While many people flock to Los Angeles for the beaches and near-eternal sunshine, there’s no denying the Hollywood undercurrent running through the city. This is where stars are born, after all, and they’ve made their mark for decades.
Even as a longtime Los Angeles resident, I still get starstruck from time to time. But, I must admit, I fawn over the glitz and glam of Old Hollywood more than current celebrities, and I’m fascinated by where they stayed while making their mark on the movie industry.
From Charlie Chaplin to Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Temple to Clark Gable, the most famous hotels around Los Angeles are littered with stories of the celebrities who used to frequent their rooms. Even better? You can still check in for a stay.
If you want to combine the magic of Old Hollywood with modern glamour, these seven historic properties around Los Angeles (two of which happen to be members of Historic Hotels of America) are right up your alley.
In this article
The Culver Hotel
My fascination with the Golden Age of Hollywood hotels actually began with The Culver Hotel. A chance stop-in for cocktails with a friend led to the discovery that it played a background role in the two biggest films of 1939.
Nearly all of the Munchkins stayed here during the filming of “The Wizard of Oz” (and our waitress said they had raucous parties), while “Gone with the Wind” stars Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable also frequented it during filming.
As a result, most of the cocktails have cheeky, on-the-nose names like the color-changing Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch? (my personal favorite), Ruby Red Slipper, and Emerald City.
Located in downtown Culver City, the hotel is a 1924 National Landmark recognized by its flatiron-style building and opulent Beaux-Arts architecture, and it prides itself on the fact that each of the 46 guest rooms is unique.
A blend of vintage-inspired pieces like crystal chandeliers and antiques meld with more modern elements like Carrara marble vanities and white subway tiles in the bathrooms. Along with a welcome drink at check-in, guests can enjoy complimentary daily breakfast, and the opportunity to book experiences like a tea time getaway that includes the hotel’s signature Culver Afternoon Tea.
Recent nightly rates range from $363 to $498, depending on room type and seasonality.
The Hollywood Roosevelt
You’ll be hard-pressed not to notice the impressively large “Roosevelt Hotel” sign atop The Hollywood Roosevelt as you stroll down Hollywood Boulevard.
The hotel, named for President Theodore Roosevelt, opened in May 1927, financed by heavy-hitters like Douglas Fairbanks, Sid Grauman, and Mary Pickford.
Its storied Hollywood past is vast: Shirley Temple reportedly received her first tap-dancing lesson from Bill “Bojangles” Robinson on the Spanish-tiled staircase, Marilyn Monroe shot her first print ad here and lived in a second-floor cabana for two years, and it was the site of the inaugural Academy Awards in 1929.
And then there are the 300 guest rooms and suites, which are punctuated by the Gable Lombard penthouse, a 2,500-square-foot suite with two refined bedrooms, a sunken living room, an 18th-century French tapestry, and full bar. Oh, and it just happens to be where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard allegedly had an affair while Gable was still married.
Other rooms include stately four-poster beds, midcentury furnishings, and the option to stay in a cabana-esque room close to the Tropicana Pool (impressively painted by David Hockney). And, yes, there’s a suite named for Marilyn, too.
Staying here also provides access to daily events throughout the property, like classic cinema nights, outdoor yoga classes, and happy hour in the hotel’s historic lobby.
Recent nightly rates start at $330 for a Superior King Room, while the Johnny Grant Suite starts at $1,999 per night and the Gable Lombard Suite is $2,708 per night.
Hotel Bel-Air
Stepping onto the grounds of Hotel Bel-Air feels almost otherworldly, especially as you take in the seemingly never-ending lush greenery and a literal swan lake with multiple swans floating in a pond while you walk across the nearby footbridge.
The hotel isn’t without its place in Hollywood history. Marilyn Monroe shot her final “Vogue” photographs here, and Grace Kelly stayed so often that there’s a suite named after her.
Now owned and renovated by The Dorchester Collection, the Hotel Bel-Air boasts 103 rooms still reminiscent of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Guests can choose from rooms with patios or fireplaces, views of the gardens or pool, and suites with private plunge pools and views of Swan Lake.
The spa is also not to be missed. In fact, I once enjoyed a massage here that was so rejuvenating and relaxing, I still think about it. In addition to full-body spa packages, you can book a variety of pampering treatments including massages, body treatments, facials, and nail services.
Recent nightly rates range from $1,369 to $6,080 per night, depending on room or suite type and seasonal availability.
The Biltmore Los Angeles
A sweeping Spanish baroque staircase, combination of Renaissance Revival and Beaux-Arts architecture, and the last sighting of the Black Dahlia. That’s The Biltmore Los Angeles in a decidedly tight nutshell.
But the grand hotel, built in 1923 in downtown Los Angeles, was a fixture of the Old Hollywood scene, too.
Not only did the Biltmore host an impressive eight Oscar ceremonies throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood, but the design for the Oscar was first conceived on one of The Biltmore’s napkins. Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Ginger Rogers all took turns on the dance floor in the ballroom over the years.
