I stayed at this hotel for a conference in downtown LA. When you walk into this hotel it definitely screams old Hollywood; the entrance lobby and rooms downstairs are magnificent. The hotel was build about 90-100 years ago, while this may not be as obvious downstairs, the elevators and upper floors showed a quite bit of wear.
The pros: fairly quiet, shower stayed extremely warm, wonderful floor to ceiling window with plantation shutter and roomy closet. On site bar and dining options, conceirge, luggage drop, indoor pool and sauna, large gym to work out.
The cons: minimal counter space in bathroom, no mirror outside of the bathroom (essential for a room of 4 women trying to carry out morning routines on a set schedule), no auto on setting on the temperature control (only on or off), beds were small with only 2 pillows and the room could use some overall updating.
As for the price paid, I cannot speak for the area as this was my first time in downtown LA (although it was not very near to the major attractions such as the Staples center, convention center, LA live, etc.) however it seemed overpriced given the need for updating.

The Millennium Biltmore in L.A. is a 90 year old hotel and is rich with tradition. As the former site of the Academy Awards and several US Presidents staying there, there is a lot of history in this grand old hotel. However with age brings challenges from a functionality perspective. The elevators date back to 1966 and are very slow and infrequent. Wait times often exceeded one to two minutes in a building that is only 11 storeys. The water pressure is poor due to inadequate plumbing. The biggest issue was the original single pane glass (again a sign of age) on the exterior of the building. Outside noise (sirens, etc.) and temperature were hard to tolerate at times. The updated heating and cooling systems struggle to maintain a constant temperature due to poorly insulated rooms and limited ducting. However, having said all that, you are in the heart of downtown LA so background noise is to be expected. Rooms are average, but location and tradition make up for the shortcomings in the rooms. Restaurants and hotel amenities are very good. There are several newer hotels in the area (in particular the JW Marriot) that give you great rooms, location, but lack in history and tradition.

I cop to enjoying downtown hotels in LA - more utilitarian than the gorgeous and plush hotels in other parts of the city - so my frame of reference is comparably limited. There are some neat choices in downtown LA - many within walking distance of each other. Given the geography, then, comparisons are easy. The Biltmore does not do well in these comparisons.

The ceilings are high with lots of tin molding. The chandeliers are numerous and reminiscent of '40s movies. There is lots of dark wood and big, dark sofas and chairs. The lobby bar is old world and warm. The downstairs restaurant is weirdly out if sync, being sparse and bright. I wonder if someone considered a renovation and then decided - nah!

The rooms (well, mine, anyway) are somewhat large but very tired. Dreary upholstery on the one non-desk chair, predictable dark wood desk and dresser / TV stand, limited lighting (which added to the sense of darkness) and, regrettably, a bathroom that you'd expect in a rundown motel.

The staff was terrific and helpful, but the Biltmore loses out to the wide choice if its bright, clean neighbors!

Me and my friend stayed here for 3 nights in our tour of the west coast US. We came here straight from the airport late at night after picking up our hire car - convertible Mustang :). We turned up and left the keys with the valet and had no trouble checking in late at night. After checking in we decided to go out to get some food (we were jet lagged) and i cannot fault the in & out valet even if it is $40 a day it is worth it. The room was nice although lacking in double glazing and parts of the décor was a bit worn. We did not eat in the hotel other than breakfast one morning, to which I can recommend the eggs benedict. The grandeur of the hotel is impressive, proved by a filming of a television program/film going on. The bar is good and there is no sign of measuring spirits in this bar! Definitely recommend it for a short break in LA.