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87-465: The Biltmore Los Angeles is a historic hotel opened in 1923 and located opposite Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles , California . The hotel has 70,000 square feet (6,500 m) of meeting and banquet space. Built with 1500 guestrooms, it now has 683. The Los Angeles Biltmore opened on October 1, 1923. It was developed by the nationwide Bowman-Biltmore Hotels chain. At the time, it

174-478: A business degree , and/or certification programs formally prepare hotel managers for industry practice. Most hotel establishments consist of a general manager who serves as the head executive (often referred to as the "hotel manager"), department heads who oversee various departments within a hotel, middle managers , administrative staff, and line-level supervisors. The organizational chart and volume of job positions and hierarchy varies by hotel size, function, and

261-449: A general manager who serves as the head executive (often referred to as the " hotel manager "), department heads who oversee various departments within a hotel (e.g., food service), middle managers , administrative staff, and line-level supervisors. The organizational chart and volume of job positions and hierarchy varies by hotel size, function and class, and is often determined by hotel ownership and managing companies. The word hotel

348-425: A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You) (2001); Britney Spears , Overprotected (Darkchild Remix) (2002); Simple Plan , Shut Up! (2005); The Wallflowers (2005); Daniel Powter (2005); Lostprophets (2009); Anjulie , "Rain" (2009); Daughtry (2009); Tank (2010); Alexander Kogan (2011); Chris Price , Homesick (2012); Ed Sheeran , Thinking Out Loud (2014); John Legend (featuring Chance

435-430: A block of hours typically between 8 am and 5 pm, before the typical night shift. These are similar to transit hotels in that they appeal to travelers, however, unlike transit hotels, they do not eliminate the need to go through Customs. Garden hotels , famous for their gardens before they became hotels, include Gravetye Manor, the home of garden designer William Robinson , and Cliveden , designed by Charles Barry with

522-486: A form of property ownership also referred to as a vacation ownership involving the purchase and ownership of an individual unit of accommodation for seasonal usage during a specified period of time. Timeshare resorts often offer amenities similar that of a full-service hotel with on-site restaurants, swimming pools, recreation grounds, and other leisure-oriented amenities. Destination clubs on the other hand may offer more exclusive private accommodations such as private houses in

609-565: A grand Spanish Baroque Revival bronze doorway, whose astrological clock still keeps time today. Two figures appear on the stairwell front—on the left is the Roman goddess of agriculture Ceres , while on the right is the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa . The current main lobby is located in the rear of the building, in the former Music Room, at the hotel's Grand Avenue entrance. It still has its original travertine walls and oak paneling, as well as

696-652: A guest with lifestyle or personal image in specific locations. They are typically full-service and classified as luxury. A key characteristic of lifestyle resorts is focus on providing a unique guest experience as opposed to simply providing lodging. Lifestyle luxury resorts are classified with a Five Star hotel rating depending on the country and local classification standards. Example brands include: Waldorf Astoria , St. Regis , Wynn Resorts , MGM , Shangri-La , Oberoi , Belmond , Jumeirah , Aman , Taj Hotels , Hoshino , Raffles , Fairmont , Banyan Tree , Regent and Park Hyatt . Upscale full-service hotels often provide

783-632: A hippodrome, rollercoaster, observation deck for the surrounding desert, and what was marketed as the largest dance hall in the world. Like Iranistan before it, Saltair was destroyed by fire in 1925 and again in 1970; the first of which, less than 30 years after opening. The trend continued into the early 1900s, for example in the 1909 Murat Shrine Temple in Indianapolis, Indiana . The 1914 Pittock Mansion in Portland, Oregon incorporates Turkish design features, as well as French, English, and Italian ones;

