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Located just one block from Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Hollywood/Highland Center. We feature mostly very large One-Bedroom Suites. We also have smaller "Single" rooms, which are great for short stays and we have Two-Bedroom suites that sleep up to six people. All suites have a full kitchen, dining area, living room with pull-out sofa, and either one or two private bedrooms. We don't just talk about amazing guest service...we live it. Come and experience a truly unique and independent hotel. Enjoy the complimentary snacks available 24 hours a day, complimentary breakfast, and complimentary WiFi. Turndown service every night, and a newspaper delivered to your door each morning. Also enjoy access to the private club, The Magic Castle. There are age and dress code restrictions, so please ask us about it.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Charming
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
7025 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028-8603
Magic Castle Hotel
4.5 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
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Nestled in a prime location close to Universal Studios and the Walk of Fame, the Magic Castle Hotel charms many guests with its holiday center vibe and vintage California aesthetics. A warm, home-like atmosphere with modern touches is frequently mentioned, as is the exceptional service, including unique offerings like a popsicle hotline.
While some travelers question the value, others are delighted by the complimentary snacks and laundry services. The hotel's cleanliness receives consistent praise, although opinions on room updates and cleanliness vary.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Abundant
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We stayed for 4 nights following a cruise out of LA. The location is superb, a few minutes from the Hollywood walk of fame, Chinese Theatre and metro station which we used to get to Universal Studios and also Santa Monica. From the moment we walked in we were treated to the best service we have ever had. The staff couldn’t do enough to help, but what really makes this place stand out is the little personal touches such as having your washing done at no cost and returned the same day (which we were grateful for after our cruise!) and nothing being too much trouble such as some milk when we wanted to make a cup of tea. Darren the manager was the perfect host, taking time to chat with all the guests and make sure everything was ok, it’s things like this that you don’t get in the big chain hotels and we really appreciated being made to feel so welcome. The rooms are actually apartments, with separate bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette as well as a fully stocked mini bar which we enjoyed with our $20 daily bar credit as part of our room rate. The family in the room above us unfortunately were very inconsiderate running around like a herd of elephants and shouting and screaming all through the night ensuring we had no sleep at all, but the hotel staff were awesome and moved us the following morning to a really lovely quiet room on the top floor at the back of the hotel which we were so grateful for. The remainder of our stay was peaceful and relaxing. I would also recommend booking with the hotel directly for the best rates, we did and were rewarded with a complimentary upgrade! Continental breakfast was good, as were the free snacks and soda machine, and the pool looked inviting although we did not have time to use it. We had a fantastic stay here and would not hesitate to recommend Magic Castle Hotel to anyone visiting Los Angeles and will certainly return if we are ever in LA again.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Darren Ross, Owner at Magic Castle Hotel
Responded 15 Feb 2023
Wow...thank you so much for taking the time write this amazing review of your stay! It makes me and the team so happy to know you that you enjoyed your experience so much! We definitely want our guests to receive the benefits of staying at a small, independent hotel. Thank you for booking directly, it makes an enormous difference to our business when people book with us, or with an actual live travel agent. I'm so glad you took us up on our long-standing service....laundry! Our guests love returning home with nice wrapped bundles of clean laundry....without a charge! As for the elephants in the room above you, we were trying out a new service......an in-house zoo! I regret not putting it on the ground floor. Ok...for other readers out there...I'm joking....there's no zoo, but occasional loud-walkers! I'm glad we were able to move you to a quiet room. Thank you again and hope to see you soon. Sincerely, Darren
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This was my fifth stay at the Magic Castle Hotel, and somehow against all laws of physics and guest service, it keeps getting better. I don’t know how they do it. Whatever the reason, I’m here for it.
Even though we don’t live far away, we keep coming back because the experience is unbeatable, and places us right in the heart of LA. But it's not just about location, it’s about the little things, and this place has mastered the art of them.
First off, the welcome glass of champagne sets the tone: “You’ve arrived. Relax. You’re fancy now.” Then, the free snack assortment, a Kit Kat dreamland where candy bars and chips are yours for the taking. And let’s not forget the magical drink machine. Press a button, and your beverage of choice appears. My personal recommendation...Diet Barq’s and Coke Zero mixed together, a flavor combination that tastes like bad decisions and good times. And the best part is it's all included, so I can hydrate (or over-caffeinate) guilt-free.
The apartment-style rooms are spacious and comfortable, making you feel less like you’re staying in a hotel and more like you’ve somehow moved in and no one has noticed yet. And the breakfast is casual, cozy, with phenomenal coffee that somehow tastes better when you’re sipping it while basking in the morning Hollywood sun.
But above all, the service is what truly makes this place shine. The staff somehow anticipates your needs before you even have them, making every stay feel personal, warm, and just a little bit magical.
The bottom line is that they nail it, every time. Not because of gimmicks but because they understand that the real magic is in the small details. And for that, I’ll keep coming back.
