My recent (and only) stay at The Magic Castle Hotel was mixed.

The best asset that this hotel has is the staff - they truly are the most accommodating group of hotel staff that I have ever come across.

I received the warmest, friendliest check in that I have ever had in my life. To me, the little touches is what differentiates good service from exceptional. To the welcome glass of lemonade, to the unlimited complimentary mini bar and the attitude that nothing you asked was any trouble - the service was first class. They make you feel like they are truly glad that you are their guest. I can only imagine that the owners must treat their staff well for all of them to be so happy.

The worst asset of this hotel is the hotel itself. When I entered my room there was a very unusual and unpleasant odor in my room. I was only there for one night and was going to see 'Wicked' that evening so I didn't bother about asking to move rooms. However I got the feeling that the same smell would possibly be in the next room anyway. It was a mix of mustiness and cleaning product. It didn't go and was still there the next morning.

The hotel room was extremely generous in size, especially for one person, however it was in bad shape. The kitchen and bathroom felt dirty; they weren't but they seemed like they were because they are so old.

The security did not feel that great. From what I could see (and I could be wrong) there was only one door separating the guest rooms from the reception area (which anyone can walk into). I walked straight into the reception area and to my hotel room without anyone seeing me and as all the rooms have an outside entrance it kind of felt a little unsafe to me.

It is close to Hollywood Boulevard however for those people visiting LA for the first time, I think it is better to stay in an area like West Hollywood or Beverly Hills.

I spent one night at Magic Castle and another two at the Chamberlain in West Hollywood (I had always planned it this way), I felt so relieved when I got to the Chamberlain - I could just relax and not feel so on edge.

Very long story short - the Magic Castle is conveniently located, has wonderful accommodating staff and offers a very good rate. However, when I visit LA I go there to relax by the pool and chill out. I think you can do this much better and in much more style at the Chamberlain (which charges a higher rate however).

Great Location but needs updating. Even though the facilities in the room were adequate, I just felt that the rooms were a little shabby and in serious need of a facelift.
The safe in our room was out of order, the lightbulb on the balcony weren't working (this got replaced on the last day of our holiday even though I had reported it on arrival) and there was a dead bird on our balcony which eventually got removed.
But despite these minor problems everything else was fine.
The staff were great, apart from Mary Jane who was pretty miserable, but everyone else particularly Megan and Shaun were super.
If like most people you don't spend too much time in your room on holiday, and can put up without 5 star luxury then it really is the ideal location to explore Hollywood and surrounding areas.

AMAZING!!! A+++ Service! There was nothing that the Magic Castle would not do for us! My girlfriend and I travel on business quite often. We went out to LA for business, but deciced that we needed an extra night for a little girl time! Gretchen went over and above the call of duty. From check in, to needing some band-aids... (they did not have the ones I needed so they were going to go to the store and get them). We asked where we could get a bottle of wine and poof.. there it was. They had one.... no problem. They turned the beds down. There was an amazing breakfast for us. They accomidated our every wishes and NOTHING was a problem. Always with a smile. The beds were yummy. The hotel was very 30's style! I loved it! Perfect location and easy to walk to some of the major sites. If you want good ole traditional service and not the typical service of a chain hotel. Stay here. The resturant at the top of the hill was breathtaking. The gardens were spectacualor. I can not wait to go back. Thank you Gretchen and Staff! You all were AWESOME

My family of four (2 adults, 2 teens) stayed at the Magic Castle for 2 nights, and had a great experience. We had a suite with a bedroom with queen size bed and a pull out couch in the living room. The quality of the pullout couch wasn't wonderful, but it was fine for a teenager.

The kitchen facilities were adequate although we didn't make full use of them. We got some takeout from a good local convenience store on Hollywood Blvd., about 10 minutes walk away, with a nice variety of prepared asian & western foods, but the oven, microwave, etc. in the kitchen were very handy. The room wasn't as modern as some generic hotel rooms, but it had a 40's/50's charm that you can't get in a modern hotel room, and certainly the rooms and bathrooms were clean.

The staff was wonderful, even offered to drive us to the top of the hill to the Japanese restaurant, for us to admire the amazing view of Hollywood and L.A. We walked back down again, but I'm sure they would have picked us up had we requested it. Snacks were free upon request, as were DVD's from their extensive video library. The staff was always cheerful and friendly, and seem to enjoy working there!

The location is great, about 2 blocks from the Chinese theater and Hollywood Blvd., but far enough away that noise was not really an issue, despite the hotel's location on a fairly busy street (although not a major boulevard).

We didn't use the pool, but we did see a number of families using it.

The nice breakfast buffet (included in the price) was a real plus; guests can either take their trays and sit by the pool, or bring them to their rooms to eat there.

If you're looking for a luxurious Hollywood hotel stay (probably for a lot more money), don't stay here - but for budget-conscious travellers, especially families, looking for a good location and friendly atmosphere, this is a great place!