From glamorous soirées and events to not-so-secret scandals and affairs, the who’s who of Hollywood’s Golden Age knew how to garner the spotlight. While most of these stars, including Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Bette Davis, have since passed, their legacy lives on through iconic hangouts and hotels that served as their playgrounds.
Though much has changed in Hollywood, many of these elegant properties have stood the test of time, giving modern day guests a taste of what once was. Imagine sipping a Scotch in the same place that American gangster Bugsy Siegel got busted for bookmaking, or spending the night in the very suite where Elizabeth Taylor honeymooned. In Los Angeles, history lurks around every corner and corridor of these timeless hotels.
Looking to enjoy an ocean view with a side of Art Deco decor? Santa Monica’s The Georgian takes guests back in time with vintage vinyls and a Champagne call button. Hotel Bel-Air and The Beverly Hills Hotel are pink hideaways that have hosted everything from celebrity weddings to A-list Oscars parties, while Sunset Boulevard’s Chateau Marmont, which saw the wild days of rockers like Jim Morrison and Led Zeppelin, remains an exclusive refuge with a reputation for tight-lipped service. Whether you’re looking to lounge poolside at The Hollywood Roosevelt or sip one of the city’s best martinis at Tower Bar, these are L.A.’s most historic hotels from Hollywood’s Golden Age.
The Most Historic Hollywood Hotels From the Golden Age
The Beverly Hilton
- 9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
In August 2025, The Beverly Hilton celebrated 70 years of Hollywood history. The landmark property at the corner of Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevard has hosted the Golden Globes since 1961, bringing together the industry’s biggest stars for a night of celebration, glamour and revelry. Outside of the awards show, The Beverly Hilton welcomed regulars like Cary Grant and President John F. Kennedy; JFK was reportedly seen sneaking through corridors with Marilyn Monroe. The hotel is currently undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation as it gears up for the anticipated One Beverly Hills opening, which places the property at the heart of a new 17.5-acre urban oasis with restaurants, shops, open garden space and more.
Beverly Hilton
Hotel Bel-Air
- 701 Stone Canyon Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90077
Tucked away behind the windy roads of Bel-Air, this Spanish-style Dorchester Collection property is one of L.A.’s best hidden gems. A hub for Hollywood’s elite, Hotel Bel-Air’s cozy, residential location makes it feel like a private oasis miles from the city. The property opened in 1946, with manicured grounds, a romantic swan lake and a swanky, Old Hollywood-inspired bar featuring a glossy piano and black-and-white photos of everyone from John Belushi to Joni Mitchell. Ronald Reagan’s daughter, Patti Davis, married here in the early ‘80s, but the hotel was also a refuge for celebrities like Marilyn Monroe (who maintained a private suite at the property), the Beatles and Grace Kelly throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s. Unlike its more trendy and popular sister property, The Beverly Hills Hotel, the 103-room Hotel Bel-Air maintains a sense of exclusivity that is hard to find in modern times.
Courtesy of Dorchester Collection
Chateau Marmont
- 8221 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046
If the walls of Chateau Marmont could talk, we’d all be speechless. This ritzy hideout is one of the most exclusive places to stay in Los Angeles, with regulars including Quentin Tarantino and Leonardo DiCaprio. Old school celebrities like Desi Arnaz spent many evenings here after being caught in entanglements by his A-list wife, Lucille Ball, while rock stars like Led Zeppelin and Jim Morrison had a reputation for noise Tcomplaints, rotating doors of women and falling from two-story balconies. Chateau Marmont’s most infamous event, however, was John Belushi’s tragic overdose. Unlike other L.A. hotels, the on-site restaurant is exclusive to guests for dinner, though you are able to visit the bar during the evenings. With only 63 rooms, the accommodations at Chateau Marmont are intimate and cozy, though you can also opt for one of the more spacious cottages or bungalows. Noteworthy design details include kitchens and bathrooms with original 1920s tiles, lush courtyards with vibrant palm leaves and mysterious corridors complete with stone columns, engraved walls and vintage furnishings.
