{Hollywood} The Roosevelt Hotel
Opened in 1927 and situated diagonally from Grauman’s Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, the Roosevelt Hotel is a well-known Hollywood landmark. It was named for Theodore Roosevelt and was financed by Louis B. Mayer, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Marilyn Monroe lived here for two years and did her first photo shoot in the hotel’s pool area. Other notable residents include Clara Bow, Al Jolson, Frank Sinatra, Errol Flynn, Cary Grant, Harold Lloyd…you name them, they probably stayed at, or least partied at, the Roosevelt. Of course, this includes Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, who frequently rented out the penthouse before they were married.
The room rates actually aren’t too expensive, usually ranging from $200-$300 a night for a normal room. (Trust me, in Hollywood, that’s not bad.) That Gable and Lombard suite, however, will knock you back $3,500 a night. Clark paid $5 a night back in the 1930’s (and probably complained about that high price!)
From the hotel’s website:
The Gable Lombard Penthouse, located on the top floor of the hotel is where the infamous affair between Clark Gable and Carole Lombard began. This 3,000 square foot duplex has three spacious bedrooms and bathrooms, a living area, dining area, and full service kitchen. The 1,000 square foot rooftop deck is situated under the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt Sign—offering sweeping views of Los Angeles. The Penthouse can accommodate up to 200 people, and is the perfect setting for intimate gatherings and special events.
Snazzy. I did inquire about seeing the penthouse at the front desk, but they said that it was booked for a wedding. Bummer for me.
We walked around for a while and went inside the upper level of the Blossom Ballroom. The very first Academy Awards ceremony was held in this room in 1929. It wasn’t until I returned from my trip that I read that the Blossom is supposedly haunted. People hear the piano being played when nobody is in there and there are reports of the lights moving and figures in tuxedos appearing and disappearing. Not knowing this information beforehand and standing in this room, my friend and I both immediately felt that the air became chillier when we entered and we both got goose bumps. There was something unsettling about being in the room. I’m not sure who said it first, but one of us said, “Don’t you feel like someone is watching you in here?’ I don’t know where I stand on the idea of ghosts, but I tell you, if anyplace is haunted, this room IS.
Allegedly, Montgomery Clift and Marilyn Monroe haunt different areas of the hotel as well.
We didn’t see any famous ghosts, but we wandered the halls.
4 Comments
Tally Haugen
MAGNIFICENT! Wonderful pictures and a real taste of History, AND the GHOSTS! 😉 (Fascinating!)
Lara
Ahhh I can’t wait to go to the TCM Festival here! I would love to get a room at the Roosevelt but I have a feeling it would be a little too steep for me–and I’m also nervous about seeing a ghost!! LOL. It would be fun to share a room with someone there though 🙂 As it is, I’ve had to book a room up the street because the Roosevelt filled up.
Vincent
Here’s a pic of the Gable/Lombard suite:
http://pics.livejournal.com/vp19/pic/000ztwyz
It’s part of this entry on where Carole’s spirit has been spotted:
http://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/46906.html
Lorna Laplante
Booked into the Roosevelt with my family and my cousins on national cousins day (who know there was one). The nice gentleman at the front desk said he was going to upgrade us which we were delighted about. Imagine our amazement when he upgraded all of us to the penthouse Clack Gable Suite! Utterly amazing room with outstanding views! The roof top deck was fabulous but with 3 adults and 3 kids we felt like we wanted to call a bunch of people to meet us and throw an impromptu party! The upper bedroom has the biggest bed I have ever seen and King and a half size with a bathroom with a bathtub the size of a jacuzzi and could hold half a doEn people. One of the lower bedrooms had a shower with a glass window into the bedroom (fabulous is you are not sharing with your subling as mine were). The other bedroom downstairs (did I mention there are 3 floors if you include the roof deck) was huge with a metal bathtub in the middle of the room. As amazing as the suite was, I wish they had played on some of the history and glamour it contained and tried to incorporate some of that into the decor and furnishings. It seemed to have a bit of a 90’s feel, the furniture while nice was ‘Z Gallery’, the toilet in the room broke twice and there were ketchup stains on the leather dining room chair. With those little gripes (and believe me they are minor) for the experience of staying here it was amazing something we won’t forget and would love to hire it for an amazing party (don’t think I know enough people to come). It was certainly amazing to think of if those walls to talk what stories of the past they would tell