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Local Expert: Marael Johnson

Award-winning travel writer Marael Johnson has written for many prominent print and online publishers on areas as diverse as Outback Australia, Europe's Basque region, Louisiana's Cajun country, and remote South Pacific islands. She grew up in Los...

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Latest posts from our Los Angeles expert:

April 23, 2008
Food

Hollywood Roosevelt Redux

It's been a fixture since 1927, when the first Academy Awards ceremony took place in the Blossom Room (tickets cost five bucks) and the celebrity guests included Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and other glamorous personae. The corner cabaret, Cinegrill, was one of the coolest watering holes in town. That was the old Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Completely redesigned in 2005, the new version is no less daunting.  You won't find Clark and Carole shimmying through the hallowed hallways, but--perhaps--Brad and Angelina, and the other big names that currently make the rounds. Alas, the Cinegrill is gone. Irreplaceable as it was, two hip and hot venues still beckon: dim, seductive, Teddy's lounge that captures the sultry aura of the hotel's early days; and, in the evening, the Tropicana bar that surrounds the centerpiece historic David Hockney swimming pool, offering a see-and-be-seen environment in which to sip a choice of libations. And, yes, they do serve food. Poised right at the hotel's Hollywood Boulevard entryway, 25 Degrees is basically a burger joint that's done up like a bordello. Off the seeping-with-history lobby, Dakota offers classic steakhouse fare in a modern setting. If you're spending the night, each of the rooms and suites are decked out with Dean & DeLuca pantries, Fresh bath amenities, and Sferra luxury bed and bath linens. Just in case you're squeamish, you might ask which of the rooms is haunted before making a reservation.
Insider's Rating:
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
7000 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 90028, United States
800 950 7667 (toll-free)
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