870-770: A hospital since the Middle Ages . The French spelling, with the circumflex , was also used in English, but is now rare. The circumflex replaces the 's' found in the earlier hostel spelling, which over time took on a new, but closely related meaning. Grammatically, hotels usually take the definite article – hence "The Astoria Hotel" or simply "The Astoria". Facilities offering hospitality to travellers featured in early civilizations. In Greco-Roman culture and in ancient Persia , hospitals for recuperation and rest were built at thermal baths . Guinness World Records officially recognised Japan's Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan , founded in 705, as

957-459: A limited amount of on-site amenities. Economy hotels are small to medium-sized hotel establishments that offer basic accommodations with little to no services. Extended stay hotels are small to medium-sized hotels that offer longer-term full-service accommodations compared to a traditional hotel. Timeshare and destination clubs are a form of property ownership involving ownership of an individual unit of accommodation for seasonal usage. A motel

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1044-457: A limited number of on-site amenities that only cater and market to a specific demographic of travelers, such as the single business traveler. Most focused or select service hotels may still offer full-service accommodations but may lack leisure amenities such as an on-site restaurant or a swimming pool. Examples include Hyatt Place , Holiday Inn , Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Garden Inn . Small to medium-sized hotel establishments that offer

1131-641: A linen Biltmore napkin and sketched the design for the Oscar statue on it. Eight Oscar ceremonies were held in the Biltmore Bowl during the Academy's early years of 1931, 1935–1939, and 1941–1942. The band leader Shep Fields conducted his "Rippling Rhythm Orchestra" during the 1939 ceremonies at the Biltmore. Decades later in 1977, Bob Hope hosted the Academy's 50th Anniversary banquet in the same room. The Biltmore Theater

1218-476: A long period until the early 20th century. In Spain, the country was conceived as the place of origin of Moorish ornamentation, and the interest in this sort of architecture fluctuated from province to province. The mainstream was called Neo-Mudéjar . In Catalonia , Antoni Gaudí 's profound interest in Mudéjar heritage governed the design of his early works, such as Casa Vicens or Astorga Palace . In Andalusia,

1305-412: A neighborhood-style setting. Examples of timeshare brands include Hilton Grand Vacations , Marriott Vacation Club International , Westgate Resorts , Disney Vacation Club , and Holiday Inn Club Vacations . A motel , an abbreviation for "motor hotel", is a small-sized low-rise lodging establishment similar to a limited service, lower-cost hotel, but typically with direct access to individual rooms from

1392-410: A room and board arrangement. In Japan , capsule hotels provide a tiny room suitable only for sleeping and shared bathroom facilities. The precursor to the modern hotel was the inn of medieval Europe . For a period of about 200 years from the mid-17th century, coaching inns served as a place for lodging for coach travelers. Inns began to cater to wealthier clients in the mid-18th century. One of

1479-525: A rose garden by Geoffrey Jellicoe . The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi , Sweden , was the first ice hotel in the world; first built in 1990, it is built each winter and melts every spring. The Hotel de Glace in Duschenay, Canada , opened in 2001 and it is North America's only ice hotel. It is redesigned and rebuilt in its entirety every year. Ice hotels can also be included within larger ice complexes; for example,

1566-796: A small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refrigerator , and other kitchen facilities, upholstered chairs, a television, and en-suite bathrooms . Small, lower-priced hotels may offer only the most basic guest services and facilities. Larger, higher-priced hotels may provide additional guest facilities such as a swimming pool, a business center with computers, printers, and other office equipment, childcare, conference and event facilities, tennis or basketball courts, gymnasium , restaurants, day spa, and social function services. Hotel rooms are usually numbered (or named in some smaller hotels and B&Bs ) to allow guests to identify their room. Some boutique, high-end hotels have custom decorated rooms. Some hotels offer meals as part of

1653-424: A staircase leading down to the huge Biltmore Bowl ballroom, in the hotel's basement. Also of interest is the hotel's health club and indoor pool, which was modeled after the decks of 1920s luxury ocean liners. Solid brass trim on windows, doors and railings, teakwood deck chairs and hand-laid Italian mosaic tile on the walls and in the pool are original. The Los Angeles Biltmore is known for being an early home to

