The Biltmore Los Angeles

After dinner, we came back to a room with strange knocking sounds. Street noise came right through the original windows of this hundred-year-old building, and the area felt very unsafe. Then, while we were asleep, a huge explosion sound shook the room and windows. We packed up and went home in the middle of the night, something we’ve never done at a hotel before. When we asked the staff about it, they seemed to know nothing and acted like we were crazy. It’s unfortunate because the Biltmore is beautiful. We stayed there on 3/6/26, had an easy check-in, and found the staff friendly. Our room on the 11th floor was clean, and the hotel’s history and decor impressed us. But I wouldn’t stay there again.

The beautiful, luxurious lobby seems to be where the hotel’s old prestige begins and ends. I had a poor stay, though the nearby café Pitchound was a great find for breakfast. It’s a chic French bakery next door, and eating there lets you skip paying for breakfast at the hotel. The room was Spartan, with no room service. The windows were dirty, and cold air and noise kept coming in. Internet was awful and dropped constantly when I tried to stream video. In many rooms, the safes are switched off or out of battery. I called reception four times; each time they promised to send an engineer, but no one came, so I went without a safe for the whole stay. The pillows were about 10 cm high and as hard as they were 50 years ago. Parking was frustrating. Valets seemed focused on taking your car and charging the hefty surcharge. If you refused, they sent you to the top floor, the 10th if you were lucky and it wasn’t full. Parking was in an adjacent building, so you had to leave and re-enter the hotel. There was an elevator, but still a flight of stairs to deal with. The front desk staff weren’t very welcoming and put me in an unexplained queue right away. It wasn’t a huge issue, but it added to the poor impression.

The hotel is a beautiful piece of living history, with plenty of interesting things to see and do. For my wife’s birthday, they gave us complimentary access to the club level when we checked in. Christine Co also followed up on our billing issues and resolved them quickly.

The Biltmore is a convenient base for downtown LA. Grand Central Market is nearby, as are museums including The Broad and MOCA. There’s also a Brazilian restaurant downstairs with a good atmosphere and Friday night entertainment. The surrounding area can feel rough, with visible homelessness and people clearly struggling with addiction. It was a little jarring at first, but the location still works well for exploring downtown. The hotel gives you an old-school, European-style lobby without costing a ton. I picked it because it was affordable and looked great in photos, and the lobby really does make a strong first impression. Check-in was easy, and there are no annoying resort fees. The rooms are basic, with no fancy art or plush beds, just a place to sleep. There’s no room service, and shampoo and conditioner come combined, which may bother people who prefer separate bottles. The pool is nice but smaller than it looks in photos, and the water can seem a bit murky. Underwater lighting might help bring out the old Roman tile look. One thing photographers should know: the hotel is strict about DSLR cameras in the lobby. Phone photos seem fine, but staff will stop you for taking out a camera, even with a small lens. I wish they made that clear in advance, since people might think twice if they knew what a hassle it could be to take family pictures in such a beautiful space.