The Chateau Marmont's secret hauntings

The privacy and overall European feel of Chateau Marmont have made it a beloved retreat for artists, writers, and celebrities throughout the decades. It has a very low-key atmosphere compared to other Hollywood hotels.  There’s no showy glamour and glitz here, just a comfortable homey feel that instantly relaxes guests. No other hotel in the Los Angeles area can offer this level of intimacy.

The hotel has always had a reputation for discretion and secrecy.  It’s known as a no-tell motel with high thread count sheets. Or the Vegas of LA hotels.  What goes on here, stays here. Staff discretion has always been a core principle of the Chateau and still holds true today.

Celebrities know they can be themselves and let their hair down without worrying about the paparazzi capturing compromising or unflattering photos. This freedom can lead to some pretty wild stories if they escape the castle walls.

There was a rumor that when Led Zeppelin stayed at the Chateau Marmont band members rode motorcycles into the lobby. This is most likely not true because they would have a nearly impossible time maneuvering the motorcycles up the stairs into the hotel and through the narrow entryway.

Bette Davis accidentally fell asleep in one of the bungalows in 1958 and a fire started. Actor Lou Jacobi saw the smoke and alerted Bette and the rest of the hotel also had to be evacuated. A few years later a fire started in her room due to an electrical short and a fire alarm sounded. She vowed never to stay there again.

During the filming of Rebel Without a Cause (1955) director Nicholas Ray lived in bungalow #2 (now renamed #1) and several cast members also lived at the Chateau.  Many attribute the film's success and genius to the hotel's chaotic bohemian atmosphere.  The cast would spend long hours rehearsing and reading through the script in the director’s bungalow. 

Ray, who was 44 at the time,  was sleeping with Natalie Wood (only age 16), Dennis Hopper (age 18), and Sal Mineo (also 16) during filming.  The director justified his actions by claiming that all the sexual tension added to the drama of Rebel Without a Cause.  Hopper and Wood were also having an affair at the same time. 

Ironically many celebrities stay here when they are on their way up in Hollywood or on the way out.  Many actors reeling from messy divorces or breakups stay at the Chateau.  Others find solace in being left alone when they are overcoming addiction and need time to regroup and rest.

Desi Arnaz kept a rented room here when he and Lucille Ball were fighting, which was quite often and why he kept the room on retainer. It's also rumored he would have affairs here behind her back as well.

Montgomery Clift stayed in Room #36 after his nearly fatal car accident that left him with scars on the left side of his face. Elizabeth Taylor helped nurse him back to health at the Chateau after she had already saved his life during the accident by reaching down into his throat and removing broken teeth he was choking on. He also stayed at the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which he supposedly haunts as well.

Unfortunately, Clift experienced constant pain and became addicted to painkillers after his accident. Plus he felt he had lost his looks due to the scaring and was increasingly depressed. He would go out on his balcony naked and scream obscenities. His acting coach referred to Montgomery's life as the “longest suicide in Hollywood history.” He passed away 10 years later in his New York apartment from a heart attack complicated by undiagnosed thyroid issues and possible cirrhosis of the liver.

All this energy, whether it’s good, destructive, or mellow, gathers in a transient place like this making it a prime location for paranormal activity. Many spirits return to the places that gave them the most joy and happiness. Not all ghosts are living out their last moments over and over again and luckily most people don’t have a tragic end.

The Chateau Marmont provided a safe space for famous people to indulge in their desires and be their true selves or maybe escape their stressful lives.  This was at a time when the studios basically owned the stars and dictated each and everything they were allowed to do in their private and public lives. They were told who they could and could not marry, sleep with, and love.  Violating the Hays Code, the morality code that actors had to adhere to on and off screen to stay employed, could ruin a career instantly with one wrong misstep or public incident. 

In a time when being openly gay was not allowed, the pool became a hangout for closeted gay actors, directors, and producers. They could hang out and flirt without prying eyes. Several love affairs started at the Chateau, including heartthrob Tab Hunter and Psycho leading man Anthony Perkins.  

The hotel also openly welcomed black actors, musicians, and celebrities to stay when other hotels would not due to segregation. It’s ridiculous to think of now, but then black creatives, such as Duke Ellington (one of Big Band music's originators), had to worry about where they could stay. Not only did they have to work incredibly hard to get into the entertainment business but they also had to be conscious of where they could sleep at night once they arrived. 

Erwin Brettauer, the hotel’s openly anti-fascist German manager, had witnessed firsthand the atrocities that racism leads to and he refused to allow that in his hotel.  During WWII, the hotel became a haven for German and non-American creatives, because the sentiment at the time was very pro-American and the United States was reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

You may be thinking, but Kat that's all well and great but when are we getting to the ghost stories? I promise we are getting there and you won't be disappointed! Let's move on to the Hey guess who might have died in your hotel room portion. Yay!