1740-845: A stay or re-admission through security checkpoints. Some hotels are built with living trees as structural elements, for example the Treehotel near Piteå , Sweden, the Costa Rica Tree House near the Jairo Mora Sandoval Gandoca-Manzanillo Mixed Wildlife Refuge , Costa Rica ; the Treetops Hotel in Aberdare National Park , Kenya ; the Ariau Towers near Manaus , Brazil, on the Rio Negro in

1827-572: A traditional hotel. Extended stay hotels may offer non-traditional pricing methods such as a weekly rate that caters towards travelers in need of short-term accommodations for an extended period of time. Similar to limited and select service hotels, on-site amenities are normally limited and most extended stay hotels lack an on-site restaurant. Examples include Staybridge Suites , Candlewood Suites , Homewood Suites by Hilton , Home2 Suites by Hilton , Residence Inn by Marriott , Element , and Extended Stay America . Timeshare and destination clubs are

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1914-498: A type of booking for less than 24 hours where the customer chooses the check in time and the length of the stay. This allows the hotel increased revenue by reselling the same room several times a day. They first gained popularity in Europe but are now common in major global tourist centers. Hotel management is a globally accepted professional career field and academic field of study. Degree programs such as hospitality management studies ,

2001-549: A type of economical hotel first introduced in Japan, where people sleep in stacks of rectangular containers. In the sleeping capsules, beside the bed, the customer can watch TV, put their valuables in the mini safes, and the customers also can use the wireless internet. Some hotels fill daytime occupancy with day rooms , for example, Rodeway Inn and Suites near Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida . Day rooms are booked in

2088-613: A very limited number of on-site amenities and often only offer basic accommodations with little to no services, catering to the budget-minded traveler seeking a "no frills" accommodation. Limited service hotels often lack an on-site restaurant but in return may offer a limited complimentary food and beverage amenity such as on-site continental breakfast service. Examples include Ibis Budget , Hampton Inn , Aloft , Holiday Inn Express , Fairfield Inn , and Four Points by Sheraton . Extended stay hotels are small to medium-sized hotels that offer longer-term full-service accommodations compared to

2175-881: A wide array of guest services and on-site facilities. Commonly found amenities may include: on-site food and beverage (room service and restaurants), meeting and conference services and facilities, fitness center, and business center. Upscale full-service hotels range in quality from upscale to luxury. This classification is based upon the quality of facilities and amenities offered by the hotel. Examples include: W Hotels , Sheraton , Langham , Kempinski , Pullman , Kimpton Hotels , Hilton , Swissôtel , Lotte , Renaissance , Marriott and Hyatt Regency brands. Boutique hotels are smaller independent non-branded hotels that often contain mid-scale to upscale facilities of varying size in unique or intimate settings with full-service accommodations. These hotels are generally 100 rooms or fewer. Small to medium-sized hotel establishments that offer

2262-482: Is a hotel chain that offers branding to independently operated hotels; the chain itself is founded by or owned by the member hotels as a group. Many former referral chains have been converted to franchises; the largest surviving member-owned chain is Best Western . The first recorded purpose-built railway hotel was the Great Western Hotel , which opened adjacent to Reading railway station in 1844, shortly after

2349-428: Is a small-sized low-rise lodging with direct access to individual rooms from the car parking area. Boutique hotels are typically hotels with a unique environment or intimate setting. A number of hotels and motels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture. Some hotels are built specifically as destinations in themselves, for example casinos and holiday resorts . Most hotel establishments are run by

2436-648: Is a type of short-stay hotel found around the world, operated primarily for the purpose of allowing guests privacy for sexual activities , typically for one to three hours, but with overnight as an option. Styles of premises vary from extremely low-end to extravagantly appointed. In Japan, love hotels have a history of over 400 years. In 2021 a New York-based company introduced new modular and movable hotel rooms which allow landowners and hospitality groups to create and easily scale hotel accommodations. The portable units can be built in three to five months and can be stacked to create multi-floor units. A referral hotel

