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Magic Castle Hotel
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Hollywood
7025 Franklin Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 851-0800
7025 Franklin Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 851-0800
- Price Range:
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$$
25 reviews for Magic Castle Hotel
This business is a Yelp Sponsor
3/20/2008
11/6/2009
10/15/2009
9/7/2009
11/24/2009
11/23/2009
8/9/2009
7/12/2009
6/2/2009
Updated - 2/10/2009
2/16/2009
6/13/2009
5/27/2009
10/15/2008
2/2/2009
12/3/2007
11/29/2007
8/10/2007
5 photos
5/18/2008
10/28/2005
1 photo
4/26/2009
7/25/2007
9/6/2008
12/20/2006
11/6/2006
One of the Business' Favorite Reviews What's This?
Anyone who gives this place one star has their head up their ass.
This place was awesome! EXACTLY what my friends and I were looking for to crash in L.A. for a week. 5 girls, we definitely needed a place with some space! The room was huge, we had 2 decent sized bedrooms, a full sized living room with entertainment center and desk, full kitchen, one bathroom, and the closet space was insane!! Every girl had a closet to themselves and the 5th girl had the entire closet in the hallway (which was bigger then all of our closets combined) to herself. We even had a huge cabinet in the hall for all of our shoes!!
This was our first time to L.A. so we had all of our restaurants picked out already and reservations made. Except some places we forgot to get directions to and some of the taxi drivers didn't know how to get there! The staff was very quick to print us out directions to any place we wanted to go, especially since we had our own huge truck to zoom around in, they helped us learn our way around town.
We were always in and out and even made trips to Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, and we crashed at a friend's place in San Diego for the night and also did a day trip to Vegas. Yeah this trip kicked ass. The staff was soooo sweet and accommodating. They got to know us pretty well and always made sure we had directions, knew where we were going and were Ok.
The breakfast in the morning was crazy. Sooo Sooo good. Everything was so fresh, I couldn't believe it was a continental breakfast!! Also they had free snacks you could pick up at the front desk 24 hours. Munchies after a long night of drinking?? Ummm yeah.
The pool was small but quaint, not loud and crowded at all. We were usually in their by ourselves relaxing in the sun while we waited for our turn for the shower.
They also gave us a suite that had it's only little wing, so we could be as loud as we wanted. Dance parties with blasting music from entertainment system were never interrupted. Huge plus!!
Would 100% stay here again, so worth it.
Sky*
This place is really special.
I won't say its the most visually appealing when you walk in. But hey, its a converted apartment building. Importantly, they've done nice things in the rooms, which are as comfortable as any hotel you've stayed in.
But what sets this place apart is 3 things:
1 - Location, location, location: you're a block from Hollywood Blvd and the Chinese theater.
2 - Your stay at the Magic Castle Hotel gets you entrance to the members only magic club next door, which is a fantastic way to spend an evening.
3 - They know how to treat guests. The front desk has a long list of DVDs and free snacks and drinks, wifi and parking are free.
Whoever's in charge here could teach a lot of other hotels a thing or two.
Boutique hotel with motel aesthetics. It actually feels like an older apartment complex converted into a motel. We booked a suite which included a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bath. The only reason why I decided to stay here instead of another hotel is to have access to the Magic Castle. You have to be a member or be invited by a member to get into the Castle and I don't fit into either. Spent $200 on the room, $50 for two show tickets and $100 for dinner. Drinks not included. I wouldn't recommend this hotel unless you are in a similar situation and want access to the castle. The Magic Castle is very worth it!! You have to check it out at least once. I'll post a separate review of the Magic Castle.
The hotel does have great customer service, very courteous and cordial. They also offered to drive us to and from the castle (I gladly accepted considering the 4 inch stilts I was working with. You'll appreciate this if you wear any pain inducing but sexy footwear). Another cool thing about the hotel is they offer free snacks, drinks and DVD rentals at the front desk upon request.
Parking is an adventure. Ever done an 18 point turn? You will in their parking garage even if you don't drive a gas guzzling beast.
This place was pretty magical when we visited! The dining area gives you a majestic Chinese garden feel with superb food, and GREAT service. Their service surpasses our expectations.
