the hotel has been taken over, it has lost all its glamour and famous history.