Chateau Marmont

Fabulous Hollywood landmark, lair and legend: 63 Golden-Age suites, bungalows and penthouses on the grounds of a Loire-style castle above Sunset Strip

The A-list actress – fresh from a break-up – is lunching with a new beau at the next table. Within hours, photos (snapped from a bush over my left shoulder!) break the story on the Web. Just a day in the life of Chateau Marmont. Jean Harlow and Clark Gable carried on a torrid affair here (during Harlow’s honeymoon). Howard Hughes holed up in a penthouse, binoculars trained on starlets at the pool. Led Zeppelin tore up the halls on Harleys. Scarlett Johansson may or may not have hooked up with Benicio Del Toro in the creaky elevator. The Chateau is Hollywood’s scrapbook, chronicling decades of flamboyance with lots of naughty detail.

Fashioned after a real French chateau, Marmont looks more like a Disney-leftover above the glitzy Sunset Strip. Movie stars come to party (their antics covered up by a tight-lipped experienced staff) and sometimes to disappear for months. Beyond the grandiose vaulted ceilings and fluted pillars of the salon, landscaped paths lead to a range of quarters (including bedroom, suites, bungalows and penthouses) straight out of a Golden Age soundstage.

Highs

• A celebrity in its own right, Chateau Marmont delivers a palpable thrill; its scandal-tinged stories are irresistible fun, even if you’re not star-struck
• A Hollywood Historical and Cultural Monument (#151); Gothic grandeur (complete with gargoyles) and Golden Age redux; cool vintage furnishings - all lovingly restored after joining the André Balazs stable
• Lush grounds studded with koi ponds and private nooks surrounding a large pool; manicured garden courtyard and colonnade with wicker chairs
• Most accommodations have full kitchen, dining room and living room; some with fireplace, patio or terrace, private entrance and/or driveway - useful for families
• Steps from the Sunset Strip; a short ride to world-class shopping Melrose and Rodeo Drive shops

Lows

• Rarified, clubby atmosphere can wear on non-members; a great place to be a fly on the wall, but taking a photo will get you a dirty look
• The hotel enjoys a 90% occupancy rate, recession be damned; you can’t request a specific room (the front desk is never sure when guests are going to check out)
• Star sightings are likely, but not guaranteed; many celebs take the elevator directly from the garage to their rooms
• Vintage furnishings have a tidy elegance that seems a bit bare-bones after all the hype; fans love details that are reminiscent of “Grandma’s house”
• Mixed feedback; some see shabby décor and dark common rooms but others love the fab vibe and old-world glamour