DoubleTree By Hilton Monrovia – Pasadena Area

I expected more from this hotel, but in the end I was unimpressed.
We stayed here our last night in LA and it was just so-​so. Our room smelled strongly of flowery air freshener when we opened the door, and when I put the key in to unlock the door it was already open! Turns out the door didn’t close properly unless you really pushed it hard. The carpet was ripped right as you walked in too which wasn’t very appealing, and one of our lamps was broken above the nightstand. I did like the sliding door for the bathroom, but the bottom of the shower was super slick which was not good for my grandfather.
Beds were comfortable and linens were nice and clean.

The staff checking in was great and the hotel was nice on the inside lobby. The room was very updated but the queen beds were to low for the average person. We ordered the breakfast buffet and it was pricey but yet their selection was not what I expected for the price. They did offer us a late check in and that was great! The price was very pricey for the area and for what you receive.

Ok, so this two star review is only because the hotel was very nice. Nice rooms, pool, common areas.
Unfortunately due to their lack of communication about their shuttle to the Renaissance faire, it basically ruined my day. I had called 3 times to confirm bringing a car seat in the shuttle, and none of those times we were told to reserve a spot in the shuttle. We had a group of 9 that had called and they had the same issue. So we did not get a shuttle. We had to drive or Über. And I was stuck being the designated driver for my most anticipated event of the year due to their lack of communication.
They tried to compensate only after several in our group complained with breakfast and some drink vouchers.
To sum up, we most likely won’t be back.

This Double Tree in Monrovia is one of the best hotels in Southern California, we have stayed in many hotels across America, but always wind up staying here. The bed is thee main reason why we stay at Double Tree, every bed is beyond words. I never want to get up, the bathrooms are excellent as well and they provide bath robes that feels like heaven. Customer service goes above and beyond to make sure your stay is hastle free. The pool is small at this location, but it has cabanas and a fireplace that’s very cozy for drinking some wine while mingling. Right off the Huntington Drive exit from the 210 freeway, claim jumpers, B. J restaurant, Chili’s, and Starbucks all within a stone throw away. Highly recommended this Double tree.

Beautiful place! Very comfortable, I hardly knew I was away from home, except for the stunning views! The staff was great, food was good, loved the Starbucks in the lobby. This accessible room had a walk in shower, made it so much easier. Close to several restaurants, convenient to the freeways. Lots of parking.

My friend had a wedding at this hotel yesterday and it was perfect. I cordinated several friends wedding and this hotel was the best venue I worked with. All the staffs were super friendly and nice. We stayed 1 night at the hotel and room was clean and they gave extra cookies for our kids. I strongly recommend if you are going to have an event at this hotel.

Loud elevator and… loud crickets… as in the insects. Impossible to sleep! Tough night before a big executive meeting. Not only did they not shut down a noisy elevator adjacent to my room at 10pm as promised, but they also couldn’t stop the loud crickets chirping between 36 – 56 decibels.
No sleep tonight! Major fail! Ironic because I am an Hhonors gold member with a profile requesting rooms away from the elevator.

The cookies keep me coming back to this damn place… so addicting.

Loved my stay at this hotel for business. The room was an attractive modern design pluslarge and very comfortable. The bed was fabulous and I appreciated all of the accent lighting beside and over the it because i needed to read a document before the sandman came. The bathrobe and with nice toiletries were the cherry on top. The restaurant had fantastic cocktails, great service and decent food. Fantastic hotel for a business or pleasure traveler.

I stayed 2 nights for a quick family trip this weekend and I loved it! It was easy to find, close to the 210 freeway and restaurants, and there was plenty of parking. And of course, their signature delicious cookies on arrival.
The room design was modern and simple and felt spacious. It was clean and although the beds looked low, they were very comfortable for me. Mini fridge and microwave available for leftovers or late night snacking. Coffee Bean tea and coffee available with the Keurig (or maybe an off-​brand Keurig?) No tub in the bathroom but the shower was fine. My only gripe was the walls are probably thin so we could hear doors opening and closing, but that was mainly due to neighbors constantly moving around.
I checked in online the day before and didn’t realize it, but I could’ve gotten my key before the check-​in time and I got to choose my room as well. Good for future reference. Staff was friendly and efficient. I left my shoes in the room and didn’t realize until we left for breakfast somewhere else. I called the front desk and they had the shoes ready for pick-​up within 10 minutes.
Overall I would definitely stay here again. Price was in the moderate range but it was relaxing and felt safe. I’ve stayed at some shady places before and the little bit of extra money is definitely worth the comfort and peace of mind. Next time I will take advantage of the pool which opens until 11pm.