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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This was one of the nicest hotels we ever stayed at the people were so nice and they have free ice cream and a soda fountain pretty much everything is open 24 hours you can go get coffee from the machine or get free snacks at the front desk. They also have a breakfast in the morning and a laundry service. Everything was perfect the rooms were super nice and clean and they cleaned the rooms while we were out. They have a magician in the morning as well. I think this is literally the best hotel I have ever stayed at and everyone there is so nice and caring.
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Darren Ross, Owner at Magic Castle Hotel
Responded 29 Jan 2025
We loved reading this review, and thank you for writing it. Most of all, we're happy you were happy. I'm glad you got to use the 24 hour coffee machine, it's a big hit. We have a lot of Australian guests, most of whom know their coffee, and we usually get rave reviews from them...so that's a good sign. I'm glad you found everything to be clean, I'll pass on to our Housekeeping team. We hope to see you again soon.
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The only magic here is a bait and switch act. This place is so decrepit and in disrepair in comparison to the photos and website adverts. Every portion of the exterior and interior of the hotel is filthy, crumbling, and COVERED in poor patch jobs. We were drawn in by the nice pictures and the illusion that this abutted the actual Magic Castle (very cool, very private, and in fact 21+) but it is a ways down and not in ANY way affiliated. This hotel (motel) is also a permanent home to 6 on the main entrance side. The parking garage and spots are so tight it is extremely difficult to get in and out, let alone fit compact car. The lure of “free” candy and delivered popsicles were not even enough to sway my 8 year old to stay ( which you actually pay for and then some considering it’s $300 a night with parking for a single bed unit). We initially drove up and thought we were lost. The yellow was crumbling into white and was covered in overgrowth on the exterior with a VERY narrow drive and only 3 small spots for checkin. We were greeted by the nice veteran there and she was very welcoming and as she spoke of the “free” snacks my son got excited. As we were talking to her, housekeeping was telling her they were going to skip doing laundry and she was demanding they do it. We entered the pool area and it was dirty, dated, and the tiles were in disrepair. They had someone actively patching things when we arrived. We entered the room and almost the entirety of the walls was patched. A door that led to the next room was locked but had a gap removing privacy and the firewall. It was extremely small. The toilet and bathtub were disgusting, chipped, scratched to hell (harboring bacteria) and clearly not cleaned recently. Mismatched curbside furniture finds we’re scattered about the room. Pulled back a very small “Queen”( more like twin) bedding to find an assortment of hair. The bedding was not washed from the last visitor, just fluffed. The star walk of fame was a 7-10 minute walk through dodgy areas. After inspection we sought a refund and booked a holiday inn for half the price with stellar accommodations and cleanliness with the same treats available for purchase-and a pool. I still saved over $150 and parking was included.
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Unless you are okay staying in a dive and paying Hilton prices for it, go elsewhere.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wow this place is magical in so many ways. From the moment you walk in and all throughout our stay we were greeted by the most friendly and helpful staff who will go out of their way to make sure your stay is magical. Breakfast that is included had lots of options with a performing Magician, loads of quality snacks that they provided, very comfortable beds, clean rooms and hotel grounds. The only problem was we didn’t stay long enough so will definitely be back. A big THANK YOU to Darren who personally delivered a few belongings to Anaheim that we had left behind, some being a bag of dirty washing that they washed before delivering and omg the clothes smell divine. Thank you again and I can’t wait to visit again.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Do yourself a favour and use the bathroom soaps and moisturiser it’s amazing.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Darren Ross, Owner at Magic Castle Hotel
Responded 29 Jan 2025
Hi....it's you guys! I remember you. I can tell the story here....during the fires, there was one that got a bit close to us on January 8th, but was quickly put out. We had to evacuate the hotel for about 12 hours. Well....these guests decided, while evacuated, to just go to Anaheim one day early and would worry about getting their one suitcase they left in the room, the next day. That next day, we received an email from them asking the best way to get back to Hollywood. We saw that email and responded right away that I would drive their suitcase to Anaheim to their new hotel. All in a days work! We had a great chat in Anaheim and it was a nice moment in an otherwise stressful week. For the readers out there, just so you get the best information, our in-house magician, Alfonso, performs in our courtyard during our breakfast between the house of 9a-10am Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Thank you again!! Hope to see you soon!
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Thoroughly enjoyed our 4 night stay in this convenient location and would book again. The hotel is very old but clean and we really appreciated the wide variety of free snacks, the free breakfast and the fact that there were no resort fees or hidden costs. Service was excellent and when we found a small amount had been incorrectly charged to our credit card after our stay the issue was resolved and the money credited back. A special mention to Alex who assisted us arranging last minute transport to the airport after our pre booked Lyft ride was cancelled during the night ...much appreciated!!
