Seth Horowitz, former general manager at the Luxe Hotel in Brentwood, has resurfaced in Culver City, where he is now GM at the legendary Culver Hotel. He gave us a recent tour and invites all his friends from Brentwood to stop in and say hello.
The Culver Hotel, located at 9400 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, offers its guests old Hollywood glamour with modern twists. Founded in 1924 by the creator of Culver City, Harry Culver, the Culver Hotel was quickly established as the go-to spot for celebrities.
Culver City was the center of the film industry long before Hollywood, as the previous home of MGM studios, and is now home to Culver Studios and Sony Pictures Studios. Notable films made in Culver City include The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and Laurel & Hardy classics.
Although standing only 6 stories tall, with 46 rooms, th
e Expedia 4-star Culver Hotel packs quite the punch. Upon entering the hotel, guests are greeted with the sense of ‘old meets new.’ Each night, the hotel’s lobby becomes a bar, with jazz band entertainment from 7:30 to 11:30 pm. This same space can accommodate receptions for up to 100 guests.
Other hotel amenities include a speakeasy, private dining room, a 24-hour gym, and a breakfast buffet (each room includes free Continental breakfast for two). The private dining room is the perfect size for small parties of 22 people or less.
Designed by owner Maya Mallick, each floor of the Culver Hotel boasts a distinctive color scheme. Although a unique shape – the Culver Hotel is a “flat iron†building (Harry Culver’s nod that “all roads lead to Culver†), each room includes “everything you’d expect from a 4 star hotel,†says th
e hotel’s general manager, Seth Horowitz. Rooms have their own distinct personality—some feature a gorgeous old-fashioned tub. Furniture styles vary from room to room, with an emphasis on mixing old and new.
The second floor—which is host to manager’s offices, the hotel’s gym and private meeting space, also has history of its own. Harry Culver’s office and private bathroom can be utilized as a meeting space. Guests and staff have reported feeling the presence of Harry Culver’s ghost in his safe, which is currently being used for storage. Horowitz jokes, “he looks for money but only finds chairs.â€
At the time of construction, there was also a secret passageway of tunnels underneath the hotel for Mr. Culver, celebrities and the likes to go to the banks and studios without getting run over by cars or paparazzi.
The Culver Hotel’s outdoor dining space proves to be as exquisite as its meals. While the breakfast star seems to be the ‘Maryland Eggs Benedict,’ other menu favorites include the ‘Asian Infused Wings,’ ‘Culver Kobe Burger,’ and ‘Braised Short Ribs.’ For the bar-loving scene, staff claims you can’t go wrong with the ‘Marilyn Monroe,’ ‘Culver Lemonade,’ or ‘Culver Mule.’
The Culver Hotel promises its guests, whether nearby or worldwide, true “movie star treatment.â€