With rooms that can make any woman feel like a Princess, it is definitely one-of-a-kind. There's 24-hour refreshments at the front desk (variety of soda, candy, chips, granola bar, popcorn, etc), a REAL fulfilling continental breakfast, and wifi in the suites.
To top off the great service, it is located in the heart of Hollywood next to the best attractions for the tourists.
Magic Castle has a beautiful location in the city. I think it gives the best facilities too, all the rooms are big & airy, beds are soft, room's environment is looks like a heaven. This place has a beautiful frontdesk also & they know very well how to treat a customers. all the staff has a polite nature.
Interior is too much good in fact attractive. I like Magic Castle much. I am a big fan of this.
This is definitely the place to stay if you are going to Hollywood! My friend and I checked in on 11/17/09 and stayed at Magic Castle Hotel the following 3 nights, then Hollywood Hills Hotel above the property the last night. I was looking for a family friendly place within walking distance to Grauman's Chinese Theater where we were going to attend the Ninja Assassin Premiere that Thurs. I was able to book at a very reasonable rate for a suite, and was hoping all the reviews online were true and I wasn't disappointed; the breakfasts consisted of cold cereal and milk, fresh hot coffee, oj, fresh fruit, and the most scrumptious blueberry, apricot, and chocolate chip scones I had ever eaten, and I'm a scone person!! The mini croissants weren't bad either. I actually chose the Magic Castle based on this "perk" alone and we weren't disappointed. We booked a one bedrm suite which was clean and convenient on the 2nd floor, though the bathroom was dated. I enjoyed the ipod dock, and walking in the door of the room, music was pleasantly floating throughout the place! Though we didn't use the full kitchen to cook, we did make use of the fridge which was convenient. The pool was sparkliing, though we didn't have time to use it, and areas quite tidy.
The staff were professional and !OUTSTANDING!! Housekeeping kept on top of things and requests were filled quickly. The Front Desk were Wonderful! Thank you Daphne for all your enthusiasm and help with bus directions,shopping malls, etc., thanks to adam for my bag cking in, thanks to Lisa for directions to the Getty, and Brett a big thanks to you too, for being so cheerful when I checked out early am. I'll look for you at SDCC. Thanks also to the shuttle drivers and security as well for our last night at the Hollywood Hills Hotel owned by the Magic Castle Hotel. The Staff were so accomodating offering us a few rooms to choose from, and showing us around before we decided. The pool above, though unheated was gorgeous, and what a view of Hollywood it had!!
Only a couple of things bothered us during the stay. Because we walked everywhere, I don't recommend walking from Highland then onto Franklin Ave after 5pm. We felt uncomfortable the first night walking back to the hotel because it's not well lit for 2 blocks, and there was one male walking in back of us. I recommend walking from Hollywood Blvd via Orange which hits out hotel and is just a block away. Second, though our suite seemed quiet enough (thanks to the MGR for picking out our room personally!), at night the traffic sounds of cars whizzing by on Franklin was quite loud. When I return to stay in the future I would prob stay either way in the back of the main hotel, or the Hollywood Hills Hotel.
So, thank you again for a wonderful overall stay, and thanks so much for being so accomodating to both of us. My roommate is from Chicago, and originally wanted to book at the Renaissance nearby.
But after a couple of days at Magic Castle, she was "hooked" and said she would be back with her family the nexttime she is in Hollywood. Same goes for me. Oh, almost forgot, the staff cheerfully dispensed unlimited snacks 24hrs/day whatever we wanted! They have a list for you to keep, then you request what you want anytime! Mmm, M&M's!
Thanks Magic Castle!
This place is great! It's centrally located and it's cozy.
We got to the hotel and parked in a space right in front of the entrance for check in.
We got complimentary champagne toasts.. sparkling grapefruit juice.. free snacks and a free room upgrade to a junior suite!
When we got into our room we had a cute card and gift! A delicious cake for our anniversary.
A continental breakfast was included every morning and the staff was friendly and greeted everyone!
The only downside was the noise right outside our room and the noise from upstairs, but the a/c drowned most of it out.
When we were woken up by noise from the patio (which was right outside our door) the reception desk kindly took care of it right away!
