I heard awhile back that the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood was getting a makeover and then more recently I read about how they were trying to draw a crowd of hipsters by offering the Tropicana Bar. So I was curious. Old Hollywood meets new Hollywood? Old glamour poolside? It sounded intriguing as visions of women in silky evening slip gowns ala Harlow and men dressed hip casual ala Gable sipping their martinis in cabanas swam through my head. The bar’s attractiveness was further enhanced by the popularity of poolside parties at Hollywood hotels the past few summers.

Here’s a description of the Tropicana from LA.com:

Amanda Scheer Demme hopes to bring an eclectic mix of artists, rockers and photographers here (as long as they’re not chasing the starlets in the parking lot). It’s the newest of the hotel’s triumvirate of bars. To pull together the Tropicana decor, she teamed up with prolific interior designer Dodd Mitchell, who kept the David Hockney blue-wave mural at the bottom of the pool but infused the rest of the venue with a luxe lounginess. The bar areafilled with couches, communal tables and a fireplace now feels like a cozy outdoor den. It’s more spacious by the pool, where the DJ spins, though not the best spot to form an impromptu dance floor. As for the crowd: Jake Gyllenhaal and Eva Mendes partied here opening night; we spied Kirsten Dunst a few days later. Paris and Nicky Hilton, Chris Kattan, Hank Azaria and Simon Rex have since become regulars.

But then I read the CitySearch review and some of the reviews posted by people who actually have gone and it doesn’t sound all that great anymore.

It sounds pretentious, crowded with lookie-loos, Paris Hilton wannabes and too-slick Hollywood agents. Being one to usually avoid a scene where people are rude to me and make me feel bad for NOT wearing 7 Jeans, the Tropicana Bar has already lost its refurbished luster to me. Am I still curious? Yes. Do I still want to check it out? Meh, maybe on a “sunny weekday afternoon” for lunch to avoid the “glamourista crowds.”

7000 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 769-7260
Cross Street: North Orange Drive