The film received its public premiere via iTunes where it was available as a free download until late October 2007. It was decided that the short film would be paired with The Darjeeling Limited in some theaters. It is also available on the DVD for The Darjeeling Limited.

• Jason Schwartzman as Jack Whitman
• Natalie Portman as Jack's Girlfriend

"Hotel Chevalier is naked autoconfrontation, both serious and sad, just short of crossing the line into self-indulgence. The credit for its success belongs to Jason Schwartzman and Portman and their stellar performances; the script is sparing and the dialogue largely unrevealing (though it has its share of great lines: “I promise, I will never be your friend” among them), with all the backstory filled in by gestures between the leads, who obviously spent a lot of time with Anderson developing the characters’ histories. The result is a film that needs nothing spoken and yet is still silently and painfully sad."—Film School RejectsFilm School Rejects: Hotel Chevalier Review