The Biltmore, Los Angeles

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel opened in 1923 to national acclaim as the largest hotel west of Chicago. The 11-story structure was designed by famed New York architectural firm Schultze and Weaver, known for the Waldorf Astoria and Park Lane hotels, and features Spanish-Italian Renaissance interiors, intricately detailed carvings and stunning cathedral-like ceilings hand- painted by Giovanni Smeraldi of White House and Vatican fame. In 1969, the Biltmore was designated a Historical Cultural Landmark by the City of Los Angeles.

Touted as the “Host of the Coast,” the Biltmore was the place to see and be seen for Los Angeles high society from the very beginning. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science held its founding banquet in the Crystal Ballroom on May 11, 1927, where legend has it that the original sketch of the Oscar statuette was drawn on a Biltmore napkin. Eight Academy Awards banquets were subsequently held in the Biltmore Bowl in the 1930s, with legends like Clark Gable, Walt Disney and Ginger Rogers accepting their awards on the Biltmore stage. In 1960, John F. Kennedy established his headquarters for the Democratic National Convention in the hotel’s Music Room (now the Lobby), with running mate
Lyndon Johnson across the hall in the Emerald Room. In 1964, during their first world tour, the Beatles landed on the hotel roof via helicopter to escape crowds of fans on the streets below and seek refuge in the Biltmore’s Presidential Suite. 20 years later, the International Olympic Committee made the hotel its headquarters during the 1984 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles. Most recently, the hotel has hosted yearly Grammy Awards after-parties and the semi-finals for American Idol.
MOVIES & TELEVISION Countless movies, commercials, television shows and print photography have
been shot at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.
Movies include Chinatown, A Star is Born, Splash, Bachelor Party, Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters, True Lies, Independence Day, Blow, Ocean’s Eleven, The Nutty Professor, Bugsy, The Sting, In the Line of Fire, Wedding Crashers, The Italian Job, Daredevil, National Treasure, Spider-Man and The Soloist.
Television shows include Charlie’s Angels, Beverly Hills 90210, ER, NYPD Blue, The West Wing, That 70’s Show, Ally McBeal, CSI: NY, Nip/Tuck, 24 and Heroes.