Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MILLENNIUM
BILTMORE HOTEL
LOS ANGELES
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With its grand architecture and impressive list of guests including presidents, royalty, and celebri-
ties, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel opened as the “Host of the Coast” on October 1, 1923—and
remains so to this day.
The Biltmore Hotel features the opulent architectural style of the Spanish-Italian Renaissance
to reflect the Castilian heritage of California. Detailed ceiling frescoes depicting mythological
themes were executed by “modern-day Michelangelo” Giovanni Battista Smeraldi, whose work also
graces the White House and the Vatican. Accenting these fresco murals are the wall reliefs, sculpted
columns, and bronze work throughout the hotel.
Legends and traditions thrive within the embellished walls of the Biltmore Hotel, as it has
played host to the people and events that contribute to the history of Los Angeles. From Cary Grant
to Brad Pitt, countless movie stars have passed through the doors of the Biltmore Hotel, reflecting
the Hollywood culture of Los Angeles. The monumental decision to found the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences was made in the hotel's own Crystal Ballroom with many of its corre-
sponding Oscar Awards ceremonies taking place in the Biltmore Bowl.
In addition to its connection with the Hollywood film industry, the Biltmore has also welcomed
public figures such as John F. Kennedy and the Duke and Duchess of York to enjoy the historic and
beautiful facilities offered by the hotel.
A downtown Los Angeles landmark since its completion, and the “star” of numerous movies
and TV shows filmed at the property, the Millennium Biltmore has long been the meeting spot
for high society, celebrities, and conventioneers from around the globe. The stately 683-room
property celebrated a landmark 80th anniversary by bringing back jazz to its grand Gallery Bar,
daily high tea in the Rendezvous Court, and establishing a “historic corridor” for guests to relive
its colorful history.
The Biltmore's Crystal Ballroom was the site of several early Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences banquets, and the 14,000-square-foot Biltmore Bowl recently reopened after a $3 mil-
