Monday at the Marmont

As you can see I made it back, despite all the stories about my favorite hotel (and possibly place) on earth being converted to a private club at the end of 2020. Chatting with a friend one night who was also “got” this place, he asked if it was still open. Huh...what a novel question. I decided to email them and next thing you know, I was on my way up to Sunset Boulevard for a mini Chateau vacation. This would be the fourth time staying in Room 34; no complaints about that, as it’s one of my favorites.



The view from my room:



Looks like Kurt and Goldie have been busy. I guess since they’re in the same household it’s ok to make movies.

Willis hadn’t been to the Chateau in two years...he was way overdue.



He does love sleeping there…but he missed the cashmere blankets that once graced the end of each bed. Probably one of the pandemic cutbacks.



Like many of the other areas of the hotel, the pool looked great albeit empty. Just the way I like it!





Willis obeyed the rules and marveled at the calm and beauty of the pool.



Fortunately the bolognese was still on the menu:



The chocolate mousse was a new one for me, and well worth the calories (I don’t want to know).



I can’t put it into words, but late nights/early mornings are my favorite time at the hotel when it is quiet and I can wander around by myself. There’s just something about these fabled walls that keep bringing me back.





The staff didn’t seem to have any new information about the potential conversion and whether it was going to happen or not, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that Willis and I can return.



See more Chateau Marmont photos at my main website.

The Chateau Marmont: I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together

Friends texted me last week that my favorite Hollywood haunt (and one of my favorite places on earth), The Chateau Marmont, is about to become a private members-only club. I had mixed emotions, beginning with surprise, followed by sadness at the “loss,” a flood of memories, and then finally gratitude that I had been able to experience (quite extensively) this legendary hotel.

At approximately sixty rooms, the size was not overwhelming. The staff remembered me every time and felt more like friends than anything else. It was nice to see the same faces each visit.



Benedict and Tony (above) always took care of me, typically upgrading my room, like that time Bungalow 1 was empty and they moved me there for one night just so I could experience it. I was on the phone with local friends immediately who stopped by for an impromptu party.



Many years later, I would turn 50 in the same Bungalow:



Almost had to call the fire department. That's a lot of flame.



Romulo, the waiter (below right), was a memorable part of the Chateau. Frequently during his late-night shift he would serenade the guests by singing and playing guitar. They may have preferred to get served their meals, but it was this kind of quirky charm that made the Chateau so endearing (and addictive) to me.



The guests were a mix from all walks of life: artists, actors, rockers, the international set, those wanting to get their groove on in private, old Hollywood, new Hollywood, and just little old me, who felt a kinship to all of them. The serendipity of meeting random people during my stay was awesome, as were the experiences that developed from those chance meetings. Some of those happened during my early morning swims.



That was one of my favorite times when the hotel was quiet and you could see the remnants around the pool of the debauchery from the night before. This shot says it all…or at least gives a general idea:



The Chateau was the setting for so many memorable celebrations and reunions with friends from out of town. Typically I would have them fly into LAX and meet me at the Chateau instead of San Diego. Nobody ever complained, either! Well, in this case, it was more about me not putting the camera down than anything else. Back in the days when I still used a film camera...and a flash! Horrors!



I’ll miss this painting in the lobby staircase. I couldn’t tell you who painted it and I surely wouldn’t want it in my house, but it just seemed to fit this place. How many times did I walk by it and pass a Hollywood legend along the way? Countless.



The hotel had great views from the many balconies that were accessible from the hallways...until the place began getting a lot of notorious media attention (thanks, Lindsay Lohan) and the doors were promptly locked.



Something about this place just really helped me to disconnect and relax. Not sure what it was, but I always felt like I could breathe and recharge during my stay. Also a great place to hang with friends, whatever time of the day it was, as there was always something going on at the Chateau.







While it feels like I’m losing a friend and part of my history, the fact is that the hotel had been slowly changing/evolving since my first visit of many starting back in 2001. Initially, Balazs’ team did a masterful job of cleaning up the rundown hotel while still giving it an authentic historic feel. If “shabby bohemian chic” was a thing, The Chateau Marmont had it mastered. The style was simple yet ecclectic, with a mix of period antiques and newer custom-made furnishings. I felt like I’d died and gone to heaven. I initially noticed the new “more is more” aesthetic in the beloved formal dining room. How it looked when I first began staying there:





…and now:



My favorite “public” gathering space of the hotel is what I call the living room. I loved sitting back on the overstuffed couches and chairs, eating a meal (especially the bacon for breakfast and the bolognese for dinner), chatting with the staff, and watching the parade of diverse guests that populated the hotel. For an introvert who likes to watch and observe, this particular area was nirvana for me.



You never knew who might try to tinkle the ivories of the Chateau’s piano; this was one of my student workers when a group of us had lunch on the patio that day.



