The Biltmore Los Angeles
A landmark historic hotel in Downtown Los Angeles known for its architecture, major events, and early association with the Academy Awards.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
The Biltmore Los Angeles is a historic hotel opposite Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 1, 1923, it was developed by the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels chain and was, at opening, the largest hotel in the United States west of Chicago. The building occupies roughly half a city block and was designed by Schultze & Weaver in a combination of Spanish and Italian Renaissance Revival, Mediterranean Revival, and Beaux-Arts influences. Its architecture was intended to evoke Los Angeles's Spanish and Castilian heritage, with the recurring Biltmore Angel serving as an important decorative and symbolic motif. The property originally contained approximately 1,500 guestrooms; after later redevelopment, it has approximately 683 guestrooms. It also provides about 70,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. Its best-known interiors include the Galleria, Crystal Ballroom, Emerald Ballroom, Tiffany Room, Gold Room, South Galleria, and Rendezvous Court. Decorative features include frescoes, murals, marble, travertine, oak paneling, carved plaster, imported tapestries, bronze details, and large Austrian crystal chandeliers. Italian artist John B. Smeraldi and his team painted the principal ballroom frescoes in 1922, and the work was restored in the 1980s by Anthony Heinsbergen, an apprentice of Smeraldi. The hotel became an important venue in the development of the American film industry. A May 1927 luncheon in its Crystal Ballroom is associated with the founding of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Biltmore Bowl subsequently hosted eight early Academy Awards ceremonies, in 1931, 1935 through 1939, and 1941 through 1942. The same room later hosted the Academy's 50th Anniversary banquet in 1977. The hotel has also accommodated political conventions, royal and diplomatic events, music-industry functions, sports-related gatherings, and film and television productions. Ownership and branding changed repeatedly during the twentieth century. Nightclub operator Baron Long acquired the property during the Great Depression in 1933, renovated it, and established the Biltmore Bowl in the basement. The hotel changed hands again in 1951, was recognized as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1969, and underwent a major restoration and redevelopment after its 1976 acquisition by Gene R. Summers and Phyllis Lambert. Westgroup Inc. later redeveloped portions of the property, converting rear guestrooms into offices known as Biltmore Court and adding the adjacent Biltmore Tower. Regal Hotels purchased the property in 1996, followed by its acquisition by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels in 1999. The hotel became the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in 2001. In 2024 it moved from the Millennium brand to the group's separate Biltmore luxury brand and adopted the name The Biltmore Los Angeles. That year it was also inducted into Historic Hotels of America, a National Trust for Historic Preservation program. Today the property operates as a historic full-service hotel and event venue, while continuing to market its period architecture, central Downtown Los Angeles location, guestrooms, dining and hospitality facilities, meeting rooms, and production-location potential.
History
The Biltmore Los Angeles opened on October 1, 1923, as a major project of the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels chain. Its location opposite Pershing Square placed it at the center of Downtown Los Angeles, and its scale made it the largest hotel in the United States west of Chicago at the time. Schultze & Weaver designed the building in a historically eclectic style combining Spanish-Italian Renaissance Revival, Mediterranean Revival, and Beaux-Arts elements. The design used architectural and decorative references to Los Angeles's Spanish heritage, including the Biltmore Angel, a motif repeated throughout the property. The hotel was conceived as more than a lodging establishment. Its ballrooms, restaurants, theater connections, and public rooms made it a civic and cultural venue. The main interiors featured frescoes, murals, marble fountains and columns, wood-beamed ceilings, travertine, oak, bronze, crystal, and elaborate textile work. John B. Smeraldi, an Italian painter associated with work in the Vatican and White House, painted the principal frescoes in the Galleria and Crystal Ballroom in 1922. His ballroom composition, populated by classical gods, angels, cupids, and other mythological figures, was restored in the 1980s by Anthony Heinsbergen, one of Smeraldi's apprentices. During