My friend and I stayed at the Magic Castle Hotel for 1 night this past week. Honestly, I was skeptical... I mean, it was only a one star hotel, and the price seemed a little high for the rating. First off, when we drove up, we went to the club, not the hotel. The pictures on the web-site gave the impression that the club (which has a fantastic, victorian exterior) was the Hotel. So, when we tried to valet the car, we were sorely dissappointed when we were directed down the street.

When we pulled up, we were unimpressed. Not dirty or anything, just plain. But when we entered the lobby, and then went to the courtyard, we were very impressed, especially with the multi-levels at the courtyard. Shawn, the guy who helped us, was SO NICE!!! Come to think of it, everyone we encountered at the hotel was incredibly pleasant, not in a fake way, but in a way that made you feel right at home.

Since it was dark when we arrived, I was nervous about walking to downtown. Being from a small town, I asked Shawn if it was safe to walk the block to Hollywood Blvd. He assured us that it was, and that if we needed anything, to call him and he would have some one pick us up. He gave us a personalized map, a business card with numbers, a recommendation for dinner, and sent us on our merry way...

Ok, now for the part that I guess is more relevant... The room... We got a small room with a king-sized bed. When we opened the door, the first impression was how great it smelled. I know that may sound odd, but it was a great, clean, fresh fragrence. The bed was SUPER comfy (pillow top) and the duvet was nice and fluffy. The bathroom was all new with a pedestal sink and cool track lighting. The plantation blinds were great at blocking out light too. The room itself was pretty small, but we were blown away with just how nice everything was in it (from the bed-side lamps, which doubled as night lights to the big tv).

All in all, I would most definatly stay at the Magic Castle again. I would suggest that you book your stay while the rates are still low, because I think this place is going to continue to get better (they are renovating the rooms) and get a couple more stars :-)

Stayed at the Magic Castle hotel for one night this past weekend. We were going to the Magic Castle Club to see the show that night so we thought we'd make it more convenient on ourselves. The only complaint we had was the room wasn't ready when the front desk told us it was going to be. We got there around 2 p.m. and was told it would take another 45 minutes to get to our room. So, we decided to do the Walk of Fame and all that stuff around the corner. Went and ate lunch and got back around 3:30 and find out our room was not ready yet. We sat in the lobby and about 15 minutes later, the front desk told us that our room just didn't have a duvet cover on the bed. Frankly, we don't even use a the duvet so we told her we didn't care and please let us in our room.

After following the wrong set of stairs with two rollable filled luggages, we finally get to our room. Boy what a nice room it was! The living room had very nice and comfortable couch and chair. They had marble counter tops in the kitchen and in the bathtub! Even had a bathtub/jacuzzi that I had to use as soon as I saw it. Talk about being in heaven!! The bed was a very comfortable king size one with a down comforter and pillows to match. Used the great cotton robe that was there for our use.

Unfortunatley, we had to leave at 5 a.m. the next morning so we couldn't indulge in the continental breakfast that was being offered. We got a great deal for that room considering it's location. I would stay there again for that price.

In general, I was very happy with my experience at the hotel. We stayed there for 5 nights, and we had no problems. This hotel is definitely one of the better places I've stayed. This was my first trip to Los Angeles. The people at the front desk were very friendly and helpful, giving us accurate directions to wherever we wanted to go.

This building was an old apartment building, and it doesn't have any elevators. There are plenty of stairs to climb, so if you're physically disabled or have problems walking, this may not be the place for you. The rooms, however, are fantastic! If you get a suite (which I thought were reasonably priced), you will get a bedroom, a bathroom, a living room (with couch and coffee table, not to mention the DVD player and television), and a kitchen. The beds were very comfortable, and there are air conditioning units in the rooms.

The Magic Castle Hotel has a private garage, which you will receive a key for when you receive your room key. I found this very comforting, as it is a small garage, and no one else has access to it besides the hotel guests.

There is a nice pool at the center of the hotel, and also a continental breakfast every morning, which includes pastries, toast, cereal, fresh fruit, coffee, milk, and juices. It's not a large breakfast, but it's sufficient to get you through the day.

Uphill from the hotel is the Magic Castle Club (you must be 21 to enter). It is located in a Victoria-era house, complete with some secret passageways and a piano-playing ghost. The club is exclusive, and you can only be allowed in by a member of the club or by making reservations at the front desk. I had a very good time going and watching the magic shows there. (There is a $15 cover charge, and you must order food... but the food is good, and the shows are worth it).

As for location, the hotel is 2 blocks from Hollywood Blvd... we walked to the Walk of Fame and Grauman's Chinese theater. It is located near an entrance to Hwy 101, Sunset Blvd, and La Brea avenue, which will get you pretty much anywhere you want to go in and around Los Angeles.

I hope that this review has been helpful to you... I would DEFINITELY RECOMMEND this hotel. :-)

Can this really be one of the best hotels in Los Angeles?

My friend and I spent one week in March 2005 at the Magic Castle Hotel .. and a seven-night stay gives one a great chance to really evaluate a property and its services. Here's our evalution:

The Upside: Moderate rate; very convenient location; oversized one-bedroom suites with full kitchen;; firm mattress on platform bed; absorbent towels; great bath products; breakfast muffins & croissants; warm-water, year-round pool; inexpensive washer and dryer on premises; and pleasant staff.

The Downside: Noise on Friday nights; paper-thin walls; uneven maid service; dirty rug (rubbed off on our white socks); overcrowded hotel garage on weekend nights; high-carb and high-sugar cereals; old air
conditioning units; and three broken items in suite.

Highly recommended on weeknights!