2523-844: Is built into the remains of an opal mine. Located on the coast but high above sea level, these hotels offer unobstructed panoramic views and a great sense of privacy without the feeling of total isolation. Some examples from around the globe are the Riosol Hotel in Gran Canaria, Caruso Belvedere Hotel in Amalfi Coast (Italy), Aman Resorts Amankila in Bali, Birkenhead House in Hermanus (South Africa), The Caves in Jamaica and Caesar Augustus in Capri. Capsule hotels are

2610-544: Is derived from the French hôtel (coming from the same origin as hospital ), which referred to a French version of a building seeing frequent visitors, and providing care, rather than a place offering accommodation. In contemporary French usage, hôtel now has the same meaning as the English term, and hôtel particulier is used for the old meaning, as well as "hôtel" in some place names such as Hôtel-Dieu (in Paris), which has been

2697-706: Is often determined by hotel ownership and managing companies. Boutique hotels are typically hotels with a unique environment or intimate setting. Some hotels have gained their renown through tradition, by hosting significant events or persons, such as Schloss Cecilienhof in Potsdam , Germany, which derives its fame from the Potsdam Conference of the World War II allies Winston Churchill , Harry Truman and Joseph Stalin in 1945. The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Mumbai

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2784-849: Is one of India's most famous and historic hotels because of its association with the Indian independence movement . Some establishments have given name to a particular meal or beverage, as is the case with the Waldorf Astoria in New York City , United States where the Waldorf Salad was first created or the Hotel Sacher in Vienna , Austria, home of the Sachertorte . Others have achieved fame by association with dishes or cocktails created on their premises, such as

2871-621: The Academy Awards ceremony—the Oscars. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded at a luncheon banquet in the Crystal Ballroom in May 1927, when guests such as Louis B. Mayer met to discuss plans for the new organization and presenting achievement awards to colleagues in their industry. Legend has it that MGM art director Cedric Gibbons , who was in attendance, immediately grabbed

2958-842: The Amazon ; and Bayram's Tree Houses in Olympos , Turkey. Some hotels have accommodation underwater, such as Utter Inn in Lake Mälaren , Sweden. Hydropolis , project in Dubai , would have had suites on the bottom of the Persian Gulf , and Jules' Undersea Lodge in Key Largo , Florida , requires scuba diving to access its rooms. Moorish Revival architecture The "Moorish" garden structures built at Sheringham Park in Norfolk, ca. 1812, were an unusual touch at

3045-643: The George and the Tabard . A typical layout of an inn featured an inner court with bedrooms on the two sides, with the kitchen and parlour at the front and the stables at the back. For a period of about 200 years from the mid-17th century, coaching inns served as a place for lodging for coach travellers (in other words, a roadhouse ). Coaching inns stabled teams of horses for stagecoaches and mail coaches and replaced tired teams with fresh teams. Traditionally they were seven miles apart, but this depended very much on

3132-620: The Great Western Railway opened its line from London. The building still exists, and although it has been used for other purposes over the years, it is now again a hotel and a member of the Malmaison hotel chain . Frequently, expanding railway companies built grand hotels at their termini, such as the Midland Hotel, Manchester next to the former Manchester Central Station , and in London

3219-861: The Hotel de Paris where the crêpe Suzette was invented or the Raffles Hotel in Singapore , where the Singapore Sling cocktail was devised. A number of hotels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture, such as the Ritz Hotel in London , through its association with Irving Berlin's song, " Puttin' on the Ritz ". The Algonquin Hotel in New York City is famed as

3306-565: The Ottoman Empire or the growing pan-Slavic movement by creating an " Islamic architecture of European fantasy". This included application of ornamentations and other Moorish design strategies neither of which had much to do with prior architectural direction of indigenous Bosnian architecture . The central post office in Sarajevo , for example, follows distinct formal characteristics of design like clarity of form, symmetry, and proportion while