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is without a doubt the BEST hotel for families in the Hollywood area. The service we received from all the staff was above and beyond at every step. We particularly appreciated Kevin and how he helped make our stay seamlessly easy! There is complimentary ice cream, soft drink and snacks (think full sized Hershey bars, sour patch kids, m and m’s - the list goes on) a pool that never closes with a “popsicle hotline” so you can order up an icy treat at any time of the day or night. Movies in the evenings. There was an abundance of pool toys! What more could a kid want? For parents, the rooms are older style apartments that have been somewhat refurbed. I wouldn’t call them perfect, but they a spacious. They are clean and the hotel has a great ambiance. Chilling poolside with a drink listening to the tunes was a highlight for me. The absolute best thing was the complimentary laundry service… this was so great, saved me so much time and really made it a holiday for me. Walking distance to Hollywood Blvd (5 mins).
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent 3 weeks in the USA and when I asked my 8yo her favourite thing about the entire trip she said The Magic Castle Hotel. She loved it more than Disney and Universal. We loved the unlimited soft serve machine, unlimited soda machine and unlimited free snacks. The popsicle hotline was a highlight for little kids and big kids alike. We loved sitting on the balcony at night watching movies they put on for the kids. The free laundry service that came back to you the same day, wrapped in paper with lavender was a huge bonus. But most of all, the exceptional customer service and friendly staff were amazing. We asked if we could store out suitcases on the day we were leaving, and the manager let us keep our room until 3pm, this was the nicest gesture we’ve ever had at any hotel ever. We will definitely stay here again and recommend to our friends.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The staff were very informative, pleasant and nothing was too much trouble. They had free snacks and a Popsicle hotline in the pool area, where the staff would deliver popsicles to the residents. They had a coffee machine, soda machine and ice cream vending machine, all at no cost. There was a free laundry and they even offered to do your washing for you at no cost! During the weekend breakfast time they have a magician doing some tricks, which was a lovely gesture. The building itself is a little dated, but everything was clean, tidy and worked, unlike other more expensive places we have stayed. Breakfast was included in the price and although it said “basic”, it was more than enough. Finally, on our final day, at checkout we mentioned that we had 8 hours to fill before we needed to be at the airport. We let them know what we had planned and they offered us a room to store our luggage at no cost if one was available, we welcomed this offer. Honestly I would go back there in heartbeat. Couldn’t have been made more welcome.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Don’t expect the Ritz, but do expect a value for money good time. With helpful staff and central...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Walking into the Magic Castle hotel I instantly knew that we had made the right decision for our 10 year anniversary and my dream of visiting California. My girls were greeted with a friendly hello and would you like a popsicle? Yes please! As you come out of reception you walk out to a bright pop of yellow coloured 50s style apartments! It is like stepping back in time to the movies and so vibrant against the blue of the pool! If you like art and design you’ll love the Magic Castle. The room we were shown was big enough for the four of us and at the back of the property so felt quieter and yes it’s a bit rough around the edges, with a bit of tlc needed in areas but it added to the old character and was very clean and comfortable. We were welcomed to our room with a bottle of wine and card, which was a nice touch. You are also given a key to the mini bar fridge and drinks are charged at reasonable prices. The main thing which makes this hotel are the pleasant staff who quite clearly never get fed up of the 100th request for another packet of Doritos or the kids phoning through for yet another popsicle. The snacks are normal size, free and in constant supply. Adults all queuing for a cheeky ice cream swirl. I didn’t go in the pool but was told by my husband and children that is was very warm. It is small with limited sun beds but it didn’t feel crowded when we were there and families were only using 1 or 2 sun beds between them. You’ll also find people pop in and out all day as Hollywood is on the doorstep. The hotel will also do your laundry for you at no extra cost! That’s a game changer! I only gave a small bag of essentials over as thought my 2 weeks washing pile would slightly be unfair on them. Some mornings there is a magician at breakfast to keep families entertained. The manager/owner was lovely and you could clearly see that heart was in the business. This is a happy hotel, a real old fashioned gem with sweet treasures for the little ones. I loved the magic castle and out of the numerous big chain luxury hotels we visited on our trip this place was my favourite by far! It felt genuine. From London UK.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Room 108 back of hotel, no view but quiet and spacious room.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Darren Ross, Owner at Magic Castle Hotel
Responded 29 June 2022
Oh wow...thank you for this. We really appreciate you taking the time to write this review. I'm so happy that you found the hotel to be like stepping back in time. That's what we want. We want our guests to get a taste of real Hollywood. We're not flashy, but we do try to focus on the overall experience. I'm glad you found the mini-bar prices to be reasonable, that was very important to us as we started this service. I'm also glad that you allowed us to do all of your laundry at no charge. Just for readers out there, this is unlimited, however the service applies to anyone staying two or more nights.....as there isn't enough time to get it back to guests just staying one night. Thank you again. Please come see us again very soon. Sincerely Darren Ross
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We weren't in need of one, but these people go out of their way to make it an amazing stay for their guests. If you call them directly, they could probably tell you.
There are more places to choose from in the Los Angeles area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$370 - AU$547 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
magic castle los angeles, magic castle hotel, hotel magic castle
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaLos AngelesCentral L.A
NUMBER OF ROOMS
40
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Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