the Great Depression, nightclub operator Baron Long bought the hotel in 1933. He renovated the property, shortened its name to The Biltmore Hotel, and created the Biltmore Bowl in the basement. The venue was promoted as the world's largest nightclub and added to the hotel's importance as an entertainment destination. The hotel also supported music activity: in the early 1930s, Brunswick recordings were released by Earl Burtnett and his Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra. The property became closely linked with the early Academy Awards. A luncheon in the Crystal Ballroom in May 1927 brought together film-industry figures who discussed creating an organization to recognize professional achievement; this meeting is associated with the founding of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Eight early Oscar ceremonies were held in the Biltmore Bowl: one in 1931, five from 1935 through 1939, and two in 1941 and 1942. The hotel later hosted the Academy's 50th Anniversary banquet, hosted by Bob Hope, in 1977. The wider complex also included the Biltmore Theater at Fifth Street and Grand Avenue. Opened in 1924 with Will Rogers as master of ceremonies, it presented stage productions involving performers including Helen Hayes, Katharine Hepburn, Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Bela Lugosi, and Mae West. It also screened major films, including extended runs of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ and Wings. The theater closed in 1967. The hotel accommodated a variety of notable events. In 1929, its culinary staff supplied food and provisions to the Graf Zeppelin during its round-the-world voyage. During World War II, the second floor was equipped with cots and used as a rest-and-recreation facility for military personnel. In 1952, Paramahansa Yogananda died after speaking at a banquet honoring Indian ambassador Binay Ranjan Sen; the location is regarded by his followers as a place of spiritual significance. The 1960 Democratic National Convention selected John F. Kennedy as the party's presidential nominee at the Los Angeles convention. Kennedy used the hotel's Music Room, now the lobby, as his campaign headquarters, while Lyndon B. Johnson operated from the Emerald Room. In 1964, the Beatles visited the Presidential Suite during their first United States tour; crowd congestion reportedly required them to reach the hotel by helicopter. The hotel was also used as headquarters for the International Olympic Committee during the 1984 Summer Olympics and later hosted diplomatic, royal, entertainment, sports, and awards-related events. The City of Los Angeles designated the hotel a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1969. By 1976, the building had deteriorated and was sold for $5 million to developer Gene R. Summers and business partner Phyllis Lambert. They invested substantially in restoration over the following five years. Westgroup Inc. acquired the property in 1984 and undertook a redevelopment designed by Seattle architect Barnett Schorr. The rear guestrooms facing Grand Avenue were converted into Biltmore Court office space, an adjoining 24-story Biltmore Tower was built, and the hotel section facing Pershing Square was renovated. Regal Hotels acquired the property in 1996. Millennium & Copthorne Hotels acquired Regal in 1999, and the property was renamed the Millennium Biltmore Hotel on April 9, 2001. In 2016, Millennium & Copthorne created a separate luxury brand called The Biltmore. In 2024, the Los Angeles property transferred to that brand and became The Biltmore Los Angeles. Its 2024 induction into Historic Hotels of America reinforced its preservation-oriented identity. The hotel remains active as a lodging, event, hospitality, and filming venue, and its rooms and exterior continue to appear in motion pictures, television programs, commercials, and music videos.
- 2024
Property becomes The Biltmore Los Angeles
[1]The hotel moves from the Millennium brand to The Biltmore brand and adopts its current name.
- 2024
Inducted into Historic Hotels of America
[1]The property joins Historic Hotels of America, a National Trust for Historic Preservation program.
- 2016
The Biltmore luxury brand is established
[1]Millennium & Copthorne Hotels establishes a separate luxury brand named The Biltmore.
- 2001
Millennium Biltmore Hotel name adopted
[1]The property is renamed the Millennium Biltmore Hotel on April 9.
- 1999
Millennium & Copthorne acquires Regal
[1]Millennium & Copthorne Hotels acquires Regal Hotels and subsequently takes control of the property.
- 1996
Regal Hotels acquisition
[1]Regal Hotels purchases the property and renames it the Regal Biltmore Hotel.
- 1984
Westgroup redevelopment
[1]Westgroup Inc. acquires the property and redevelops portions of the complex, including Biltmore Court and Biltmore Tower.
