Editorial score of 8.6 of 10, the composite average of the three factors above (Rooms, Service, Location). Method at our methodology page. Affiliate disclosure: booking links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
Why stay at the Hollywood Roosevelt?
You stay here for the history, because no other hotel is stitched so tightly into the story of Hollywood. The Roosevelt opened in 1927 as one of the first hotels built for the young film industry, and in 1929 it hosted the first Academy Awards ceremony in its Blossom Room. Marilyn Monroe is among the many industry figures associated with its early years, and the hotel leans openly into that folklore rather than hiding it. The Spanish Colonial building on Hollywood Boulevard is a recognised historic landmark, and the lobby, with its painted beams and fountain, still reads as Old Hollywood rather than a themed reconstruction. For a guest who wants to sleep inside the mythology rather than just visit it, the address is the whole point.
The Roosevelt is also a genuinely social hotel rather than a museum piece. The courtyard Tropicana Pool, with its bottom painted by David Hockney, is one of the more distinctive pool decks in the city and doubles as a neighbourhood scene. Dining and drinking run across several rooms, from an all-day kitchen to a hidden gaming lounge, so the ground floor has real life to it. Set your expectations for a characterful, century-old building on a busy tourist boulevard rather than a polished new-build, accept that the rooms vary by wing, and the Roosevelt delivers a stay with more atmosphere than almost anything else in Hollywood.
What are the best rooms to request?
Decide first between the two wings, because they offer very different stays. The original 1927 tower holds the Classic and Deluxe rooms and the larger suites, with the period proportions, higher ceilings and Old Hollywood character that most guests come for. The Cabana wing, added in the 1950s around the Tropicana Pool, puts you at poolside with a more casual, indoor-outdoor feel and quicker access to the deck and the bar. For history and quiet, request an upper-floor tower room facing away from the boulevard; for the pool scene and a livelier base, book a Cabana or poolside room. The suites and the penthouse are the move for a celebration, adding space and, in the top categories, views over Hollywood.
One honest caveat: this is a nearly century-old building, so rooms vary more than they would at a uniform new hotel, and some tower rooms are compact or sit close to the noise of Hollywood Boulevard. The pool deck is a genuine party on warm weekends, which is a draw for some guests and a drawback for anyone hoping for an early night near the Cabanas. Ask specifically for the wing, the floor and the aspect that match your priorities rather than leaving it to chance, and the Roosevelt rewards you with a room that has real character.
For history and calm, ask for a high tower room set back from the boulevard; for the scene, book a Cabana room by the Tropicana Pool. Have a drink in the Library Bar before dinner, and ask the concierge about access to the Spare Room, the hidden gaming parlour and cocktail lounge, which is one of the hotel's best-kept corners.
What is the dining and the bar scene like?
Dining and drinking are a real part of the Roosevelt, spread across several distinct rooms. Public Kitchen and Bar is the main all-day restaurant, an American kitchen set in the Old Hollywood lobby that works for breakfast through dinner. Just off the lobby, 25 Degrees is a long-running burger and late-night room that has its own following. Out at the courtyard, the Tropicana Pool Bar serves food and drinks by the Hockney-painted water and turns into a scene after dark. For cocktails, the Library Bar mixes drinks with locally sourced ingredients, and the Spare Room is a genuine hidden gem, a gaming parlour and cocktail lounge with vintage board games and a two-lane bowling alley. Between them the ground floor keeps its energy from morning coffee to a late nightcap.
What about the Tropicana Pool and wellness?
The Tropicana Pool is the heart of the hotel's outdoor life and one of the most photographed pool decks in Los Angeles, in large part because the artist David Hockney painted its bottom, making it a working pool and a piece of applied art at the same time. Heated and set in the courtyard, it hosts the Cabana rooms around it and the pool bar alongside, and it can run from a calm morning swim to a full afternoon party depending on the day. There is a fitness centre for guests who want to keep a routine, and spa services can be arranged, though the Roosevelt is not built around a large destination spa. The pool, the bars and the history are where this hotel spends its energy.
Signature amenities
On Hollywood Boulevard, on the Walk of Fame
On the Walk of Fame, across from the TCL Chinese Theatre · near the Dolby Theatre and the Metro B Line
What's nearby
- TCL Chinese Theatre
Film landmark1 min walk - Dolby Theatre
Academy Awards venue3 min walk - Hollywood Walk of Fame
At the front doorOn site - Hollywood/Highland Metro
B Line to Downtown4 min walk - Pantages Theatre
Broadway shows15 min walk
The facade, the rooms, the Tropicana Pool
Facade
Guest room
Tropicana Pool
LobbyHow does the Hollywood Roosevelt compare with the other Hollywood hotels?
Against the Hollywood field, the Roosevelt is the history-and-scene pick rather than the newest or the most polished, and the decision turns on what you want most. The Hollywood Grande, Autograph Collection is the design-led boutique a few blocks over, with Tara Bernerd interiors and the Bar Lis rooftop. W Hollywood is the larger scene hotel at Hollywood and Vine, sitting on the Metro with a party-forward energy. Loews Hollywood is the big family and convention option above the Walk of Fame, with the widest range of rooms. The Roosevelt's own trade-off is that it is a century-old building on a busy tourist boulevard, so the rooms vary and the pool can be loud, but nothing else in Hollywood carries this much genuine history.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hollywood Roosevelt | 1927 Hollywood landmark | History, Hockney pool, scene | Older building; rooms vary; loud pool |
| The Hollywood Grande, Autograph Collection | Design boutique off the boulevard | Interiors, Bar Lis rooftop, dining | Premium rates; smaller scale |
| W Hollywood | Large scene hotel at Hollywood & Vine | Nightlife, WET Deck pool, transit | Bigger, louder, less intimate |
| Loews Hollywood Hotel | Large hotel above the Walk of Fame | Families, groups, room range | Convention scale; less character |
Frequently asked questions
When did the Hollywood Roosevelt open and what is its history?
The Hollywood Roosevelt opened in 1927 as one of the first hotels built for the film industry on Hollywood Boulevard, and it hosted the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929. It is a recognised Hollywood historic landmark and has stayed tied to the industry, and to Hollywood folklore, ever since.
How many rooms does the Hollywood Roosevelt have?
The hotel has about 300 rooms and suites split between the original 1927 Spanish Colonial tower and the poolside Cabana wing added in the 1950s. Room types run from Classic tower rooms to Cabana poolside rooms, larger suites and a penthouse.
What is the Tropicana Pool and the David Hockney artwork?
The Tropicana Pool is the hotel's heated courtyard pool, and its bottom was painted by the artist David Hockney, making it a functioning pool and a notable piece of applied art at once. The Tropicana Pool Bar serves food and drinks poolside, and the deck is one of the more distinctive social spaces in Hollywood.
What are the restaurants and bars at the Hollywood Roosevelt?
Public Kitchen and Bar is the main all-day restaurant in the Old Hollywood lobby, 25 Degrees is a burger room just off the lobby, and the Tropicana Pool Bar handles poolside food and drinks. The Library Bar is a cocktail bar, and the Spare Room is a gaming parlour and cocktail lounge.
Where is the Hollywood Roosevelt located?
The hotel is at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard, directly across from the TCL Chinese Theatre and on the Walk of Fame. The Dolby Theatre, where the Academy Awards are now held, is a few blocks west, and the Hollywood and Highland complex and Metro station are close by.
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