One Night Only

If you are in town for a Halloween party, stay at the Chateau Marmont because, believe me, its for one night only.

Today I walked up Sunset on my daily walk and decided to drop by the Chateau Marmont, a hotel with a historic name. Yet, to date, I had never visited.

I was very disappointed. Its old, gothic and musty with a feel of Batman's cave. The entire zeitgeist is depressing as if haunted by the ghosts of the many who have died here, including me, whilst waiting for lunch - a complicated affair, involving as it did mating a burger with a bun. Think Dracula's Castle meets Tim Burton with Helena Bonham Carter as your cocktail waitress. Its the kind of place you expect to see the likes of Marilyn Manson, Dita Von Teese, Ozzy Osbourne so it was no surprise that whilst walking on the side-street I was passed by an obnoxious Russell Brand in a rented lemon-yellow Ferrari.

In the photo is the baroque motif above the colonnade which is surprisingly not the entrance to the hotel, but on a side street. They have a strict No Photography policy enforced throughout the grounds of the hotel, probably a wise idea, given, on any given day, there is nobody actually staying there.

The feel of the hotel is very similar to the Chelsea in New York, like an old meat-packing apartment. Some rooms on the Sunset Blvd side are very long like a 5 room apartment, with massive 60 foot sitting rooms, black and white subway tiled bathrooms, theatrically staged furnishings.

The corner rooms have a small terrace affording good views of the smog. The rooms along the back of the hotel are scuzzy, dank and noisy as are the rooms by the entrance.

The service here is notoriously non-existent. Its a place for people who sleep til 4 in the afternoon because generally thats how long it takes room service to arrive with your breakfast.


--- Veronica


P.S.

I can only imagine what Russell Brand might say should he read this blog. "Look Biaaatch, first, its not a rental and second, its Speed Racer Yellow."