Checkered Hilton

Ok this was our most expensive hotel we stayed at in our week long adventure in LA and SD. We figured it was worth it for two reasons: the wonderful views of LA supplied by the rooms and the gourmet breakfast meals which were included in the Travelocity rates we booked.After a grand day of victory at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, we retired to this hotel, anticipating the amenties awaiting us.We were welcomed with a view of a wall. Upon our protests, we granted a visit to another room with a quite a different view of a very different wall. Finally, we settled upon a smoking room (we have a son) with a view of half a wall and the Citigroup sign.A couple of hours later, I began to wonder what we would do about our breakfast we had booked through the web-site and called the front desk. They told me I would need the tickets and I asked where the tickets were? They said they would send the 2 tickets up now (And if I hadn't called...what then?). I told them I booked 2 adults and a child through the website, why were there only 2 meals?

They ended up telling me it was my problem and I should take it up with Travelocity. I ended up going to the desk in person, upon which I found a different person who agreed to give me the extra ticket. Unbeknownst to me (until the next morning), he had given me a ticket for the continental breakfast and not the full american breakfast we booked.

When we arrived to the restaurant, I gave them the 3 tickets and told them I don't know what happen...these were all supposed to be for the Full American Breakfast. Finally, they said they would take all 3 for the Full american (Next time I'm going for a better hotel price and the Grand Slam!)Ok..now the good...the king size bed was extremely comfortable and so is the roll-out our son stayed on. The hotel is immaculate: clean and very new. The pool on the roof is very nice..however there were beer bottles aplenty in the morning. The Valet & Bellhop Service is excellent! The bellhop stayed with us throughout the entire time of trying to find a good room.The rooms are kinda cramped and the night we stayed, we received a recommendation from the front desk for a local Thai place (can't remember the name) and it was awful. They took an hour and a half, so we fell asleep. When we woke up to eat, we didn't want to: the food was cold and gross.In a nutshell, this is not a place to go if you expect to get the bang for your buck or are a family. This is a hotel situated for businessmen & woman who do business downtown and whose company flips the bill, so their kind words are probably for the plush rooms their companies paid for.

Best Hotel in Downtown L.A.

Whenever I travel to downtown L.A., I always stay at the Checkers.

Quite simply, it's downtown L.A.'s best hotel -- the service is impeccable, the hotel has charming architecture, and the rooms are well-appointed. The bathrooms are also decked out in gorgeous marble and granite. The Checkers has a great on-site restaurant as well as fantastic room service. It even has windows that open to the outside, which is particularly nice if you have a high floor and a cool L.A.

night.

The pool deck and hot tub provides one of the most stunning downtown settings anywhere. After a long day of working in L.A., I suggest grabbing your favorite drink, heading to the roof, hopping into the hot tub, and gazing at the Library Tower and L.A.'s other great buildings.

The Westin Bonaventure, Biltmore, and Downtown Marriott cannot hold a candle to this place.

Boutique Hotel With Lots of Class

An absolutely beautiful hotel in an old 1920s building. First class, white glove service the whole way (excellent employees). Our corner room had 2 walls that were nothing but floor to ceiling windows, affording great views of the city. Top of the line furnishings (ivory silk bedding, granite top tables, mahogany finished furniture with matte polished silver handles, cd / clock radio, flat screen tv, art deco lamps) and super-comfy soft pillows and bed! The windows actually open fairly wide to let in fresh air. Big bathroom with only 1 sink.

Excellent restaurant, great breakfast w/fresh squeezed orange juice.

Negatives: The only parking option is valet parking for $23 per day.

High-speed internet access is available for $10. The roof top pool is very tiny (big enough for 2 people tops) but it has beautiful city views (and a hot tub). This is truly a first class hotel and I recommend it to everyone!

Now Our Favorite in LA!

Good location, close to Chinatown and LACMA, etc. The staff was excellent and the Bell Capt. was super helpful. Room service is prompt.

