Ghosts of The Millennium Biltmore Hotel
Although this hotel has a long history with the film industry, the ghosts of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel are a big draw now. There are ghost stories involving LA's most infamous unsolved murder, WWII soldiers, and several other characters. Join me as we learn the history of LA's most beautiful hotel and its spirits.
photo by downtowngal / CC 3.0
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The History of the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, originally known as the Los Angeles Biltmore, is the most iconic hotel in LA since it opened in 1923. At that time Los Angeles was considered a backwoods, unsophisticated town by the rest of the country. The city was small and rural and the Hollywood we know today was not established yet.
The hotel was built to be the most lavish and extraordinary place for visitors and stars to stay and socialize. This hotel would put LA on the map and attract more people to settle in LA.
The building's exterior incorporated Spanish-Italian Renaissance Revival, Mediterranean Revival, and Beaux Arts styles reminiscent of European palaces at a cost of $10 million in 1923. The hotel is located at 506 S Grand Ave in the heart of downtown LA, the city's oldest section.
The interior features frescos, murals, carved marble fountains and columns, imported Austrian crystal chandeliers, embroidered tapestries, and cast bronze stairwells. Giovanni Smeraldi, who painted frescoes at the Vatican and White House, spent a year hand-painting the ceiling frescoes. He felt his work at the Biltmore was his life's greatest achievement. What spirit wouldn't want to spend eternity here?
The Gold Room, LA’s most famous speakeasy during Prohibition, has hidden liquor compartments and a hidden tunnel leading out to Pershing Square. These hidden spaces were suggested by Baron Long, an associate of Al Capone, during the building's construction. Watch for other passageways throughout the hotel that were used to evade cops and paparazzi.
The gold gates leading into the Gold Room were locked each night after partygoers entered to give them privacy and slow down Prohibition agents if they tried to break up the party.
The lobby was originally located in the Rendezvous Court and features a Moorish Revival-style ceiling with 24-carat gold accents and a carved marble double-tiered fountain. Today you can enjoy afternoon tea while staring at the breathtaking ceiling.
Birth of the Oscars
During a luncheon in 1927 for the newly formed Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, MGM art director Cedric Gibbons sketched the design for an award statue on a linen Biltmore napkin. Originally it was named the Academy Award of Merit (now known as Oscar) and was presented to winners at the first Academy Awards in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
Eight Oscar ceremonies were held in the Biltmore Bowl, the hotel’s grand ballroom, during the Academy's early years between 1932 and 1944. Unfortunately in the 1950s, a fire destroyed the Biltmore Bowl, and the space was divided into three separate meeting spaces. Can you imagine ghostly Oscar guests mingling in the ballroom?
WWII Soldiers on Leave
Between 1942 and 1946 the Biltmore transformed its second floor into a USO Hospitality Center for WWII soldiers on leave. A complimentary “canteen” with food and drinks was available 24/7, with ping pong tables, card games, and live music. Cots were also set up so they would have a place to sleep. Volunteer hostesses managed the space and ensured everything ran smoothly and the servicemen were cared for. Medical care was also available if needed. The center served over 520,000 soldiers in its first year.
The Black Dahlia Connection
Elizabeth Short, better known as the Black Dahlia, was seen by hotel staff and guests in the hotel bar just days before her mutilated naked body was discovered several miles away on January 15, 1947. Still today visitors explore the hotel to see the last place the Black Dahlia was seen alive. Does her spirit also linger in the most beautiful hotel in LA?
Deaths at the Los Angeles Biltmore
There have been 16 reported deaths at the hotel, mostly due to heart attacks or natural causes before 2010. Many people lived in permanent residences at the Biltmore so deaths of this nature should be expected. One recent death has raised questions though.
In October 2010, a woman fell down six flights of stairs to her death under mysterious circumstances. Her husband, unaware she had passed away, auditioned for America's Got Talent that afternoon. He filed a missing person report later that day. The family filed a lawsuit against the hotel alleging that unhoused people were allowed to enter the property and assault guests through unsecured doorways during construction of the first and second floors.
Movies & Shows Filmed at the Millennium Biltmore
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Many movies, television shows, and music videos have been filmed in the Millennium Biltmore. Just a fraction of its film credits include Vertigo (1958), The Sting (1973), Chinatown (1974), 24, Scandal, Pretty in Pink (1986), and Oppenheimer (1924). Taylor Swift danced across the reception desk in her music video for Delicate (2017). You may recognize the hotel's lobby as the Hotel Sedgwick in Ghostbusters (1984) where Slimer was captured. Beware of a Class Five Full-Roaming Vapor as you explore the hotel!
The Ghost Stories
Several different ghost stories have prevailed over the years. Hotel guests have reported they heard a little girl giggling and running up and down the ninth-floor halls. There are no hard facts on who this little girl could be. Maybe she originally haunted another location and moved here because the building is so beautiful!
A “faceless” boy spirit is also seen throughout the hotel. He has caused more than one contractor to quit the job and never return. That would be a hard Nope from me! No little ghost kids.
Soldiers and a military nurse are seen walking around the lobby and second floor. Maybe some soldiers who enjoyed their military leave came back to recuperate forever. Today the second floor is leased out as business offices and not used by hotel guests.
A lady in black wanders the lobby but does not interact with people. Could this be Elizabeth Short or maybe the Trunk Murderess?
Guests and hotel staff claim they see the spirit of Elizabeth Short in the lobby and on the 10th and 11th floors. Some even ride in the elevator with her, but she never acknowledges them and disappears through a wall.
Visiting the Ghost of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel
The Millennium Biltmore welcomes visitors to wander the halls and take pictures. Several outside tour companies also visit the hotel.
Room rates start under $200 per night which is reasonable for such a beautiful hotel, but the rooms are simple. You won't have any hand-painted ceilings in your room. Be sure to book the Biltmore early because it is a very popular hotel.
There are several restaurant options on-site and around the hotel. Visit the Gallery Bar and ask for the Black Dahlia cocktail, a black licorice-flavored cocktail honoring Elizabeth Short.
If you want to visit another nearby hotel that has also been in many films like Rush Hour 3, see the Alexandria Hotel and its ghost wing.
Tours of the Los Angeles Biltmore
Real Los Angeles Tours offers the Murder Mystery Ghost Tour. You will visit many downtown sites with true crime and haunted connections. If you are on a budget, there are also free self-guided tours.
LA Conservancy has a wonderful Biltmore Hotel walking tour dedicated to the Biltmore. This nonprofit is working hard to preserve historical and architectural landmarks throughout the LA area.
The Los Angeles Biltmore’s ornate decor only adds to the mysterious vibes felt throughout its halls. One can imagine bumping into a chic woman on her way to meet a date, but it is hard to imagine that woman would soon be mutilated. The Black Dahlia’s fate still conjures many questions over 70 years later. Does her spirit still linger in the hotel waiting for someone to solve her murder finally?
Have visited the Millennium Biltmore Hotel or another haunted Hollywood location? I would love to hear your story. Drop me a message! And don't forget to subscribe to the Spooky Traveling newsletter to stay up to date on the latest dark adventure. And always stay weird, Spooky friend!