Chateau Marmont
Sunset Tower Hotel
- 8358 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Since 1929, the Sunset Tower Hotel has been a hub for celebrity work and play, and A-list sightings, ranging from Jennifer Aniston to Tom Ford, are likely nearly every night of the week at the timeless Tower Bar. Back in the day, the hotel, which originally operated as a luxury apartment building, counted Howard Hughes, John Wayne, Billie Burke, Marilyn Monroe, Errol Flynn and Elizabeth Taylor among the residents. Sunset Tower Hotel is also where mobster Bugsy Siegel was busted for bookmaking and gambling charges. When visiting, sit down against a backdrop of warm wood-paneled walls while sipping an ice-cold martini in the Tower Bar or soak up some sun on the retro, poolside terrace. If you’re staying overnight, there are 81 elegant rooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic city views.
Sunset Tower Hotel
The Beverly Hills Hotel
- 9641 Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
The Beverly Hills Hotel—also known as the Pink Palace—has been the 90210’s crown jewel since 1912. For decades, The Beverly Hills Hotel has been a playground for celebs looking to live the high life, and the landmark property served as the inspiration and cover art for the Eagles song, “Hotel California.” In the ‘60s, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton honeymooned at the hotel, with other notable guests including Katharine Hepburn, Howard Hughes and John F. Kennedy. The Pink Palace was known to accommodate even the most outlandish of requests, including Howard Hughes’ plea that his roast beef sandwiches be placed in a nearby tree so he could grab them far away from watchful eyes.
Upon pulling up to the valet, guests are greeted by a lengthy red carpet that contrasts with the hotel’s signature pink and palm leaf green color scheme. The Polo Lounge, which opened in 1941, remains a power lunch hotspot, famous for its McCarthy Salad and bougainvillea-covered patio. The property’s turquoise swimming pool remains a hotel highlight, but back in the early ‘40s, the celebrity-loved Sand and Pool Club stood in its place (with actual sand covering the deck). There are 210 accommodations in total, but it is the 23 bespoke bungalows that usually caught the eye of Golden Age stars.
Courtesy of The Dorchester Collection
The Georgian Hotel
- 1415 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401
The Georgian is an oceanfront property that lights up the Santa Monica skyline with its signature turquoise and yellow tower.. After the hotel opened in 1933, it became a hub for stars like Fatty Arbuckle and Charlie Chaplin seeking an ocean view away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. Its biggest draw, however, was The Red Griffin restaurant. On any given Thursday night, you could expect to see anyone from Carole Lombard to Rose Kennedy. The Art Deco property debuted a restoration project in 2023, bringing back The Georgian’s Art Deco charm to the lobby, al fresco restaurant and 84 rooms. If you’re staying in one of the suites, live like a 1930s starlet while you admire the Pacific Ocean view, play a vinyl on the record player and press the Champagne “call button” for bubbles on demand.
The Georgian Hotel
The Hollywood Roosevelt
- 7000 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
With a suite named after Marilyn Monroe, it’s no surprise that The Hollywood Roosevelt goes above and beyond to keep the allure of Old Hollywood alive. The 300-room property debuted in the spring of 1927, and hosted the very first Academy Awards ceremony just two years later. From that moment forward, The Hollywood Roosevelt was a safe haven for A-listers like Montgomery Clift, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley and more. Monroe lived at the hotel for two years toward the start of her career, which has been commemorated with the aforementioned honorary suite. Whether you’re stopping by for drinks at the palm tree-lined Tropicana pool or sitting down for French fare at Shirley Brasserie, visiting this storied property offers a taste of L.A.’s glamorous past.
The Hollywood Roosevelt
The Biltmore Los Angeles
- 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Located off Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, The Biltmore was the largest hotel west of Chicago when it opened in 1923. The massive hotel, which effortlessly blends Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical and Moorish architecture across 683 guest rooms and 70,000 square feet of space, boasts everything from hand-painted Italian murals to intricate beamed ceilings. Everyone from Gary Cooper and Bette Davis to Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy was known to hit the dance floor in the ballroom, but the hotel also hosted several high-profile events like the Academy Awards and the Democratic National Convention. During America’s Prohibition era, the Gold Room was frequented by high-profile criminals like Bugsy Siegel and Al Capone.
The Biltmore Los Angeles
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