A standout along Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is chock-full of history, charm, and an upscale dose of vintage Tinseltown glamour. Opened in 1927, the Hollywood Roosevelt has hosted guests, parties, and movie shoots including everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Marilyn Monroe to Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Roosevelt Hotel is prime real estate if you're looking to make the most of your time in Hollywood. With so many watered down attractions screaming for your attention, the historic authenticity of the hotel provides some unique opportunities to explore.
For instance, the Oscars currently call the Dolby Theatre across the street home, but the very first Academy Awards actually took place right here in the Blossom Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. On May 16, 1929 it only took 15 minutes to hand out the awards.
Marilyn Monroe did a photo shoot for her first ever advertisement by the pool here. Supposedly during prohibition, actor Errol Flynn brewed up some bathtub gin in the backroom of the hotel's barbershop. Child star Shirley Temple took tap dancing lessons on one of the hotel's tiled stairways. And, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard had a "scandalous" affair in the penthouse. Not surprisingly, the Gable Lombard Penthouse now goes for thousands of dollars a night.
History like this makes you feel like you're rubbing elbows with the ghosts of legends. The Hollywood Roosevelt is trendy, modern, and as I found, a pretty photogenic hangout.
From iconic marquees to bustling crowds, Broadway is an incredible location to explore in downtown Los Angeles, California. As one of the city's first commercial districts, Broadway gained prominence in the early 20th century as the site of some of the finest theaters and movie palaces in the world. This included, among others, the Million Dollar Theatre, Orpheum Theatre, United Artists Theatre, Los Angeles Theatre, and Tower Theatre.
Broadway was once considered the center of the city, and in the 1920s and 1930s the street marked the western end point of Route 66 (it then moved to the Santa Monica Pier). As Los Angeles grew in the 1950s and the attention of the movie industry shifted to Hollywood and newer venues, the theatres and street in general began to decline in later decades.
The Broadway Theater District has since undergone a lot of renewal in recent years with many buildings being repurposed as condos, apartments, and hotels. Other restoration / revitalization projects along Broadway have included the iconic Bradbury Building, the Ace Hotel and United Artists Theatre, and the dynamic Grand Central Market. It's tough not to be won over by the architecture, energy, and novelty found along this amazing street. Broadway packs a punch of character and charm that makes DTLA a blast to discover for yourself.
