Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas Rating: 4.0 Pearls

West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

Lobby at the Sunset Marquis.

In small typography on the Sunset Marquis' homepage, there's an asterix that reads, "Paparazzi diversion tactics available for a nominal additional charge." There are so many celebrities that traipse through the hotel that the staff doesn't get starstruck anymore. During my two-night stay, I spotted Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Joss Stone, and my waitress told me I'd just missed Roger Daltrey of The Who.

The Sunset Marquis cost $8 per night when it first opened in 1963 as a motel for musicians playing at the nearby House of Blues, Roxy, and Viper Room, all located within a few minutes' walk. It has since expanded to 154 rooms, 52 of which are villas, two pools, and a state-of-the-art recording studio designed by renowned acoustician George Auspurger and accessed via a hidden entrance in the underground garage (Lil Wayne and Green Day had both recorded there within a few days of my stay). Unfortunately, though, the sound studio was way more up-to-date than the hotel's elevators, which are small, cramped, beaten up, and glacial.

Despite its prominence as a hotel to A-list rockstars, it feels remarkably relaxed. The quiet feel may have something to do with the meandering stone pathways, a koi pond under a footbridge, and hedges that protect the hotel and its guests from the riffraff of Sunset Boulevard half a block away. I was warned by the hostess that the hotel can get "raucous," especially at night, but during my stay, there was nary a peep.

No matter what your last name, or how many stages you've played on or haven't, the service is great across the board. At 550 square feet, the Sunset's standard rooms aren't quite as spacious as the 750-square-foot ones at the London West Hollywood just down the road, but they underwent soft renovations at the beginning of 2010 that updated them with more modern furnishings and flat-screen TVs. Yes, the newer London has better rooms, as well as a spectacular rooftop pool, a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, and its own share of celebrities -- but the rock-star, cool factor is higher at the Sunset.

Service is superb: unpretentious, competent, friendly, and always prompt, though I found the doormen to be a smidge stiff. Guests are addressed by Mr. or Ms., and looked in the eye. Nightly turndowns come with chocolates, there's 24-hour room service, and the concierges are excellent. When I asked about tracking down the Kogi Korean BBQ truck, a mobile food truck famous for its fusion of Mexican and Korean food, the concierge immediately logged onto Twitter to search for it. The day's schedule hadn't been posted yet, but an hour later a printout of the schedule arrived in an envelope beneath my door. My request for more toothpaste was answered in less than five minutes, and my room service tray was picked up within an hour without having to call.

• Prompt replies to service requests
• Nice nightly turndown service with a dark piece of chocolate on the pillow, drawn curtains, and personal toiletries perfectly arranged
• Very competent concierges who can do everything from secure sold-out concert tickets and difficult restaurant reservations to tracking down popular food trucks; available 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Doormen can be a little stiff, but the bellmen are chatty and warm.
• Poolside food and drink service from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (bartenders usually show up around 11 a.m.)
• 24-hour room service

View on a Larger Map

The Sunset Marquis is tucked away on a quiet side street in the heart of West Hollywood steps from Sunset Strip, the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard known for its cutting-edge rock clubs and night spots and its collection of premier boutiques and restaurants.

• Steps from famed music clubs like Whiskey A Go-Go, the Roxy, and Viper Room
• Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theatre and Hollywood Bowl are a 10-minute drive.
• Universal Studios Hollywood, a movie-themed amusement park, is a 20-minute drive.
• Sunset Plaza, a walkable half-mile stretch of upscale boutiques and restaurants, is a few minutes' walk.
• Beverly Center, a huge retail mall, is a five-minute drive.
• Rodeo Drive/Beverly Hills, an enclave of wealthy living and luxury shopping in the middle of L.A.'s west side, is a 10-minute drive (or three miles).
• At least a 30-minute drive to Santa Monica and LA beaches
• Valet parking is $30a day.
• Bob Hope Airport in Burbank is about 14 miles away, which can translate to a 45-minute drive in traffic, but it's still a better option than Los Angeles International (LAX), which can take up to 1.5 hours.
• Avoid a pricey cab from the airport (typically $45 to $50) by opting for a shuttle bus (like SuperShuttle, which costs about one-third as much.

King superior room at the Sunset Marquis.

Rooms (the hotel calls them suites) are clean and spacious, at 575 sq. ft., and underwent soft renovations at the beginning of 2010. Unfortunately, I wasn't placed in one of the renovated rooms (and wasn't able to see one) when I stayed there at the end of 2009, which meant that the dé cor and some amenities fell on the stodgy side. But don't fret: old tube TVs have been replaced with flat-screens, clunky clock radios replaced with iHome iPod docks, the balconies refinished, and more modern furnishings installed. Another upgrade since my visit: toiletries have been transitioned from Aveda to chic Italian Erbe products that are also used in the newly built spa. You can also splurge like a rockstar and stay in one of the newly built villas -- way bigger, more luxurious, and more expensive -- but with a 24-hour butler. For even more spacious rooms, with significantly larger bathrooms, check out the London West Hollywood, just a few minutes down the road.