3393-656: The Pena Palace in Sintra ), the Neo-Mamluk Dulber palace in Koreiz , and the palace in Likani exemplified the continuing development of the style. Another exception was Bosnia , where, after its occupation by Austria-Hungary , the new authorities commissioned a range of Neo-Moorish structures. The aim was to promote Bosnian national identity while avoiding its association with either

3480-661: The Sammezzano , one of Europe's largest and most elaborate Moorish Revival structures, in Tuscany between 1853 and 1889. Although Carlo Bugatti employed Moorish arcading among the exotic features of his furniture, shown at the 1902 exhibition at Turin , by that time the Moorish Revival was very much on the wane almost everywhere. A notable exception was Imperial Russia , where the shell-encrusted Morozov House in Moscow (a stylisation of

3567-874: The 1860s, the style spread across America, with Olana , the painter Frederic Edwin Church 's house overlooking the Hudson River, Castle Garden in Jacksonville and Longwood in Natchez, Mississippi usually cited among the more prominent examples. After the American Civil War, Moorish or Turkish smoking rooms achieved some popularity. There were Moorish details in the interiors created for the Henry Osborne Havemeyer residence on Fifth Avenue by Louis Comfort Tiffany . The most thorough example of Moorish Revival architecture

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3654-675: The 19th century. Luxury hotels, including the 1829 Tremont House in Boston , the 1836 Astor House in New York City , the 1889 Savoy Hotel in London, and the Ritz chain of hotels in London and Paris in the late 1890s, catered to an ever more-wealthy clientele. Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is part of a United States law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, or national origin in places of public accommodation. Hotels are included as types of public accommodation in

3741-435: The 2000s as hotel chains have been building economy-priced, limited-service franchised properties at freeway exits which compete for largely the same clientele, largely saturating the market by the 1990s. Motels are still useful in less populated areas for driving travelers, but the more populated an area becomes, the more hotels move in to meet the demand for accommodation. While many motels are unbranded and independent, many of

3828-525: The Act. Hotels cater to travelers from many countries and languages, since no one country dominates the travel industry. Hotel operations vary in size, function, and cost. Most hotels and major hospitality companies that operate hotels have set widely accepted industry standards to classify hotel types. General categories include the following: International luxury hotels offer high-quality amenities, full-service accommodations, on-site full-service restaurants, and

3915-506: The Christ which ran for 14 weeks in 1926 and silent Academy Award winner Wings , which stayed over 20 weeks in 1928. In 1929, Germany's Graf Zeppelin airship soared over the hotel on its round-the-world voyage, sponsored by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst . Crew and passengers were fed by Biltmore culinary staff, who also replenished their on-board supplies. The Los Angeles Biltmore hotel also featured notable recordings from

4002-1310: The Line of Fire (1993), Independence Day (1996), The Italian Job (2003), National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007), The Nutty Professor (1996), Ocean's 11 (1960), Oppenheimer (2023), A Family Affair (2024), Pretty in Pink (1986), Prom Night (2008), Something New (2006), Splash (1984), A Star Is Born (1937), They Live (1988), The Omega Man (1971), True Lies (1994), Wedding Crashers (2005), The Wedding Ringer (2015), Rocky III (1982). The hotel's exterior can also be seen in Fight Club (1999) and Heat (1995). Grey's Anatomy , 24 , Ally McBeal , Beverly Hills, 90210 , Black Monday , Bosch , Charlie's Angels , Columbo , CSI: NY , Drop Dead Diva , Entourage , ER , Glee , The Good Place , Heroes , House , Leverage , Mad Men , Mob City , Nip/Tuck , NYPD Blue , The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills , Timeless , Scandal , That '70s Show , War and Remembrance , The West Wing , Dinner for Five , Hacks , The Golden Girls , Murder, She Wrote , The L Word: Generation Q . The hotel

