Millenium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles

I had a very busy weekend, concert going and jet-setting about.  As per my previous post, Shannon and I saw Dave Matthews Band both Saturday and Sunday.  We decided to have a vacation in our own city redux in downtown Los Angeles this weekend as well.  We stayed at The Millennium Biltmore Hotel in the heart of downtown LA.  We had a Club Room King on the 11th and top floor of the hotel, steps away from the Presidential Suite.  From the exceptional covered valet welcome to the grand halls this hotel feels of decadence.  Even though the hotel is small in stature (11 floors) compared to many of it's newly built skyscraper counterparts, the interior makes up or it.  The rooms, which are not the run of the mill re-created modernism, boast lavish appointments that help keep the lure of old Hollywood alive.

While not out and about looking for awesome Chinese food in Gardena, Shannon and I spent a lot of time in our room, and at the hotel's Gallery Bar.   The bar is fitted with neo-Italian flair and carvings.  Although the drink prices will dig deep into your pocket, the ambiance is worth it.  There is a solid marble bar to belly up to with some very comfortable bar stools.  If that is not your scene head over to the grand piano and lounge in one of several leather sofas adjacent to plush chairs. 

At the bar Shannon and I became pretty good friends with one of the bartenders (luckily this will greatly benefit us in the future).  He told us the history of the hotel and it's significance on Hollywood.  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was created in the hotels Crystal Ballroom in 1927.  The first sketch of the Oscar statuette was drawn on a linen napkin that same night.  For many years the Oscars were held at the Biltmore, seeing stars such as Clark Gable and Shirley Temple walk the red carpet. 

The Biltmore also offers a darker side.  The infamous "Black Dahlia" murder is central to the hotel, as the victim, Elizabeth Short, was last seen alive leaving The Biltmore.  Her body was found three days later in the Crenshaw district of LA.  This murder has gone on to become on of the most studied and investigated murders in American history, and has spawned many dramatic novels.

Throughout the lobbies and grand hallways the hotel is adorned with photos and other pictures of its Hollywood past.  Take a trip to downtown LA and learn a few new things about the history of the city.  From the ease of your hotel room to the elevator a wealth of knowledge and hospitality await you.  I have always been a fan of trendy, flashy hotels catering to my modern wants and needs.  For now I am a convert to the old, elegant style of The Millennium Biltmore.

If you are ever staying at the Biltmore or one of the surrounding downtown hotels, or live in the LA area,  stop in and have a drink in the Gallery Bar.  Look for Oscar (no relation to the statue) behind the bar, he'll treat you great and make you one of the stiffest drinks in LA.  Tip him good, he is truly a great man.