The Beverly Hilton Hotel

Good question. I’ve always been puzzled. Hilton is a very average chain of bland, business hotels. I would have expected a Four Seasons instead to be associated with all this glamour. What’s so special about the Beverly Hilton?

Here's the front entrance to the lobby.

Poolside.

Room interior.

Red carpet.

It's quite ordinary from my experience. I was bumped there from another reservation that had some event arise and they offered to relocate guest reservations to Beverly Hilton. Though that was many years ago, the place looked very much the same as in current photos. The level of maintenance was very high, but it wasn't a luxurious property to my mind. Nothing very special (nor bad to be fair) about the place.

I guess Hollywood can make anything seem glamorous, R6.

Isn’t that where Ethel , Lucy, Ricky and Fred stayed when they arrived in California?

It was nice enough back in the 80's. I was in my early 20's and wanted to stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel. I booked through a travel agent (hotel, air fare and car rental) and they inadvertently booked me into the Hilton. Surprisingly, I had a room that was poolside, and the staff and amenities were very nice. Trader Vic's, which was on the premises was a fun place to go then and I got picked-up both nights that I went there for a drink.

For a young gay man making his first trip to L.A. it was great fun. However, when I later stayed at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Hilton paled in comparison.

I stayed there once in the 90s on a trip for a college class. My flight to LA was delayed so I wasn’t able to check in until after midnight and was worried I would lose my reservation but the guy working the front desk actually upgraded me to a fancy suite. I can’t remember the exact layout but the rooms were huge and there were 2 bathrooms. I think it was a business suite where you could host meetings. I was too young and dumb to realize he was probably trying to flirt since that suite had to cost way more than whatever I had booked. Hindsight…

The ballroom/event space is popular for events. It has above-average audio/visual facilities and decent acoustics. The hotel is not especially luxurious, but a newly-built Waldorf Astoria is next door, so no more superstar celebrity deaths at the Hilton.

[quote] On February 11, 2012, singer Whitney Houston died in Suite 434 after accidentally drowning in the bathtub. The room number was retired and the room repurposed.

Does Whitney Houston haunt the Beverly Hilton?

Why did Merv Griffin buy the hotel?

[quote] Does Whitney Houston haunt the Beverly Hilton?

Yes. Her sweaty ghost walks the halls, moaning, 'Dy-ANN, show me the RECEIPTS!" It's terrifying.

Like this, R14?

It’s mid-level for the area. It is location, location, location. Easily accessible, plenty of parking and lots of space for the various shit needed to put on a show. It’s like a mini-convention center. That ballroom is used all the time for business groups, CLE presentations, yada, yada.

R8 no…that was shot on the lot.

[quote] Does Whitney Houston haunt the Beverly Hilton?

Honey, I am in Heaven and currently earning raves as the lead soloist in the choir of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am at my vocal peak for all eternity. I sound like this:

[quote]Isn’t that where Ethel , Lucy, Ricky and Fred stayed when they arrived in California?

No, dear. That was the (fictional) Beverly PALMS.

[quote]Why did Merv Griffin buy the hotel?

Easy access to hot parking valets, bellboys, and other male staff.

"We don't like people checking into our hotel and dying and shit!"

[quote] Why did Merv Griffin buy the hotel?

[quote] Easy access to hot parking valets, bellboys, and other male staff.

Is that where Ryan Seacrest had his first "audition?"

[quote] Trader Vic's, which was on the premises was a fun place to go then and I got picked-up both nights that I went there for a drink.

Did it look like this, R9?

It looked like this —-so much fun to go there when I was a kid…they made amazing “cocktails” for kids.

Entertainers love the auditorium because the space is totally open without any internal support pillars, so nothing to get in the way of the audience's view.

Interesting, R25.

How did the architects in the 1950's manage to do that?

It seems like their craftsmanship back then was so much better than what we have today.

The auditorium looks very large, so being able to build it without support pillars, is quite an accomplishment.

It’s not THAT large. Same original architect as the Capitol Records Building, the Santa Monica Civic and the Music Center (and the plan for the original Century City shopping).

The Beverly Hilton auditorium is not nearly as big in person as it appears on TV.

I wanted to go where Jackie Collins' novels had people screwing around in bungalows and taking power lunches, is this the right hotel?

It's not where Pretty Woman stayed. ;)

That's the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

[quote]It's not where Pretty Woman stayed. ;)

Right - that was the Beverly Wilshire.

I've been there; it's a shithole.

Thanks r31. Used to devour those Jackie Collins books in high school

I live in Michigan, just seeing Palm trees excites me because it means a vacation.

The Beverly Wilshire

The Beverly Hills Hotel

The Beverly Hilton

The Beverly Garland.

That was in the Valley…

You don't see celebrities hanging out in famous LA venues where the award shows are held. That would be pretty desperate of them. You run into them at the places like the supermarket or the gas station or Griffith Park but only rarely. And you never, ever approach them.

I stayed there once on a work trip. Very nice hotel, beautiful rooms. I was just down the hall from the infamous Whitney Houston drowning suite.

If the Beverly Palms was good enough for Cornel Wilde, it's good enough for me.

Edit to R36:

The Beverly Wilshire

The Beverly Hills Hotel

The Beverly Hilton

The Beverly Leslie

The Beverly Wilshire

The Beverly Hills Hotel

The Beverly Hilton

The Beverly Leslie

The Beverly Sutphin

I stay there every time I'm in LA for work. I started staying there in the 90's. I love the location and can walk to my office nearby. I'm a Hilton Honors member so get treated like royalty. The staff are all very nice and have been there for years, I know them all by first name and they always remember me. It was renovated in the last few years . I love to sit in the lobby bar and people watch. I've met other guests at the hotel on the apps and it was so easy going to their rooms to fuck around. Yes I'm a biz travel whore lol