4089-1095: The Mammut Snow Hotel in Finland is located within the walls of the Kemi snow castle; and the Lainio Snow Hotel is part of a snow village near Ylläs , Finland. There is an arctic snowhotel in Rovaniemi in Lapland , Finland, along with glass igloos. The first glass igloos were built in 1999 in Finland , they became the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort with 65 buildings, 53 small ones for two people and 12 large ones for four people. Glass igloos, with their roof made of thermal glass, allow guests to admire auroras comfortably from their beds. A love hotel (also 'love motel', especially in Taiwan)

4176-445: The Middle Eastern roots of their history and thus as a way of setting themselves apart from the surrounding Western or Christian society. This came at time when Jews were gaining more freedoms in some European societies and the construction of ostentatious synagogues was possible for the first time, thus provoking a search for a new distinct style of architecture. Historian John M. Efron of the University of California at Berkeley regards

4263-440: The Music Room (now the Lobby), with running mate Lyndon B. Johnson across the hall in the Emerald Room. Their press conferences in the Crystal Ballroom were heavily photographed and documented. The Beatles paid a visit to the Presidential Suite in August 1964 during their first U.S. tour. Due to the overwhelming number of fans crowding the sidewalks in front of the hotel, the band was forced to access their room by landing atop

4350-479: The Neo-Mudéjar style gained belated popularity in connection with the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 . It was epitomized by Plaza de España of Seville and the Gran Teatro Falla in Cádiz . In Madrid , the Neo-Mudéjar was a characteristic style of housing and public buildings at the turn of the century. In contrast, the 1920s return of interest to the style resulted in such buildings as the bullring of Las Ventas and Diario ABC office. A Spanish nobleman built

4437-414: The Rapper ), Penthouse Floor (2016); Taylor Swift , Delicate (2018); Jennifer Lopez , El Anillo (2018); Meek Mill & Drake , Going Bad (2019); Justin Bieber , Yummy (2020); Jisoo , Flower (2023). Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in

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4524-491: The Strip, with a total of over 67,000 rooms. The Null Stern Hotel in Teufen , Appenzellerland , Switzerland, and the Concrete Mushrooms in Albania are former nuclear bunkers transformed into hotels. The Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcón (named after the author ) in Guadix , Spain, as well as several hotels in Cappadocia , Turkey, are notable for being built into natural cave formations, some with rooms underground. The Desert Cave Hotel in Coober Pedy , South Australia,

4611-415: The United States, Washington Irving 's fanciful travel sketch, Tales of the Alhambra (1832), first brought Moorish Andalusia into readers' imaginations; one of the first neo-Moorish structures was Iranistan , a mansion of P. T. Barnum in Bridgeport, Connecticut . Constructed in 1848 and destroyed by fire ten years later, this architectural extravaganza "sprouted bulbous domes and horseshoe arches". In

4698-404: The car park. Motels were built to serve road travellers, including travellers on road trip vacations and workers who drive for their job (travelling salespeople, truck drivers, etc.). Common during the 1950s and 1960s, motels were often located adjacent to a major highway, where they were built on inexpensive land at the edge of towns or along stretches of freeway. New motel construction is rare in

4785-423: The cast-plaster ceiling beams. The Tiffany Room was originally a foyer for the adjoining Crystal Ballroom. Its decor centers around exploration, with relief sculptures and panels depicting Queen Isabella I of Castile , and Christopher Columbus and other Spanish New World explorers . The split-level Gold Room, once a dining room for elite guests, features Prohibition-era hidden liquor compartments and panels along

4872-421: The ceiling for press photographers to take pictures of the event below. It is decorated with a gold cast-plaster ceiling, hand-oiled wood paneling, and nine mirrored windows along three sides. The South Galleria is painted with floral friezes inspired by the decor of ancient Roman Pompeii , and features a vaulted ceiling, marble balustrades and heavy Roman piers. Gold-painted wrought iron gates open to