It was great!!
We just stayed at the MC Hotel last week.
Pros:
Service was excellent, amenities were tops, secured parking was a deal, the continental breakfast was good and the pool was wonderful.
Cons:
Our room looked as if it had been cheaply remodeled about 5-7 years ago. It currently looks as if very young children had since caulked and painted it (in industrial beige tones). There were mold stains on the bathroom floor and one of the window screens was torn. The soap dish in the tub was disgusting looking. The kitchen had plastic dishes and rust-stained silverware. The furniture was worn and tired.
Conclusion:
The owners of up this hotel need to step up and redo the rooms. The gardeners were working hard trimming shrubbery and planting flowering plants. This was in a futile attempt to distract from the large flakes of paint falling off the concrete planters. The poor staff is doing all they can to get repeat business but their efforts are being completely undermined by the cheapness of the hotel's owner(s).
We would only recommend the Magic Castle Hotel if the rooms and grounds were remodeled to match the level of service provided by the staff.
This hotel is one of the best deals in Hollywood. We stayed there a week ago for one night and we were very pleasantly surprised. Our reason for staying at the hotel was to gain access to the Magic Castle restaurant (which we loved). So, we were willing to accept a less than stellar night at the hotel as the consolation. That was NOT the case!
First of all, I drove down from San Francisco so I had my car. The hotel has plenty of parking, which is really nice. Once you are checked-in, they provide a card to display on your car windshield. Then, you can use your hotel key to access the gated, underground parking or just park outside of the gate, as I did. The convenience of being able to jump in and out of your car without having to wait for a valet was very nice in a town where you drive everywhere. I don't recall the daily parking rate, but I think it was really cheap, as in under $20 per day.
At check-in, the manager on duty was very friendly and asked if I enjoyed my dinner. He brought everybody in my group a complmentary cocktail. I had called a few times on my drive to get restaurant suggestions and a few other things. I said yes, thank you for telling me where to go! I was impressed that he remembered and commented. It may be a small thing, but let's face it, nobody in the hotel usually talks to the guests on the phone when they call in. It is usually a call center, not the front desk agent/manager/concierge/bell hop/etc. I guess that is one of the perks you get in a small hotel.
One impressive thing to note is that the front desk had a large selection of DVD movies, candies, drinks, and snacks to enjoy in your room. They offer this in lieu of a mini bar. Sounds ok, but not great? Here is the kicker, it is all FREE! As many movies, snacks, sodas, and water that you can enjoy as part of your room rate. I think that is fair. We didn't take advantage, but I did grab a water and a chocolate bar for the next day. That was certainly a nice touch when compared to the next night at a hotel in San Diego where I paid $18 for a jar of nuts and a beer.
The hotel has a pool that is heated and stays open 24 hours a day. It was the place to be when the sun was out, but it wasn't noisy at all. Mostly sunbathers.
There is also a shuttle to run you up the hill to The Magic Castle restaurant. The Castle is extremely close, but the hill is steep and in dressy attire, you will want to take the quick ride. Trust me.
The rooms are remodeled and are very nice. We had a suite since we were traveling with a group of 3 and it was very large with a full kitchen, a living room with flat screen and pull out queen sleeper sofa, a nice bathroom that was a bit small, and a bedroom with a comfortable king bed and flat screen television. The bedding was great, and contained a duvet cover that gets washed with every sheet change. They had a little sign on the bed to tell you about this. I hate comforters that never get washed on hotel beds and I usually remove them first thing when I get into the room. I didn't have to do that in this hotel.
Our visit to The Magic Castle made an already great experience a 5-star memory that we will not soon forget. I am writing a separate review for The Magic Castle restaurant, which is a private club. Only members gain access, unless you are a guest of this hotel. Further, you must be 21 to enter The Magic Castle restaurant unless you go for Sunday brunch. Then, children are allowed. Details and dress code information is on the website. Be sure to check that before you go as they have some strict policies. If you plan ahead and go prepared, you will not be disappointed!!! If you don't plan to visit the restaurant, this hotel is still a great deal, and would receive a 4-star rating from me.
Again- well done Magic Castle Hotel. There is NO place else in LA I will stay! Did I mention how large and in charge the suites are?