Much better than that cesspool called the Embassy Suites across the street. The place is clean, modern and inviting. The rooms try too hard to be euro modern but they are well appointed.
The breakfast area seems a bit disorganized but the food was hot and tasty. The staff were friendly and helpful. The parking is well lit and safe. We have tried the Embassy Cesspool Suites and it is just a hot mess. We have stayed at the Hampton Inn and found it adequate but a bit mediocre.
When we stay in Pasadena this will be our choice.

We’ve stayed here a total of 4 times.
This hotel has a luxurious feel to it. Everything was clean and modern. Service was great. Free parking!
Room amenities were great too. Soaps smell wonderful, not the cheap stuff you get at most other places in this price range. Coffee is from Coffee Bean.
Only complaint I have is the water from the shower was a bit unstable. The temperature and pressure wasn’t consistent. Also, there would be a random crack/​pop sound coming from either the window or the fridge. None of this happened in any of our prior stays, so I hope it’s just a one-​time occurrence for us.
I want to give it 5 stars, but a bit disappointed with the shower and pop sound issue. There were a few times where I almost fell asleep, and the pop would wake me up. But again, none of this happened in our prior stays. I guess I know which room to avoid next time!

Thank you so much, Courtney for the Outstanding service and assistance! My husband and I came here to celebrate our 23^rd anniversary, his 70^th Birthday and my 60^th Birthday. We had a very unfortunate day and Courtney came to our rescue! This hotel is beautiful, welcoming, friendly and outstanding. Our hotel room was, and is perfect and beautiful, with Two hotel robes, refrigerator, microwave and two bottles of complimentary water each day. Free hotel shuttle to the Santa Anita horse race track and excellent service. We will certainly return for the Breeders Cup and many more returns. We highly appreciate and recommend this wonderful hotel to our family and friends! Thank you so much, Courtney! We will forever be grateful!

I’ve always looked at Doubletree as one of the finer hotel chains, but our recent experience at the Doubletree Monrovia has changed that opinion. No bath tub for our baby, shower only. All right, we can live with that. Bathroom doesn’t lock. Fine, not everyone values their privacy the same way. No actual desk in the room, just a vague counter sort of affair. Uh-​huh. No in-​room fridge, except on request. What? First time we’ve ever heard of that. And then we found a (plastic) nail in one of the beds. Thank goodness we found it before one of the kids was hurt.
Each thing, individually, wouldn’t mean much. But added together, this is definitely a case of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. We can say, without reservation, that we would never recommend this place to friends, nor would we want to stay here again. On the good side, the front desk staff was friendly.

Omg. Wow the rooms are very spacious. Very clean and fresh. The check in was quick and simple. The cookies add to the special touch.

Modern, clean, and welcoming! And the cookies are to die for!
Here are a few tips for your next stay: try their breakfast — they have a lot of menu selections to choose from and they have a cooked-​to-​order omelette staion for only $ 15, plus they’re open until 11AM on weekends; take advantage of their free WIFI, most hotels charge as high as $ 20 per day for this feature; choose a room on a high floor to get an amazing view of the mountains and LA… it helps if you’re a HHonors member; they have a shuttle that can take you pretty much anywhere within 7 miles of the hotel — you can watch a movie at the nearby mall or spend a day at the Santa Anita race track and you don’t have to worry about transportation.

Most of the time I stay in a hotel down the street but this time I stayed at the double tree.
Everyone was nice. Quick check in, room was clean. Staff was friendly. Food at the bar was very good, better than most. Bartender Denise was awesome. Good drinks, fast service. She made me feel welcomed. Double tree gets A-​. I would stay here again and recommend this hotel.

