Los Angeles’s Academy Award Winner – Millennium Biltmore HotelRead Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link: http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/hotels/millennium/lax/biltmore.html
The historic Millennium Biltmore hotel in Los Angeles has seen in its 80 years such visitors as presidents, kings and queens, and Hollywood celebrities. The hotel opened in 1923, and was for many years
home of Academy Awards, honoring those that were best in newest technology of time — movies.
The Millennium Biltmore is more like a Romanesque museum than a hotel, located in heart of business and financial district. If it were a wax museum, there would be likenesses of many of its famous guests, such as Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Harry Truman, Bill Clinton, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, The Duke of Kent, Eleanor Roosevelt, Howard Hughes, J. Paul Getty, John Wayne, Casey Stengel, Barbara Streisand, Placido Domingo, and Beatles.
When entering on Fifth Street Galleria Room serves as a grand promenade, running entire length of hotel. The Main Galleria connects with South Galleria and Biltmore Bowl (home of Academy Awards, complete with original stage), Regency and Heinbergen Rooms are also offshoots of Galleria; Health Club and Grand Avenue Sports Bar are accessed by a connecting parquet corridor. The Lobby, Gift Shops, Gallery Bar, and guest room elevators also open on to main Galleria.
A focal point for hotel is lobby, serving as main entrance from port-cochere from Grand Avenue. The concierge desk has a commanding presence for arranging tours, restaurants or dinner theater packages. The lobby is always busiest area of any hotel, but I think I could actually sleep in Millennium Biltmore’s lobby. The colorful rugs and deep sinking and plush and velvety lounge chairs are masterpieces of craftsmanship. Marble lion sculptures surround a tinkling fountain, adding to a refreshing ambience as world travelers rush in and away from reception desk. JFK’s 1960 West Coast campaign headquarters were in Music Room, which is now lobby. Many of guests lounging around are beautiful Malaysian Airlines flight attendants who make hotel their stopover home.
The 11-story Millennium Biltmore was designed by New York architectural firm of Schultze and Weaver, which also designed Waldorf Astoria and Park Lane Hotels in New York City. The Spanish Italianate Renaissance hotel was completed in 1923 and declared a Historical Cultural Landmark in 1969.
It is believed that name Biltmore was suggested by Cornelius Vanderbilt, a friend of John McEntire Bowman, president of Biltmore Company who coined name for family estate in North Carolina. Bowman also developed other Biltmore’s in USA and Cuba.
Touted as “Host of Coast”, Biltmore was home of high society, and film czars and stars. The founding banquet of Academy Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences was held here on May 27, 1927, where concept and design of “Oscar” was revealed. A statue was sketched on a napkin in Crystal Ballroom marking occasion.
The 1937 Academy Awards dinner in Biltmore Bowl. Can you spot Cecil B. DeMille, Roy Disney, Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Spencer Tracey, and other stars?
The original Biltmore Bowl caught fire in 1990s, but a $3 million renovation blends state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment while maintaining period detail. On a visit with Food and Beverage Manager I was warned about ghosts: “One of our employees reported seeing a waiter in attire that we have not been using for fifty years.” One of two original escalators still works, bringing new passengers into a more stately era. With plush and quieting carpets Biltmore Bowl is redesigned for a wide range of groups, including performers and music executives who celebrate with after-parties of Grammy Awards. The Biltmore Bowl's modern enhancements include 75 audio speakers, video and computer projection, programmable lighting, theatrical lighting, and gold leaf ceilings, wood columns, and bright colorful carpets.
During Big Band era famous composers, bands, and musicians performed at tea parties, dances, and parties in Ballroom. But Crystal Ballroom still retains its former glory and it is hotel’s pride and joy; dance on hardwood floors under Austrian chandeliers and cathedral-like 30-foot ceilings that were hand-painted by Italian artist Giovanni Smeraldi of White House and Vatican fame; one of hotel’s restaurants is named after artist. Glittering mirrors and draperies enhance this beautiful, festive room, still offering romantic, cozy balconies. In 1977 Bob Hope was Master of Ceremonies for Academy’s 50th anniversary in Crystal Ballroom.
