Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

The stars of Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame lie just outside the doorstep of Hollywood's original A-list hotel. Once the playground of Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and others, the 1927 icon received a 2005 makeover by Dodd Mitchell, the LA designer known for his edgy old-school flair.

Today the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel presides as a hip luxury hideaway at the center of the action. Many of the east-facing rooms overlook Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and the popular cabana rooms surround an Olympic-size pool hand painted by David Hockney. Guests enjoy bed and bath linens by Sferra, grooming amenities by Kiehls, private pantries by Dean & DeLuca, and state-of-the-art in-room technology.

Groups meet in ten venues for business and parties. Supported by the latest in sound, visual, and lighting effects, entertainment moguls often favor the historic Blossom Ballroom, site of the first Academy Awards in 1929, and the three-story Gable & Lombard Penthouse with its floor-to-ceiling arched windows, seating by Mies Van der Rohe, and 1,000-square-foot rooftop deck.

While the signature restaurant, Dakota, entertains with a modern interpretation of the classic steak house, the stylish diner known as 25 Degrees presents a playful bordello-meets-burger-bar attitude. Two Tinseltown hot spots—Teddy's and the poolside Tropicana Bar—regularly attract Hollywood's brightest stars. Recent sightings inside the velvet rope range from Bruce Willis and Jake Gyllenhaal to Kirsten Dunst and Scarlett Johansson.