The legendary suite on top of the Chateau Marmont hotel
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the rooftop suite at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles is the real "Hotel California" as sung by the legendary rock band "The Eagles." How to do know this? Because I personally spoke to a woman who worked at the hotel.
She told me the story of walking Don Henley to the rooftop suite during one of his visits in the 2000s, and when she opened the door to the suite, Henley proceeded to tell her of all the "good memories" of the parties the group had there. Not even counting this little historical tidbit, I'm still going to put this suite at the top of my Best Hotel Suites list.
She told me the story of walking Don Henley to the rooftop suite during one of his visits in the 2000s, and when she opened the door to the suite, Henley proceeded to tell her of all the "good memories" of the parties the group had there. Not even counting this little historical tidbit, I'm still going to put this suite at the top of my Best Hotel Suites list.
Is the Chateau Marmont Hotel the one on the cover of the "Hotel California" album?
The Beverly Hills Hotel in California
Actually, no, it's not. That is The Beverly Hills Hotel; and I know that because I used to work there. As far as I know, The Eagles never partied there. I worked at The BHH in the late 1990s when many of the legendary "old timers" still worked there. Both the maître d'hôtel and the pool and cabanas manager had been at the hotel for over 40 years.
I heard plenty of stories about who had visited, and nothing about The Eagles. Further, I used to give tours of the Beverly Hills Hotel to VIP guests and would use a printout of the hotel's famous history as my guide for the guests who stayed there. Again, nothing in the hotel's official celebrity guest list about The Eagles either.
I heard plenty of stories about who had visited, and nothing about The Eagles. Further, I used to give tours of the Beverly Hills Hotel to VIP guests and would use a printout of the hotel's famous history as my guide for the guests who stayed there. Again, nothing in the hotel's official celebrity guest list about The Eagles either.
The Chateau Marmont's history with rock stars and Hollywood celebrities
Paris Hilton visits the hotel
The hotel is a safe haven for countless celebrities. The (very) short list includes Anthony Bourdain, Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, Courtney Love, Quentin Tarantino, Cameron Diaz, Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johansson, Benicio Del Toro, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton. From the old school days, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. In fact, billionaire Howard Hughes lived in the rooftop suite for three years.
The hotel is also known for its dealmaking, and countless A-list movie producers and studio chiefs have signed deals over dinner.
Additionally, many movies have been filmed there, including Sofia Coppola's Somewhere, the Academy Award-winning films La La Land and A Star Is Born. And one of my personal favorites, The Doors starring Val Kilmer.
The hotel is also known for its dealmaking, and countless A-list movie producers and studio chiefs have signed deals over dinner.
Additionally, many movies have been filmed there, including Sofia Coppola's Somewhere, the Academy Award-winning films La La Land and A Star Is Born. And one of my personal favorites, The Doors starring Val Kilmer.
Lifestyle Management: Booking VIP clients at the Chateau Marmont
The Chateau Marmont is a well-known celebrity haven
If you work for a high-net-worth family or a celebrity that lives outside of Los Angeles, then I can recommend a visit to the Chateau Marmont. It's got so much old Hollywood glamour and appeal.
I recommend booking well in advance, and just visiting one of the restaurants takes some extensive planning because they have a lot of Covid protocols in place.
There is, though, one important bit of information that you should be aware of: The Chateau Marmont was originally designed to be an apartment building, so it doesn't have a traditional red carpet as an entrance, nor does it have a big, welcoming front desk.
In terms of staffing, you won't get the kind of traditional 5-star service that you would at one of the name brands. The Chateau Marmont is known for its architecture and privacy, not for its ratio of staff to guests.
I recommend booking well in advance, and just visiting one of the restaurants takes some extensive planning because they have a lot of Covid protocols in place.
There is, though, one important bit of information that you should be aware of: The Chateau Marmont was originally designed to be an apartment building, so it doesn't have a traditional red carpet as an entrance, nor does it have a big, welcoming front desk.
In terms of staffing, you won't get the kind of traditional 5-star service that you would at one of the name brands. The Chateau Marmont is known for its architecture and privacy, not for its ratio of staff to guests.
VIDEO: The glamorous history of the Chateau Marmont