A very special occasion, and not just because Willis was there. BTW: The Chateau Marmont is the ONLY hotel Willis has stayed at. I haven’t asked him what he thinks about not being able to eat their bacon or lift his leg in front of John Belushi’s bungalow anymore.



And the rooms? Each one holds a unique history and decorative story, including (sigh) vintage tile.



A photo from that one (and only) time I invited my mom out to the Chateau for Thanksgiving. “Is the bathroom tile dirty or just old?” I bit my tongue a lot that weekend. The Chateau is not for everyone…which is why I liked it!



Willis loved it though, and that's all that matters.



A perfect place for photo shoots, with no end of interesting decor, nooks, and crannies.



And that beautiful courtyard patio.



Once an open green space with a smattering of small tables, perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a candlelight dinner…



it morphed into a different kind of green for the hotel (ROI, people!).



Another favorite place to sit, relax, and stare from back in the more tranquil days of the hotel:



Even the pool succumbed to over-development. Before:



After. Bamboo be gone, as another seating area is squeezed into what little available space the property can yield.



Balazs added the attic gym to the hotel which stayed just as quirky as the day I first “discovered” it after I’d been staying there for a few years. For this “shoehorn” solution I was grateful. I loved working out here and looking up at the amazing ceiling.



Yes, I will miss the special celebrations with dear friends…



the bacon…



the bolognese…



and Sunday night’s fried chicken:



The sting of not being able to afford the “new” Chateau is not so painful, as the old version of the Chateau will continue to live on through the memories created by the people that have stayed within its legendary walls.

See more Chateau Marmont photos at my main website.

Marmont Monday: Castle on Sunset Review

I normally don’t do book reviews on here, but since this one was on the Chateau, I felt an obligation. I REALLY wanted to like this book, as it's about one of my favorite places to stay. I was so excited about its release I even contacted the author, Shawn Levy, as soon as I heard about its upcoming publication. Here was his response:

Funny thing: I came across your site while doing research and would occasionally refer to the images to get a specific detail right. Always meant to drop a note of thanks!

Huh...always meant to...but didn’t get around to it.

He also explained his reason for writing it:

As a book subject, the Chateau kind of fell into my lap. My agent and I were discussing ideas with an editor at Doubleday and he said, "Has anyone written a history of Chateau Marmont?" And while one does exist (the Raymond Sarlot/Fred Basten "Life at the Marmont"; the Andre Balazs "Hotel Hollywood" really isn't a history), it isn't, you know, very good: as journalism, as history, as writing. And once I knew that Sarlot and Basten had left a hole on the bookshelf, Doubleday and I agreed that I should try to fill it.



His explanation rings true, as it feels like something that was not really a passion project. Instead, it is just an updated and expanded rehash of the book “Life at the Marmont” by former owner Raymond Sarlot. Instead of hearing background about the celebrities who stayed at the hotel, I would much rather have read some new nuggets about these people WHILE they stayed at the hotel. What you end up with are the same stories you can read in Vanity Fair and other magazines. Looking at the bibliography and reading the acknowledgements, one can easily see that there were very few insider interviews. Lots of articles and books; I would even say a very liberal use of Sarlot’s.

I can understand the difficulty Levy had in getting actual interviews from the Chateau’s staff due to non-disclosure agreements, but without a true insider perspective, there didn't seem to be much purpose in writing the book. I do give Levy kudos on "getting" the allure of The Chateau; he definitely nails its vibe. That’s probably the one positive about the book. I did enjoy learning about a few movies that had been filmed there that I wasn’t aware of, such as 1973’s “Blume in Love” with George Segal and Marsha Mason.



Still, that’s not much of a reason to buy or read it. Levy also admitted that this was not really an authorized book or a project that had the cooperation of the hotel.

The hotel may or may not take kindly to…the book; they offered no cooperation. So you might want to keep your interest in it under your hat until they actually read/see it and realize that it's a celebration and not a scandal sheet.

I would disagree with the last sentence, as the end of the book deals with the well-known Lindsay Lohan stories and finishes up with a big bang: André Balazs’ (the current owner of the Chateau) alleged part in the “Me Too” movement (and not in a positive way) as well as his various romances.

Interestingly enough, most of the glowing reviews on Amazon appear to be from people who received free copies of the book (which obviously did not include me. I paid for mine).

On his Instagram page, Levy has been posting a series of vintage celebs/artists/musicians using the repetitive tag line “So and so were Chateau Marmont.” The idea is to demonstrate the history and vibe of the hotel while pushing sales of the book. The most telling shot is a selfie, which is Levy on the outside of the hotel. This is how the book comes off; someone on the outside wanting to get in but doesn’t quite know how to penetrate the inner circle of knowledge.



Or perhaps didn’t want to take the time and effort to try.

My recommendation? Hunt down Sarlot's account. While it’s an older book, he actually lived it. AND owned it.

See more Chateau Marmont photos at my main website.