Luxury for less in Los Angeles: Chateau Marmont versus Sunset Tower

The Chateau Marmont: The expensive bungalows where the celebrities stay are probably nice, but the standard rooms feel dowdy, with shabby carpeting and outdated bathrooms. Sure, the mid-century furniture is charming, and the beds come with high thread count linens and down pillows, but it's hardly the level of luxury you'd expect in this price range.


Sunset Tower: The subtly art deco rooms might lack modern flash, but the great views and overall comfort are worth the price. Standard rooms start at 350 square feet -- 50 square feet larger than those at the Marmont.


Oyster's take: Sunset Tower offers bigger, better rooms for almost half the price.

The Chateau Marmont:Perched on a hill overlooking Sunset Boulevard, the Chateau has been a bastion of Old Hollywood since it opened in 1929. Greta Garbo once lived at the hotel, F. Scott Fitzgerald had a heart attack here, Led Zeppelin rode motorcycles through the lobby, and John Belushi overdosed in a bungalow. With faded oriental rugs, deep velvet couches, beveled mirrors, and brass candelabras, the atmosphere is decadent, yet discreet. As Harry Cohn, founder of Columbia Pictures, famously told film legends William Holden and Glenn Ford, "If you're going to get in trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont."


Sunset Tower:This Art Deco Sunset Strip landmark has been a celebrity hot spot since the Hollywood golden age. Famous director and womanizer Howard Hughes put his girlfriends up in suites, and John Wayne once lived in the penthouse (and was rumored to have kept a cow on the balcony for fresh milk). The Tower became a star of the silver screen itself when it appeared in the 1944 film noir Murder, My Sweet. Since the 1929 building is landmarked, the exterior still looks like it did decades ago, and interior has been restored to its former Art Deco splendor.


Oyster's take: Both hotels are exactly the same age, and both have seen their share of Hollywood scandals. The Marmont is a touch more notorious, it's true, but it's hardly enough to justify the huge price jump.

The Chateau Marmont: Execute chef Carolynn Spence (formerly of popular New York restaurant The Spotted Pig) heads up food at both the formal restaurant in the main chateau, and at Bar Marmont, just down the street from the main hotel entrance. The 930s Vietnam-inspired Bar Marmont, with its butterfly-covered ceiling, stuffed peacock in the corner, and plush banquettes, feels more relaxed than the significantly pricier main restaurant. But tables on the main restaurant's charming outdoor patio are some of the most sought after in the city -- and offer some of the best celebrity sighting.


Sunset Tower: The Tower Bar is a dimly lit, wood-paneled restaurant off the lobby that draws locals, guests, and the occasional A-lister with its live pianist, a continental menu, and candlelit tables. The more casual Terrace restaurant has great views of the pool and city, and you can sometimes eavesdrop on screenwriters and producers having business lunches.


Oyster's take: There's no denying that the Marmont's restaurant and bar offer some of the best celebrity sighting in Los Angeles, so if rubbing elbows with the stars is what you're after, this is the place to do it.

The Chateau Marmont: Service is courteous, but a little stuffy. There's the sense that the best treatment is reserved for celebrities and regulars; tourists feel like they don't belong. That being said, hotel guests are entitled to priority reservations at the restaurant and bar, a privilege otherwise reserved for studio directors and names that appear in the IMDB database.


Sunset Tower: With front desk staff that greets guests by name, porters almost too happy to open doors and carry luggage, and accommodating waitstaff in both restaurants, service is top-notch throughout. The 74-room Sunset Strip icon still draws stars, but regular guests get treated just as well.


Oyster's take: For less pretention, and more a-ttention, the Sunset is a better bet.


So there you have it -- not only is Sunset Tower cheaper, it's arguably a better hotel overall. If you still think the Chateau Marmont is worth the money, feel free to splurge -- but in our book, it's overpriced and overrated.