Hands down, the best hotel in Hollywood... I tell everyone I know to stay here. You'll see why when you get there!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/22/2008
This place was great!!
Any hotel that encourages my Sour Patch Kid addiction (yes, this hotel is an… Read more »
A recent trip up to Hollywood to catch a NOFX show at the Music Box propelled me to the Magic Castle Hotel after reading reviews from peeps here. When you happen upon this establishment, you swear you're visiting your friend's apartment complex back in your undergrad days although they've assuredly cleaned this place up from its former life. When you walk into a suite, you suspect they just renovated the place after the last tenant moved out and furnished with Ikeaish modern furniture...and as a result, this place officially rules. Pics of Hollywood nostalgia made watching Clippers basketball while consuming adult beverages for an hour while waiting for my brother that much more enjoyable. The place felt very homey and I'd go back in a heartbeat when roaming in the Hollywood area.
One important note that seems to chime in with others here...the service was second to none and this is coming from someone who is utterly ambivalent to service unless it sucks or it is incredible. From the glass of near-champagne given at check-in (hell I don't drink champagne or wine, but I somehow slugged it down...must have been the rain & 3 hr ride in traffic coming up from the 619) to the parking accommodations given to my brother who was meeting me there to the courtesy shuttle ride from the hotel to the Music Box to offers to give me a doggie-bag of breakfast goods to take with me at checkout (I politely declined as I desperately needed coffee & bottled water at that time), the service kills you in a very good way.
One of the coolest places that you will ever go to if you happen to get an invitation from one of the guest that belong to the castle. You see the way it works is, that you cannot access the actual magic castle unless you are invited by one of the magicians that are apart of the club. I was fortunate to be invited by one of the guest, and there are magicians in every room that are fairly talented at what they do. It was an amazing experience.
There are definetly a lot of good qualities-free dvds, snacks, friendly staff, good location. A warning to those blocking rooms for group events. My husband and I ran into trouble-we were told we were being given a discounted rate since a large block of rooms had been blocked for the event we were attending (which is why we booked at this hotel), but when we arrived they attempted to charge us much more for the rooms and gave us resistance when we brought the error to their attention. After two days of dealing with their error, they finally lived up to the original deal. The general manager gave us an apology for all of the problems which we appreciated.
3
15
Spectacular customer service, very quaint feel!
My boyfriend and I didn't know what to expect from this vintage apartment building turned hotel, but we are so glad to have found it! They customer service was spectacular! They welcome you with a fizzy drink and have a complimentary mini bar where you can have as much as you want. We told them we were celebrating our 4 year anniversary and they had a miniature chocolate cake waiting for us in our room! They also gave us a FREE upgrade to a suite and had no problems giving us a late check-out time of 1:00pm. There is also a complimentary breakfast buffet, but we didn't go (had to save room for PINK"S Hot dogs!) The room was basically an exact 1 bedroom apartment (complete with a little kitchen...silverware in the drawers!)
The only "downside" is that it really isn't fancy...so if you're used to the pristine painted walls and silk comforters of the Ritz...be prepared, it's not like that here. However, I am picky when it comes to hotels and I loved it here!
Spectacular customer service, very quaint feel!
I stayed at the Magic Castle Hotel once so far, a two night stay. I live about 30 minutes away from the place, but it was a nice little local get-away that weekend. Stayed in a one bedroom suite by the front of the building. Our balcony overlooked Franklin, the main street it's on. A little noisy with the sliding doors or windows open, but other than that, no problems with noise. The employees were soooooo very friendly, and were more than happy to answer any questions about going to the Magic Castle, and dinner, etc.
I really enjoyed the interior of the suite!!! All the furnishings were nice and comfortable, a little retro, but nice. I also really liked the framed prints of vintage magic posters, they were a very nice touch. They also provide the nicest robes with the Magic Castle logo on it, I wanted to keep it, but didn't of course! :)
The only thing that made me give it 4 stars and not 5 was the pool. The gravel stones were all coming apart, so when you would walk into the pool you would get pieces of it stuck to your feet, and it HURT!! :( Not so nice. I would stay here again.
