Though I’d just been to Los Angeles a year prior with Lizz, returning over Easter last month with Karrie was fresh and new for me – we saw sights I’d not seen, ate amazing food, and overall just had an absolute blast of a time. I’m glad to report back that I’m finally here to talk about it and resuscitate this site, so thanks for tuning in!

Los Angeles was beautifully sunny when I landed, a sharp contrast to the chill of Vancouver’s early spring. After an hour or so wait, Karrie joined me, and by midday we found ourselves walking west along Hollywood Boulevard, hauling luggage, avoiding tourist trap offers of creepy, paparazzi-esque driving tours through where celebrities reside, and finally arriving at our home for the next four nights: The Hollywood Roosevelt.

Let’s take a tour, hmm?

Steeped in history, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was built in 1927. Like many of the homes in the area, the twelve-storey building was built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style – something you can see quite clearly as soon as you enter through its doors. When you find yourself in its historical lobby, these are the sights that greet you:

From the Spanish tiles to the ornately painted ceiling, every corner, secret alcove, and space in the lobby made you feel like you stepped back in time. At any given moment, Clark Gable could have walked by me, or perhaps Marilyn Monroe herself, who lived at the Roosevelt for two whole years.

It took Karrie and I forever to freshen up and change from our flight clothes… enough time, in fact, that we were then called by the front desk as soon as we were finally done that our room was ready for a somewhat early check in. As soon as we walked in our room, I was reminded immediately that I am, in fact, in the year 2015.

Cool, muted colours, sleek lines… the room was modern and clean but distinctly boutique. There was nothing impersonal about it, as so many big hotel chains can be. I failed to take a proper photo, but the cabinet to the left is in fact a bar! The bed was delightfully comfortable, and the sheets cool. I was slightly concerned that the room would be stuffy given the heat outside, but I didn’t have to worry about that at all.

Though it did have all the mod cons one could ever want – including free Wi-Fi – there was still a distinctly retro vibe to the space, which I absolutely loved. From fabrics on the stools to the wingback-esque chair… the aesthetic was gorgeous.

If anything, I would have loved to have had the bathroom be – well, not necessarily larger, but just less narrow. It was long and skinny, and it also didn’t have a fan/ventilation to air it out properly after a steamy shower, which made for a constantly muggy loo. It’s a minor thing to fuss over, really, but I thought I’d address it, regardless,

The front desk staff and bellhops were friendly and very helpful, from the moment we arrived (they placed us in a different room from our original booking so we could get settled in earlier, hours before the usual check in time) to our last moment before leaving for the airport.

The hotel’s location right in Hollywood’s heart – facing the TCL Chinese Theatre, a stone’s throw away from Dolby Theatre – makes it the perfect pad for anyone visiting SoCal. Close to restaurants of every price point, clubs, theatres, and every attraction whether cool or kitschy… its location is incomparable. While we lucked out on a a great deal for our stay, the Roosevelt’s regular asking prices aren’t that bad (cheaper than the grand hotels in Beverly Hills, for example), and the combination of great amenities, beautiful space, and history beats out any old chain hotel, without a doubt. All in all, the Roosevelt was a wonderful hotel and when I return to Los Angeles in the future, I certainly wouldn’t say no to staying there again!

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
7000 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Price: $$$  |  Amenities & Comfort: 8/10  |  Location: 10/10

This post is a first in what will be a series on my Los Angeles and New York trip with Karrie (hashtagged JKTravel2015, as you can see)! It’s nice to be back writing here, and I most definitely plan on carrying on with regularity. If you’re missing the rest of my UK trip, fear not… I’ll wrap it up in a series later in June – a fitting bit of prep leading up to my next trip.

Tune in for my next posts, which will cover where we went, what we saw, what we ate, and, FOR SCIENCE, our incredibly important study on West Coast vs East Coast burgers. (Spoiler alert: it was so worth it.)

xo,
Jen

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The #JKTravel2015 Series

Post #1: Los Angeles – Where We Stayed (You’re on this page right now!)