4959-455: The defining characteristic of a resort hotel is that it exists purely to serve another attraction, the two having the same owners. On the Las Vegas Strip there is a tradition of one-upmanship with luxurious and extravagant hotels in a concentrated area. This trend now has extended to other resorts worldwide, but the concentration in Las Vegas is still the world's highest: nineteen of the world's twenty-five largest hotels by room count are on

5046-554: The design—as a symbol of the city as well as the Biltmore itself. With a thick steel and concrete frame, the structure takes up half a city block and rises over 11 stories. The interiors of the Biltmore Hotel are decorated with: frescos and murals ; carved marble fountains and columns; massive wood-beamed ceilings; travertine and oak paneled walls; lead crystal chandeliers ; cast bronze stairwells and doorways; fine artisan marquetry and mill work; and heavily embroidered imported tapestries and draperies. Most notable are

5133-411: The early 1930s on the Brunswick record label by Earl Burtnett & His Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra, with songs such as the popular "Putting on the Ritz" being recorded with an orchestra attributed to the hotel. During World War II , the Biltmore served as a military rest and recreation facility, with the entire second floor equipped with cots for military personnel on leave. On March 7, 1952,

5220-558: The first hotels in a modern sense was opened in Exeter in 1768. Hotels proliferated throughout Western Europe and North America in the early 19th century, and luxury hotels began to spring up in the later part of the 19th century, particularly in the United States. Hotel operations vary in size, function, complexity, and cost. Most hotels and major hospitality companies have set industry standards to classify hotel types. An upscale full-service hotel facility offers luxury amenities, full-service accommodations, an on-site restaurant , and

5307-419: The frescoed mural ceilings in the main Galleria and the Crystal Ballroom, which were hand painted in 1922 by Italian artist John B. Smeraldi , known for his work in the Vatican and the White House . Smeraldi and his team famously painted the ballroom's colorful, seamless fresco over a period of seven months, decorating it with figures of Greek and Roman gods, angels, cupids and other mythological creatures. It

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5394-509: The highest level of personalized and professional service in major or capital cities . International luxury hotels are classified with at least a Five Diamond rating or Five Star hotel rating depending on the country and local classification standards. Example brands include: Grand Hyatt , Conrad , InterContinental , Sofitel , Mandarin Oriental , Four Seasons , The Peninsula , Rosewood , JW Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton . Lifestyle luxury resorts are branded hotels that appeal to

5481-443: The highest level of personalized service, such as a concierge , room service , and clothes-ironing staff. Full-service hotels often contain upscale full-service facilities with many full-service accommodations, an on-site full-service restaurant , and a variety of on-site amenities . Boutique hotels are smaller independent, non-branded hotels that often contain upscale facilities. Small to medium-sized hotel establishments offer

5568-908: The hotel in a helicopter. The Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel served the International Olympic Committee as their headquarters during the 1984 Summer Olympics . In 1988, the Duke & Duchess of York were hosted by Armand Hammer at a Biltmore gala. Recently the Biltmore has hosted the semi-finals for American Idol , the yearly awards for the Cinemal Audio Society, visiting teams for the World Baseball Classic , and multiple Grammy Awards after-parties. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Alien Nation (1988), Bachelor Party (1984), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Blow (2001), Blue Streak (1999), Bugsy (1991), Chinatown (1974), Cruel Intentions (1999), Daredevil (2003), Dave (1993), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), The Game (1997), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Ghostbusters (1984), Heartbreakers (2001), In

5655-468: The hotel over the next five years, before selling it to Westgroup Inc. in 1984. Westgroup redeveloped the property to designs by Seattle architect Barnett Schorr. The guest rooms in the rear portion of the structure, facing Grand Avenue, were converted to office space known as Biltmore Court. Directly adjacent on Grand Avenue, an adjoining 24-story office tower was constructed on the property, the Biltmore Tower. The remaining hotel portion facing Pershing Square