I got to stay here on somebody else's dime, and I couldn't have been happier with it!!!
That one little factor probably skews my review a bit, because I heard the rooms are quite pricey. I got to stay in one of the two-bedroom suites along with four other people, and I think it was somewhere around $300-$400 a night! Damn! But it was very nice...incredibly spacious and clean. KIng beds were in each bedroom, and the sheets/comforters/mattresses/pillows were top of the line. There was also a full kitchen, as well as a pull-out sofa bed in the living room. The furniture and decor is sort of vintage meets modern.
The service we received from the staff and the front desk was also impeccable. They serve complimentary hot apple cider and cookies in the lobby, and they also have a FREE mini-bar that operates from the check-in area, 24/7 no less! Forget in-room mini bars that charge you up the wazoo for a bag of chips-the Magic Castle hotel hooks you up with as much as you want, whenever you want!
The other thing I liked about it was that, although it was very nice, it didn't have a pretentious vibe. There weren't many "L.A." types walking around and looking glamorous, so I felt comfortable showing up in my yoga pants and hanging around on the patio by the pool in my PJs. It was a very relaxed atmosphere, not an action-packed, overly sceney type of place.
Also: free underground parking, free wifi, and free rides up the hill to their restaurant, Yamashiro, which is also an incredible place! And I'm not too familiar with the area, but I think it's in an excellent location, close to a lot of the "attractions."
If you can afford to stay here...highly recommended!
This is a cute little place -- a little outdated, but with fantastic service and a pretty good location.
Useful hint -- they offer a "24-hour, unlimited mini bar" service at the front desk.
Plus, they bought us free calamari at Yamashiro. Awesome :)
PS -- Very pricey...
Wow...after reading all the reviews...I am wondering if I am at the same hotel......
As of today, 8/10/07, this hotel appears to be completely remodeled. I have been told by the front desk that all rooms are remodeled. What gives this place 5 stars is the spaciousness and appointments in the rooms. These rooms have the space of a luxury condo. you could easily hold a party of 10-15 in one of these rooms.....ummm but I don't think the management would like that...unless they were all staying at different rooms of the hotel.
Staff gets 5 stars...more if there were more stars available. Extremely friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. They all clearly enjoy working here.
Only downside here ..so far as I can tell..are the tables...they look like an IKEA showroom...but the tables are very unstable...DONT STAND ON THEM...They shake with the sligthest of movements.
Overall...a very nice place to stay.
Front desk told me to that the single rooms...are much smaller in size and are cramped. The way to go here is to spend a little extra for the one bedroom suite.
Staying here gets you into the Magic Castle dinner and show. That is why I am here!!! I should add you still need to pay the $20 cover and pay for dinner...which isnt that great. But it's all about the magic there...
This is the perfect place to stay if you are visiting the Magic Castle http://www.magiccastle... You might as well get a suite because it is not that much more. Our suite (#216) was very spacious and nicely decorated, it had king bed with duvet, a full kitchen and TV's in living room and bedroom. Bathroom had a jacuzzi tub. Our friends had a standard room facing the street which I would not recommend, too much noise from street traffic, plus no balcony. So ask for an internal room overlooking pool. Great little place to stay when you want to play tourist in Hollywood. Also has a nice continental breakfast and secure parking for about $220 per night (for the suite).
Located just below the illusionists' club that shares its name and one block from Grauman's Chinese Theater, this former garden apartment complex offers spacious but somewhat modestly and sparsely-furnished studio, one-, and two-bedroom accommodations with fully-equipped kitchens that are ideal for families on a budget. The units are situated around a nicely-landscaped courtyard with a large heated pool. Nightly turndown service is as luxurious as it gets; those who prefer to be pampered should stay elsewhere. Rates, ranging from $149-239.00, include continental breakfast, but self-parking annoyingly is $8 additional per day.
I had the pleasure of staying at the Magic Castle hotel in the summer of 2007. The suites are enormous, the staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, and the location is within walking distance of Hollywood Blvd. When I checked out, I made sure to fill out the comment card. The manager was kind enough to send me a thank you note for the comment card.
