Faux france in Hollywood

Posted by Staff in Budget Thursdays, California

First I must warn you that my budget find this week is not technically a budget hotel, but if you don’t have the means to fly your loved one to the South of France for romantic getaway, this little secret will get you as close as possible without dropping a large chunk of change on airfare (at least for westcoasters)…

Also on a hill, but not in France, is a gorgeous chateau…the Chateau Marmont. Located in the land of make believe, Hollywood, this hotel was built in 1927 and modeled after the Chateau d’Amboise in France’s Loire Valley. The hotel is a testament to Hollywood’s ability to make you feel that you are in another land, when in reality you are in your own backyard.  

As with La Colombe d’Or, this hotel and restaurant has had its many encounters with the artistic world…from Jim Morrison swinging from a drainpipe…to Jean Harlow and Clark Gable making it their secret affair rendezvous point…Hollywood legends have soaked their way into it’s walls.

The hotel’s rooms are decorated with period antiques and the lobby looks more like the grand salon of a chateau than a standard hotel. The most romantic part of this chateau is the garden restaurant; filled with imported French wicker chairs and lit at night by torches and candlelight…this is THE place for the ultimate non-passport romantic getaway.

As I warned earlier, the prices are not cheap (a standard room is $300), but considering you could pretend you went to France and did not need a ticket or jetlag…it is a great place for an extravagant getaway on budget. www.chateaumarmont.com