*I am reviewing this based on my experiences as a guest of a guest (hehe!) staying here.
My cousin, his entire baseball team and staff, and a few of the families came into town for a tournament and stayed here at the DoubleTree. I didn’t ask for the number they paid for all the accommodations but I can guarantee it wasn’t cheap.
[Customer Service with a Cookie!]
The place is pretty nice! I expected it to be nice and all but what surprised me was how welcoming it felt. Any staff member you encountered were super friendly and welcoming. I like that their smiles looked genuine too, not that ‘I-​have-​to-​fake-​smile-​so-​often-​I-​think-​my-​face-​may-​fall-​off’ type you get at a lot of other concierge desks. And of course I gotta mention that free, warm chocolate chip and walnut cookie they give upon arrival, when you ask, and departure! I may or may not had a couple…
[Room]
The rooms were ok and relatively comparative to other hotels in the same $ bracket. Nothing too special but it was a huge bonus that the mini fridge actually had room for guests to put their own stuff in rather than filling it with $$$ miniature tricks.
[Community Area]
What was nice was the community area downstairs; there’s a pool, hot tub, cabanas, lounge couches, and tables under the triangle canopies and string lights. It was very relaxing to lounge around and just enjoy the cool evening, while sipping on a beer or two!
[Restaurants, Bars, and Dancing!]
Another great thing about the location of this hotel is how convenient it is to get a light bite, nice sit down dinner, or just some little products you forgot to pack! They also have a restaurant downstairs with a FULL bar! (On Friday nights there’s karaōke, Sunday nights there’s salsa!) I think I may continue just hang out here and enjoy all the festivities! :)

Yay! I no longer have to drive to Santa Monica to get my salsa fix on Sunday afternoons*. I now have an option close to home at the Doubletree Hotel. Woo hoo!
Pros:
— Friendly crowd, mixed level of dancers.
— $ 5 cover. Cheaper than most places.
— Decent drink places. Fairly good mojito.
— Free parking, though
Cons:
— Occasionally get’s too crowded
— No dance floor and there is a slight angle to it that slants to the south.
— If you want water, you have to buy bottled water. It drives me crazy when salsa venues due this, especially when it’s $ 3 per bottle.
If I had my way, I’d recommend:
— Push chairs and tables and DJ set up further back toward the pool to allow a little more space for dancing.
Overall
— Top third of my salsa list. Most definitely.
* To be fair, the «street salsa» in Santa Monica has a unique vibe that everyone should check out. See my other Unilocal review.

VENUE REVIEW
My department has held several «All Hands» meetings at this DoubleTree, although it’s a lot better than Embassy Suites right down the street, this DoubleTree isn’t my favorite. I’ve also been to the DoubleTree in Rosemead which I prefer. I also know a couple who got married here and the photos came out great.
The meeting room (Madera Ballroom) is just okay and actually feels small to me. The lighting is really dim in there and the air is usually set really cold. The food was not memorable at all and I’m not a fan of any of their buffet menus. The most recent time we had a meeting, we had the Asian buffet (Asian salad, orange chicken, beef & broccoli, fried rice etc.). A lot of my coworkers had negative feedback on it and we could have been better off catering from Panda Express.
I was looking forward to the DoubleTree cookies, but they weren’t as great as I’d remembered when I used to have them at the Rosemead location.
The parking lot isn’t as spacious as you’d expect for a hotel. It’s self parking only and valet is not available. If you are staying here, note that they are non-​smoking only and they do allow pets (up to 30 lbs). The pet deposit is $ 75.00.
I’ve personally never stayed here, but our consultant from Seattle who comes here frequently has stayed at the DoubleTree numerous times (which we’re paying for). During the week, the rates are around $ 139/​night for 1 King bed. He actually doesn’t care for it that much. He says that the hot water and water pressure are not great and the WiFi is spotty. So he can never do work from his laptop while at the hotel. Every time he comes down now, he stays at the Hampton Inn — Arcadia (which is just across the street).
¹⁷⁷⁄₁₀₀ Reviews for 2014