If you stay on the weekend most places to eat within walking distance are closed because this is the downtown business district. The rooftop pool and whirlpool/gym is very cool with excellent views. The old building is in like new condition and the rooms are comfy. On the negative side, the breakfast prices are outrageous, so walk across the street to the coffee shop & the rooms don't have refrigerators. Avoid the room service pizza. All-in-all a good bet for your stay in downtown.

Highly Recomend! Great service! What a treat!

We travel frequently and stay at 3 to 5 star hotels. This hotel is now one of our favorite. It's not large, rather a smaller boutique hotel with a wonderful decor. The rooftop pool and spa are small but quaint and with views of downtown L.A. We found the location convenient to the Staples center - about a 6 block walk (we walked during a business day and felt safe, the bellman said to taxi at night and we'd probably taxi on the weekend as well). We found the service impeccible everywhere. The bell staff, front desk, dining were each exceptional. They accommodated several of our special needs, including a 8:30 am arrival due to businessand an upgraded room request (wonderful view at no extra charge). Dining ends at 10:00pm but there is a nice sports bar with a sandwich/salad type menu across the street at the Biltmore.

Great for business stay

Just returned from a 6 night stay at the Hilton Checkers. Very nice boutique hotel. Overall, the staff were very friendly. The rooms were nice but small (mine in partiuclar). I was with a group of 7 and everyone liked the hotel and will stay there again. Close to Los Angeles Convention Center (why we were there). Pool is small but it's the sun exposure and atmosphere that makes the roof top pool/gym/spa/hot tub great. Bathrooms were big but a bit dark. High speed internet access was a value added touch even at $10 per day.

Lobby bar and lounge are comfy and inviting with a big screen tv. Hotel restaurant is ok (had several breakfasts and one dinner). Dinner is overly expensive and nto worth the money. One major drawback of the hotel - no sundry shop. If you want small items, you have to go across the street to the Biltmore or down a few blocks to a Rite Aide. Nothing is open in that area on Sunday. I would only stay in downtown due to proximity of the nature of my trip. If I was returning for vacation, I would not stay downtown LA. Another drawback of the hotel is that when I arrived my room was not eqquipped with a hair dryer or iron. I had to ask for those items. Hotel is not very sound proof and you could hear people in the halls at all hours and noise from adjacent rooms. In all, it's a great hotel for business stays for less than one week.

Awesome Spa Experience!

While staying at the lovely Hilton Checkers downtown, my boyfriend and I had wonderful body treatments at Checkers Spa. The practitioner's were truly amazing and the 'Spa for Two' service was so personalized we felt as if we were VIP's. I recommend it to anyone!

Valentine's Day Disappointment

We have stayed at the Checkers when it was the Wyndham and looked forward to our return. We were VERY disappointed in the service that we received now that it is a Hilton Hotel. We had made reservations several weeks in advance for a special Valentine weekend and when we arrived they did not have the type of room that we had requested..and they gave us the "We don't care about you attitude. Our room was not the cleanest and it took several requests to have luggage delivered and we had to wait almost 30 minutes to have our car brought around to us. Checkers has lost alot with it's change in ownership.

A lot of character

A great downtown boutique hotel. We stayed on 12/7/02, it is now the "Hilton Checkers." Rooms were small, but quite nice, with fluffy comforters and lots of extra pillows and fresh flowers in the bathroom and on the beds. The marble bathroom was spacious and turn down service is always a nice touch. The roof top pool is small, but the view from the top of the hotel is great. A Nissan commerical was being filmed in the lobby and front of the hotel on the morning we left, but there were no inconviences. I'd definitely stay again, especially at $79/night.

Checkers -- Lovely Hotel

This is a beautiful boutique hotel. Fantastic service (very smiling and accommodating). The location is fantastic -- we could walk to nearly all downtown attractions (Pershing Square, the Biltmore -- across the street, Bunker Hill, Central Market etc). The room was on the small side due to the age of the hotel, but decorated very elegantly. All marble bath. Loads of charm. Great for someone who does not like run-of-the-mill and mass hotels (aka Mariott etc). The restaurant on site gets rave reviews, but $30 a head for dinner.Lots of eateries nearby that you can walk to. This was a weekend getaway and it was wonderful!