This impressive, 18-story glass tower is located just outside of glamorous Universal City Studios and the new Universal CityWalk. Offering panoramic views from almost every room, and a giant swimming pool surrounded by a tropical garden, it's no wonder this first-class hotel quickly became a favorite of stars and tourists alike.

One such star was actor Telly Savalas, who arrived one day, and never really left.

Telly was shooting his TV detective series, "Kojak," at Universal Studios, back in the early 1970's, when he first settled into a suite on the third floor of the Sheraton Universal. He had decided that was just too much trouble every day to drive all the way between the hilltop studio and his regular home. But the bald actor liked the place so much, that he made it his permanent address, along with his wife & kids. He could often be seen lounging around the hotel lobby in his slippers, always pleasant to the fans who recognized him as a star.

One day, Telly learned that the bar in the hotel lobby was doing poorly, and he offered to help them out. They named the bar after him, and it's still called "Telly's" to this day. Even though Savalas had no financial stake in the bar, he spent a lot of time there, happily meeting with the public - who were always surprised to see a major star watching TV in the hotel lounge.

Twenty years later, on Jan. 22, 1994, Telly Savalas was in the bedroom of his suite at the Universal Sheraton, surrounded by his family, when he passed away of prostate cancer at age 70. (His funeral was at Saint Sophia's and he is buried nearby at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.)

The Sheraton Universal Hotel offers 442 rooms and 23 suites, from $250 to $350 per day.

 Getting there: the hotel is located next to Universal Studios Hollywood. From Hollywood, take the Hollywood (101) Freeway north to the Lankershim Boulevard offramp. Go east (right) on Lankershim Boulevard one block to the Universal entrance; turn right (south) and head up the hill; the hotel will be on your right (west) side.