More recently, it was a filming location for movies like “Chinatown” and “Ghostbusters.” It’s a notable ghost-hunting location, too, as there have been multiple accounts of spottings on the 10th and 11th floors.
It boasts a whopping 683 guest rooms and suites, including the Presidential Suite, which notoriously hosted six U.S. presidents plus gangsters like Bugsy Siegel and Al Capone (and even has a recessed spot to hide liquor still built in … somewhere).
The original lobby, a.k.a. the Rendezvous Court, houses bronze light fixtures, elaborate carvings, and 24-karat gold paint. Visitors to Los Angeles who choose to stay elsewhere can still take in the Biltmore’s history by taking the LA Conservancy’s monthly walking tour.
Recent nightly rates range from $172 to $424 per night, depending on room type and seasonal availability.
The Charlie Hotel
I live down the street from The Charlie Hotel and walk by it almost daily, and the quaint, storybook-style Tudor cottages piqued my interest long before I discovered its ties to Old Hollywood.
As the name may suggest, the set of private bungalows was originally built in 1924 for silent film star, Charlie Chaplin. The subsequent stars staying here over the years were supposed to remain hush-hush (silent-movie pun intended), but are rumored to include Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, and Gloria Swanson.
These days, the 14 cottages have been reimagined into private hotel suites, and all of the aforementioned stars fittingly have suites named after them.
Each cottage is completely unique. Some are one level while others are two, and each has different furnishings. Alike among them are fully equipped kitchens, in-unit laundry, and a variety of sun decks.
If you stay in The Charlie (on my current bucket list), the original door is built for those under 5-foot-5, which suits my 5-foot frame just fine.
Recent nightly rates range from $391 to $934 per night, depending on room type. They tend to book fairly far in advance, with The Charlie almost completely booked, so if you want to stay here, book early.
Sunset Tower Hotel
A visit to Sunset Tower Hotel almost certainly yields a celebrity sighting or two. This isn’t a new occurrence, either, as the Art Deco tower on the Sunset Strip, first opened in 1929, has been home to Hollywood elite for decades.
During the hotel’s original prime, Howard Hughes, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, Errol Flynn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Frank Sinatra all stayed here. You may have spotted it in films like “Murder, My Sweet,” “The Italian Job,” and “Get Shorty,” too.
The hotel’s 81 rooms encompass a variety of queen, king, and suite options, such as the upper-floor Premier Suites with views of downtown Los Angeles; split-level, apartment-style townhouse suites with soaring 20-foot-high ceilings; and penthouse suites with wraparound terraces (it’s where Hughes was rumored to have lived). All rooms feature dusty pink, soft cream, and light brown furnishings, bespoke wallpaper, and products by Kiehl’s and T3.
Inside Tower Bar, don’t skip the option to make your own sundae, which is worth the calories. And don’t miss a trip to the restrooms, which are wallpapered in an exclusive print by artist Donald Robertson.
Recent nightly rates range from $513 to $3,170 per night, depending on room type and seasonality.
The Beverly Hills Hotel
It’s impossible to think of Los Angeles hotels without the icon that is The Beverly Hills Hotel. Accurately nicknamed “Pink Palace,” it actually predates the city of Beverly Hills by two years, as it opened in 1912.
Since the redesign by architect Paul Williams in the 1940s, the hotel has become synonymous with its pink exterior, green-and-white striped details, banana leaf wallpaper, and iconic script signage based on Williams’s handwriting.
The hotel also has quite the movie star connections. Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin drank here, Marlene Dietrich fought to end the “no pants for ladies” dress code in the Polo Lounge, and Sidney Poitier danced barefoot in the hotel lobby after winning the Oscar for “Lilies of the Field.”
Even more, Elizabeth Taylor celebrated multiple honeymoons in bungalow five, and her family held her memorial service there in 2011. The hotel also features prominently in one of my favorite ’80s movies, “Troop Beverly Hills,” as the troop’s hilariously upgraded alternative to their camping site.
These days, you can stay in a variety of rooms and suites (210 total), and 23 private bungalows, the latter of which were home to celebrities like Marilyn Monroe (bungalow one), Howard Hughes (bungalow three), and Charlie Chaplin (bungalow nine). Each room type has a distinct look and feel, but all hearken back to Old Hollywood.
Make time to dine at The Cabana Café (home to the famed McCarthy Salad), or have drinks at The Polo Lounge, where Rita Hayworth once spent time.
Recent nightly rates are a definitive splurge. They range from $1,399 to $8,199 per night, depending on room or bungalow type and seasonality.
The Shortcut
Los Angeles is full of glamorous hotels, but these are also steeped in Hollywood history and royalty. They range from boutique stays to splurge-worthy landmark resorts with rates starting around $172 at the Biltmore to four figures at Hotel Bel-Air and the Beverly Hills Hotel.
The Biltmore Los Angeles and The Hollywood Roosevelt are both members of Historic Hotels of America, while The Charlie Hotel was built as a home for Charlie Chaplin.
Marilyn Monroe frequented many historic hotels around Los Angeles, including The Charlie Hotel, The Beverly Hills Hotel, and Hotel Bel-Air. She even lived in a Roosevelt cabana for two years.
