Save the World From a Zombie Outbreak! Escape Hotel: Zombie Room Review
The cure for the zombie outbreak was being developed in the Escape Hotel, it is your job to finish it before times runs out – Escape Hotel: Zombie Room Review
Escape Hotel Hollywood is an escape room mecha found in Hollywood, CA off Hollywood Boulevard walking distance from the Dolby Theater. They currently have 6 rooms available with at least another 5 on the way. The rooms vary in difficulty and themes, with the central trait of all taking place in various rooms of the Escape Hotel. Guests check-in to the hotel, receive their passports, then enter their rooms. Exiting, on the other hand, is another story.
The Fanboy team checked-in to the Escape Hotel: Zombie Room, there we were tasked with continuing the research of the previous guests who created the zombie virus and were working on a cure. You are given one hour to complete the task and save the world from a Zombie Apocalypse. Unfortunately. we did not check-out and the world has no hope of curing the zombie outbreak [blame Chad].
The experience begins as soon as you walk into the complex. You are placed in a lobby of what seems like the mid-1900’s and are greeted by the hotel staff. The lobby is gorgeous and very cozy. However, there is one circular rug on the floor that slides and needs to be fixed before someone gets hurt. Guests go to the check-in desk where they will sign the waivers, make payment, and drop off their belongings as to not hinder themselves or cheat in the rooms. The hotel staff is extremely friendly and accommodating. It is also very accommodating for them to provide cloth bags to place your items as well as lockers to secure them; at no additional charge. The coolest part is that they give you an Escape Hotel Passport complete with your picture, used to log your likely multiple check-ins. After checking in, a concierge brings you to your room to start the escape experience.
The experience begins with an introductory video before the timer begins and guests are set free to roam the room cracking safes and solving puzzles. Right off the bat, guests will notice the impressively high quality of the production. It really feels like you are in ransacked laboratory inside a hotel. Biological testing equipment, random tubes and jars, not to mention files and reinforced glass doors, help really sell the experience. The production value is among the highest of escape rooms, the only sense they did not utilize was smell but I’m pretty grateful for that.
The puzzles were very challenging and had a nice variety. You had to use a bit of dexterity, bit of creativity, and a bit of logic to solve these puzzles. There was definitely some abstract thinking required to figure out some of the clues, that to most would not make sense unless you think about it after the fact. Even though some of the puzzles use similar methods, they are definitely not exactly the same, and thinking that you can do the exact same thing to solve a new puzzle the same way you did a previous one will lose you valuable time. However, there was one puzzle that we got held up on and it was due to the execution. The clue to solve the puzzle is fairly simple, but it involves lighting/black light objects that aren’t lit as specifically as the clue makes it seem. After we finished, even the concierge could not distinguish between the objects. Had the lighting been done better, yes we would have found the cure for the zombie outbreak. But that’s not why we loss. We were too short on time by the time re reached that section because we would have figured it out given an extra few minutes that we didn’t waste on other puzzles.
The Escape Hotel: Zombie Room is an amazing escape room that has very high production value and a fun variety of puzzles. Despite the minor lighting issue, which could very well be us being bitter at our loss, it was a fun time. The only downside, there is no overarching feel of urgency to the scenario. In many escape rooms, the scenario is if you don’t finish you hypothetically die, which was the case here. However, it never really captured the dire sense of urgency that, say, Zero Escape or the Bunker Experience did. I feel the timing of the sirens and beeps are just a bit off and are more disturbing than fear inducing. I think a good zombie slam against the walls would add a nice layer of fear and really drive the experience home. Aside from that, from start to finish, Escape Hotel delivers a truly great escape experience and is a must for any fans of the medium. We cannot wait to see how far they go with their upcoming rooms!
Book your stay at Escape Hotel
Escape Hotel
- Zombie Room
Escape Hotel: Zombie Room
The Escape Hotel: Zombie Room is an amazing escape room that has very high production value and a fun variety of puzzles. Despite the minor lighting issue, which could very well be us being bitter at our loss, it was a fun time. The only downisde, there is no overarching feel of urgency to the scenario. In many escape rooms, the scenario is if you don’t finish you hypothetically die, which was the case here. However, it never really captured the dire sense of urgency that say Zero Escape or the Bunker Experience did. I feel the timing of the sirens and beeps are just a bit off and are more disturbing than fear inducing. I think a good zombie slam against the walls would add a nice layer of fear and really drive the experience home. Aside from that, from start to finish, Escape Hotel delivers a truly great escape experience and is a must for any fans of the medium. We cannot wait to see how far they go with their upcoming rooms!