• Standard rooms underwent soft renovations in early 2010; rooms were updated with modern furnishings, flat-screen TVs, iHome iPod docking stations, refinished balconies, and nicer toiletries.
• Standard rooms are an above-average 575 square feet, and come with balconies (though mine was badly chipped and faced the wall of another building), wet bars, and an empty dorm-size fridge.
• Beds are plush with pillow-top featherbeds, 400-thread-count linens, down pillows and duvets -- one of the best beds I've ever slept in.
• Small bathrooms with marble counters and Frette towels; water pressure in the shower comes and goes; Frette bathrobe provided
• Tech amenities in most rooms include two large flat-screen TVs with about 40 cable channels, battery-operated scales, and laptop-size safes.
• Copies of Entertainment Weekly, Black Book, TV Guide, and Guitar Aficionado in every room
• Minibars (separate from the empty fridge) are stocked with standard items.
• Full JVC stereo (receiver and five-disc player) with KLM speakers, but those in my room sounded worn
• Wi-Fi costs $12 a day.
• 24-hour room service

One of Sunset Marquis' two pools

The hotel has got it all -- and much of it is newly built or newly renovated, like the new 1,800-square-foot spa and soon-to-be-finished gym (guests get free daily passes to Equinox, a swanky full-service gym across the street, in the meantime). But both of the pools are a little small and underwhelming. Do as celebrities do and hang out by the back villa pool if you want more of a scene. Paparazzi caught Lindsay Lohan lounging in a white bikini here not so long ago.

• Two small, but nice, pools, one located near the lobby and another, with more privacy, farther back near Restaurant; both open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with food and drink service
• State-of-the-art recording studio designed by renowned acoustician George Auspurger and accessed via a hidden entrance in the underground parking garage; guests can book tours
• Nice Rosenthal house wine, since the hotel was founded by George I. Rosenthal, owner of the Rosenthal Estate Winery in Malibu
• Brand-new, 1,800-square-foot spa with Erbe products and four treatment rooms, opened in spring 2009
• Wi-Fi costs $12 per day.

Locals and A-listers alike congregate at Bar 1200, where things don't really get going until 11 p.m. After spending an hour people-watching from a couch in the lobby, it also seems like high, high heels are the preferred attire. It's a cozy, dark, relaxed scene: Bartenders are unpretentious, the music's great, and the cocktails are, for lack of a better term, awesome.

• Open from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
• Collection of photographs by legendary rock photographers Ross Halfin and Robert Knight of celebrity guests over the decades line the walls.

Lil Wayne and Red Hot Chili Peppers have recorded here.

The Nightbird Sound Studios is the only facility of its caliber located within a hotel on the West Coast.

• Designed by George Auspurger of Hollywood Bowl fame
• Recorded basically every A-list musician on the planet, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake, and on the day of my stay, Lil Wayne.
• Stevie Wonder has played on the studio's Yamaha Mark IV Disklavier piano, one of two in America.
• High rollers can rent it out for personal use, including karaoke birthday parties (*swoon*).

Standard rooms are 575 square feet, incredibly spacious for families. But the hotel's relaxed, sometimes-rockish vibe (cigarette butts left in ashtrays and foul language among celebrity clientele) doesn't exactly scream "bring the kids." I didn't see a single child during my stay.

• Huge rooms translate to plenty of room for kids and gear; a few rooms with two double beds are available.
• Free cribs; rollaway beds cost $30 per night.
• Not much of a kid-friendly vibe
• No dedicated kids' menu, but the kitchen can make tot-friendly items like mac-and-cheese, chicken nuggets, and peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, all for $5

With the exception of a few stains on the carpet and water stains on the showerhead, rooms are clean. Public areas like the lobby and grounds are immaculate, but the elevators, which also happen to be glacially slow, are scuffed and dirty.

Restaurant's outdoor patio at the Sunset Marquis.

Whether room service or a full dinner at Restaurant, the hotel's not-so-ironically named restaurant, the food is superb and incredibly fresh. But expect to dig deep into your pocketbook for cuisine by executive chef Guillaume Burlion, who got his start working for renowned chefs Paul Bocuse and Joel Robuchon. However, the food's worth it and the service is excellent, plus it's much more reasonable for lunch.

• Excellent Asian and French inspired Restaurant with great casual atmosphere; indoor and outdoor seating (on an elevated patio); open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; dinner entrees range from $18 to $43.
• No a la carte items offered for Sunday breakfast; only $38 champagne brunch
• 24-hour room service