Oh, do I have stories from the Magic Hotel. Well, it may be called the Magic Castle Hotel now, but it WAS the Magic Hotel originally. Yes, its located just on the west side of the same block as the Magic Castle. Since the 80s when I was a teen, this was my hang out. Yes, hang out. My best friends (twins) worked there as their father and uncle ran the place. Oh every possible celeb from out of town would stay there, but I'm not about to name drop since its pointless. This is Hollywood, and the Magic is right smack dab in the center of Hollywood, just a stones throw from the Chinese Theater. Our little circle of friends and band mates all hung out there, and some of us lost our virginity in those rooms, but I'll spare you all the details. It was ritual, come home from school or work, go to the Magic. My prospective is not going to be completely fair since I was never a guest, but that place is in my blood and I'm going to put in my 2.5 cents.
The history of this place lives in the walls. The cute rooms, the pool area, the front desk. I may be jaded by sentimentality, but personal history aside, this place has soul unlike most places that aren't expensive like the Roosevelt for instance. I love telling the story of the Swedish family that came to stay. The daughters went out to the pool and took their tops off like it was normal. Nobody complained, but someone did eventually inform them that it was not exactly allowed in these here parts, so sadly, they put their parts away.
I will give one of many many stories that come to mind. A guest that practically lived there was a gentleman I will call Mr. Davis. Well, Ok, that was actually his name. Imagine an intellectual and distinguished business man in his late 40s to early 50s. Picture the smoking jacket and pipe type and you get the picture. Now, Imagine a slightly snobby delivery of speech, somewhat like Stewie of Family Guy, and you pretty much have Mr. Davis. The twins and I went to his room and here is this man sitting next to his dog, who is on his back and Mr. Davis is lightly rubbing the underside of the dogs testicles. Now, I don't know about you, but I pretty much felt this called for comment. The three of us look and were speechless at first, but before I could say anything, Mr. Davis blurted "What? Wouldn't you enjoy this if you were a dog?" Nothing more was said about it.
I originally booked here because i wanted to go to the Magic castle Club, however because we were staying here on labor day the club was closed... :( I was going to cancel the reservation....I am so glad I didn't. This place is awesome... We pulled right up and checked to see if we could check in an hour early... "Sure no problem, and Mrs. Brown we went ahead and upgraded you to a one bedroom suite" Hell yea! ""Also just so you know our pool is open 24 hours a day and we offer all of these snacks up at the front desk complimentary- (Hands me a list of snack foods including sodas, bottle water, candies, popcorn, etc) Okay great..... Can you give me directions to Universal studio via the Metro?.... "Sure"... (hands me a pre-printed card with directions to and from the hotel to Universal).... That's when i fell in love, but there was more.... They handed me our parking pass ( tons of parking located in the basement under the hotel) and handed us sparkling lemonata in champagne glasses and said, "Mr. and Mrs. Brown we just wanted to thank you for being our guest, we hope that you enjoy your stay." Haha to great... first we are not married and second MY last name is Brown not his... I loved it.... The room was huge and I kind of wanted to move into it permanently... It just felt really homey to me... On the way to Universal we grabbed ice cold cucumber water (my favorite) and apples.... The morning buffet was great mini croissants, yogurt with granola, cereals galore, and a variety of juices.... Plus the proximity of everything in accordance to this hotel can't be beat. Literally 2 blocks to Hollywood and Vine.... Walking distance to a ton of touristy attractions.... This will be my go-to hotel whenever I need a place to stay in Hollywood.
Hotels that cost twice as much should learn from the Magic Castle Hotel. The service was unbelievable -- helpful with transportation, movies playing in the area, free (non-alcoholic) drinks. They don't have room service, but the continental breakfast is included and high quality, wireless is free as are dvd loaners. Having a spacious one-bedroom suite for just over $200 a night (incuding breakfast and afternoon cider/cookies) was the bargain of teh century. The staff was the most helpful I have encountered in this country. I feel like we have a place to be at home in LA.
the rooms are beautiful and amenities include very high-thread count sheets, a down comforter if i remember correctly, a music system, and contemporary decor (no weird paisley or funky color patterns - everything is white!). the pool is also quite nice and i would def go back. even though I was only there for a party, this hotel seems like a great deal!
