Where stars stayed, lived, partied and occasionally hid from the press. 7 places, each with a map.
7000 Hollywood Blvd. · Hollywood
Backed by investors including Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Louis B. Mayer, the Roosevelt opened in 1927. Two years later its Blossom Room hosted the first Academy Awards ceremony, which lasted about fifteen minutes. David Hockney painted the swimming pool mural in 1988, and the Spanish Colonial lobby remains a favorite film location.
8221 Sunset Blvd. · West Hollywood
Modeled loosely on a Loire Valley castle, the Chateau opened in 1929 as an apartment building and became a hotel a few years later. Its bungalows and suites have sheltered generations of stars seeking privacy. Columbia chief Harry Cohn reputedly told his actors that if they must get in trouble, they should do it here.
8358 Sunset Blvd. · West Hollywood
Leland Bryant’s 1929 art deco tower was one of the first high-rises on the Sunset Strip, built as luxury apartments whose residents reportedly included Howard Hughes and John Wayne. Restored as a hotel, it keeps its zigzag moderne friezes of zeppelins, plants and animals, and its Tower Bar is a quietly famous industry hangout.
1714 N. Ivar Ave. · Hollywood
This 1925 hotel just north of Hollywood Boulevard gathered more than its share of legends. Harry Houdini’s widow held a famous Halloween séance on its roof in 1936, hoping he would return. Elvis Presley stayed here while filming Love Me Tender, and director D.W. Griffith died here in 1948. It is now senior housing.
8401 Sunset Blvd. · West Hollywood
Opened in the early 1960s and long known as the Continental Hyatt House, this Sunset Strip high-rise became the rock era’s favorite crash pad. Touring bands reportedly rode motorcycles through its halls and tossed televisions from its windows, earning it the nickname Riot House. Now the Andaz, its rooftop pool looks out across the Strip.
5930 Franklin Ave. · Hollywood
Built in 1929 by Elinor Ince, widow of film pioneer Thomas Ince, this French Normandy-style residential hotel housed stars on long stays during the 1930s and 1940s. Since the 1970s it has been the Church of Scientology’s Celebrity Centre. The turreted chateau and its gardens are best admired from Franklin Avenue.
1637 N. Vine St. · Hollywood
A stylish 1925 hotel steps from Hollywood and Vine, the Plaza stood beside the Hollywood Brown Derby and drew performers from the nearby radio networks to its lobby and bar. Its rooftop sign has long been a Vine Street landmark. The building now serves as a senior residence, so enjoy the facade and the Walk of Fame stars outside.