The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel facts for kids
| The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel | |
Quick facts for kids  A 2015 photo of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel |
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| Hotel facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | 7000 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, Los Angeles, California |
| Coordinates | 34°6′4″N 118°20′30″W / 34.10111°N 118.34167°W |
| Opening date | May 15, 1927 |
| Architect | Fisher, Lake & Traver |
| Owner | Goodwin Gaw David Chang |
| No. of restaurants | 2 |
| No. of rooms | 300 |
| of which suites | 63 |
| No. of floors | 12 |
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is a historic hotel located at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California. It opened on May 15, 1927, and is the oldest continually operating hotel in Los Angeles.
History
The hotel was built in 1926, in what is known as the Golden Era of Los Angeles architecture, and was named after the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. It was financed by a group that included Louis B. Mayer, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Sid Grauman. It cost $2.5 million ($42.1 million today) to complete and opened on May 15, 1927.
The hotel went into a decline in the 1950s. An owner around that time demolished its archways, covered up its elaborately painted ceilings and painted the entire hotel seafoam green. Radisson Hotels purchased the hotel in 1985 and, using original blueprints and historic photos of the hotel's Spanish Colonial architecture, undertook a $35 million renovation, restoring the lobby's coffered ceiling and adding a three-tiered fountain, among other improvements. The million-dollar mural at the bottom of the hotel's Tropicana Pool was painted by David Hockney in 1987.
On August 13, 1991, the City of Los Angeles declared the hotel building Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 545. In 1995, the hotel was purchased from Clarion Hotels by Goodwin Gaw, with David Chang later becoming co-owner. In 2005, the hotel's management was taken over by the Thompson Hotel Group. A$30 million renovation of the hotel was embarked upon in 2005, led by the Dodd Mitchell Design Group, and David Siguaw. Since 2015, the hotel has been run independently by its own management company. In 2015, the hotel completed a $25 million renovation with rooms designed by Yabu Pushelberg, and plans for a new poolside food and beverage outlet.
Design and style
The 12-story hotel has 300 guest rooms including 63 suites. It sits along the Hollywood Walk of Fame and across the street from the TCL Chinese Theatre. The building has a Spanish Colonial Revival Style interior, with leather sofas, wrought-iron chandeliers and colorful tiled fountains.
The architects Fisher, Lake and Traver are also credited with the Westward Ho (Phoenix) and Willmore buildings.
The Gable-Lombard penthouse, a 3,200 square-foot duplex with an outdoor deck with views of the Hollywood Hills and the Hollywood sign, is named for Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, who used to stay in the room for five dollars a night. The Marilyn Monroe suite is named for the actress, who lived at the hotel for two years early in her career. Other accommodations include King Superior rooms and vintage 1950s poolside cabanas.
Restaurants and bars
The hotel has a total of eight restaurant, bars and lounges. 25 Degrees is a 24-hour hamburger restaurant located just off the hotel lobby. It was opened in 2005. Public Kitchen & Bar features American food in an Old Hollywood-style dining room. Tim Goodell is the head chef of both restaurants. The Spare Room is a gaming parlor and cocktail lounge; the Library Bar is a cocktail bar with cocktails made using locally sourced ingredients; and Tropicana Bar overlooks the pool. Beacher's Madhouse is a vaudeville-inspired theater owned and operated by Jeff Beacher. Teddy's, a nightclub located right off the lobby, was considered a celebrity haunt. It opened in 2005, was remodeled in 2012 and closed in 2015.
Alleged hauntings
Throughout the years, there have been rumors of hauntings and ghosts at the hotel. Some involve celebrities who previously stayed at the hotel, such as Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift and Errol Flynn. Others involve a little girl in a blue dress named Caroline. There have also been reports of cold spots, photographic "orbs", and mysterious phone calls to the hotel operator.
See also
In Spanish: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel para niños
