Millennium Biltmore Hotel

The hotel is elegant to the extent of its history but that's about it. It's in a dire need of a renovation.

The MB is in a prime downtown location not only for business travelers, but for Staples, Nokia, etc. The staff, however, seems to be living in the past. I called the front desk in the morning specifically to ask about the availability of continental breakfast; i.e., toast-it-yourself bagels, etc. that are normally gratis at a hotel of this caliber. We were told that continental breakfast is served on G Floor between 7 and 10:30 am. We had a small breakfast - fruit, coffee, and a pastry. We were then presented with a bill for $40. This is not only not continental, but ridiculous.

It's a great value and amazing architecture

Though the lobby and restaurants were very charming in their old-school glamour, the room was not. The photos shown here are for 'concierge' upgraded rooms, not the regular-rate rooms. They should be more clear about that. It was a stark difference.

It looks like old Hollywood. The Valet is so great, they went out of their way. The rooms were a disappointment, however. They were bare and I even found someone's clothes folded in a drawer. I guess the cleaning crew forgot to check in there. The rest of the hotel was really great.

Food was bad. Room was not as good for the price

Thank goodness I got a packaged deal. I would have been disappointed otherwise. 1) USD40 a day parking (or USD35 for self park across the street... not good for late night returns) that I didn't recall was included in the description 2) Valet service with a "minimum wage attitude" (they likely are paid min wage though) 3) Lackluster room... Tube TV (I've gotten cheaper rates in beverly hills with flatscreens), dated furniture with simple no frills bed, simple bathroom with plastic wrapped HoJo cups (yes, NO GLASS cups or mugs for the coffee maker). 4) Internet fee of 9.95$ per day

Nice old style hotel

Lobby and common areas fabulous. Parking was $40 per day compared to $30/day at other downtown hotels. No bathrobes, makeup mirrors, or glassware in rooms - unusual for a hotel in this caliber and price range. Hotel service was very good none-the-less. No shopping on nearby blocks. I got my car in the garage but they ran out of room while I was staying there.

Let me start with the good. The Biltmore is a good, no, Great old hotel in terms of decor. The ceilings alone are worth a trip to see this grand old dame of Los Angeles. The mojitos in the bar were great. And my interactions with the staff were good as well. But... ...$9.95 for WiFi? Lots of places include it free or if they do charge you like Motel 6 it three bucks. Forty dollars for parking? Really? And then there's the renovation- apparently it's still going on because there was a paint cart in the hallway when we arrived. And much of what they've done is paint and no more, as in painting the old bathtub. Leave the old porcelain as is. That type of paint invariably peels and it looks worse than if you'd left it. It's like plastic surgery, you look younger, but never young. Let the patina of this gem shine. Would I stay again? Maybe.