Great Staff, Poor Hotel.
We stayed here for several nights in November 2012 and would not recommend it - even if you are on a budget. We have stayed in hostels and 1 stars before and they have all been much nicer than Hotel Cecil. Although the lobby is well preserved, the corridors are in desperate need of decoration, with chipped bright yellow walls and dirty tiles. The rooms are very basic, with dated furnishings and bars on the window. It was also evident that a previous stayer had mistaken the wardrobe for a toilet! The shared showers were also poor, with the tap coming off in my hand and brown water trickling out to begin with...
However, I would still give Hotel Cecil two stars as the staff were very helpful and friendly and the metro stations are a short walking distance away from the sights and sounds of LA.