- 1984
International Olympic Committee headquarters
[1]The hotel serves as headquarters for the International Olympic Committee during the 1984 Summer Olympics.
- 1976
Major restoration ownership begins
[1]Gene R. Summers and Phyllis Lambert acquire the deteriorating hotel and begin a substantial restoration program.
- 1969
Designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
[1]The City of Los Angeles grants the property historic-cultural monument status.
Products and positioning
A historic luxury hotel positioned around landmark architecture, Los Angeles cultural history, ceremonial spaces, downtown accessibility, and high-profile events and productions.
Accommodation · 1923
Guestrooms and suites
The hotel provides historic-style guestrooms and suites within the restored Pershing Square-facing portion of the complex. The accommodation inventory was reduced from the approximately 1,500 rooms present in the original hotel to approximately 683 rooms after later redevelopment.
Events · 1923
Meeting and banquet facilities
The property offers approximately 70,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space across historic rooms and ballrooms. Its event portfolio includes ceremonial, corporate, political, entertainment, diplomatic, and social functions.
Event venue · 1923
Crystal Ballroom
The Crystal Ballroom is the hotel's signature historic ballroom. It contains major Smeraldi fresco work and is associated with the 1927 luncheon linked to the founding of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Hospitality venue · 1923
Rendezvous Court
The original main lobby is now called Rendezvous Court. Its Moorish Revival ceiling, gold accents, imported chandeliers, bronze doorway, and astronomical clock provide the setting for afternoon tea and other guest experiences.
Event venue · 1933
Biltmore Bowl
Created in the basement during Baron Long's ownership, the Biltmore Bowl became a major nightclub and later hosted eight early Academy Awards ceremonies. It remains part of the hotel's historic event identity.
Wellness · 1923
Indoor pool and health club
The health club and indoor pool are styled after the decks of 1920s luxury ocean liners. Original or period-inspired details include brass trim, teak furnishings, and Italian mosaic tile.
Media and production
Production-location services
The hotel's public rooms, corridors, exterior, and period details have made it a recurring location for feature films, television programs, commercials, and music videos, including productions such as Chinatown, Ghostbusters, Oppenheimer, Mad Men, and The Good Place.
Brand decisions
2024
Transfer to The Biltmore luxury brandStrategyBackground
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels had established The Biltmore as a separate luxury brand in 2016.
Action taken
The Los Angeles hotel was moved from the Millennium brand to The Biltmore brand and renamed The Biltmore Los Angeles.
Aftermath
The rebrand emphasized the property's historic identity and aligned it with the group's dedicated Biltmore luxury positioning.
2001
Rebranding as Millennium Biltmore HotelStrategyBackground
After Millennium & Copthorne Hotels acquired Regal Hotels, the Los Angeles property was aligned with the Millennium portfolio.
Action taken
The hotel adopted the Millennium Biltmore Hotel name on April 9, 2001.
Aftermath
The property operated under the Millennium brand for more than two decades.
1984
Conversion of part of the complex to officesStrategyBackground
Westgroup sought to redevelop the property while retaining the principal hotel section facing Pershing Square.
Action taken
Rear guestrooms were converted into Biltmore Court office space, an adjoining Biltmore Tower was constructed, and the remaining hotel portion was renovated.
Aftermath
The site became a mixed hotel-and-office complex while retaining the landmark-facing hotel building.
1976
Historic restoration and redevelopmentStrategyBackground
By the mid-1970s, the historic hotel had deteriorated and required extensive investment.
Action taken
Gene R. Summers and Phyllis Lambert acquired the property and funded a multiyear restoration before its later sale to Westgroup.
Aftermath
The restoration helped preserve the landmark interiors and supported subsequent redevelopment of the broader property.
1933
Entertainment-led renovation under Baron LongStrategyBackground
Baron Long acquired the hotel during the Great Depression, when the property required renewed commercial appeal.
Action taken
He renovated the hotel, renamed it The Biltmore Hotel, and established the Biltmore Bowl as a major nightclub in the basement.
Aftermath
The hotel strengthened its position as an entertainment and nightlife venue in addition to operating as a luxury hotel.
Sources1 sources
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