5742-406: The hotel's basement. In 1951, the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Company was sold to Corrigan Properties for more than $ 12 million. In 1969, The Biltmore Hotel was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument by the City of Los Angeles . The decaying hotel was sold for $ 5 million in 1976 to developer Gene R. Summers and his business partner Phyllis Lambert . They spent millions more to restore

5829-408: The insulation values of the walls it needs no conventional heating or air conditioning system, although the Maya Guesthouse is built at an altitude of 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) in the Alps. Transit hotels are short stay hotels typically used at international airports where passengers can stay while waiting to change airplanes. The hotels are typically on the airside and do not require a visa for

5916-448: The interior followed the same doctrine. The National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo is an example of Pseudo Moorish architectural language using decorations and pointed arches while still integrating other formal elements into the design. Other notable example in the region is the building of the Regional historical museum in Kardzhali , Bulgaria build in the 1920s, combining also Central Asian styles. In

6003-426: The large artificial skylighted ceiling, reflected in the custom carpet below. Each ballroom on the Galleria level is themed either after the room's original function or the hotel's overall California-heritage premise. The Crystal Ballroom was the hotel's original main ballroom. The Emerald Ballroom was once the hotel's main dining room; its decor features images of hunt and harvest, with hand-painted animals and fish on

6090-464: The meeting place of the literary group, the Algonquin Round Table , and Hotel Chelsea , also in New York City, has been the subject of a number of songs and the scene of the stabbing of Nancy Spungen (allegedly by her boyfriend Sid Vicious ). Some hotels are built specifically as a destination in itself to create a captive trade, example at casinos , amusement parks and holiday resorts . Though hotels have always been built in popular destinations,

6177-566: The mid-18th century, and consequently grew in grandeur and in the level of service provided. Sudhir Andrews traces "the birth of an organised hotel industry" to Europe's chalets and small hotels which catered primarily to aristocrats. One of the first hotels in a modern sense, the Royal Clarence , opened in Exeter in 1768, although the idea only really caught on in the early-19th century. In 1812 Mivart's Hotel opened its doors in London , later changing its name to Claridge's . Hotels proliferated throughout Western Europe and North America in

6264-626: The mid-19th century, the style was adopted by the Jews of Central Europe , who associated Moorish and Mudéjar architectural forms with the Golden age of Jewish culture in Spain . It has also been argued that Jewish communities adopted this architecture (which in Western eyes was seen as stereotypical of "Islamic" or " Oriental " culture more broadly) for more complex reasons; mainly, as an affirmation or reclamation of

6351-495: The oldest hotel in the world. During the Middle Ages , various religious orders at monasteries and abbeys would offer accommodation for travellers on the road. The precursor to the modern hotel was the inn of medieval Europe , possibly dating back to the rule of Ancient Rome . These would provide for the needs of travellers, including food and lodging, stabling and fodder for the traveller's horses and fresh horses for mail coaches . Famous London examples of inns include

6438-584: The ones above St Pancras railway station and Charing Cross railway station . London also has the Chiltern Court Hotel above Baker Street tube station , there are also Canada's grand railway hotels . They are or were mostly, but not exclusively, used by those traveling by rail. The Maya Guesthouse in Nax Mont-Noble in the Swiss Alps, is the first hotel in Europe built entirely with straw bales. Due to

6525-512: The other motels which remain in operation joined national franchise chains, often rebranding themselves as hotels, inns or lodges. Some examples of chains with motels include EconoLodge , Motel 6 , Super 8 , and Travelodge . Motels in some parts of the world are more often regarded as places for romantic assignations where rooms are often rented by the hour. This is fairly common in parts of Latin America . Hotels may offer rooms for microstays ,

6612-471: The popularity of Moorish revival architecture among builders of synagogues as a counterpoint to Edward Said 's Orientalism , which criticizes European orientalism as inherently imperialist and racist, since the builders chose the style as an expression of admiration for the culture of the Muslim world. As a consequence, Moorish Revival spread around the globe as a preferred style of synagogue architecture for

6699-564: The smoking room in particular has notable Moorish revival elements. In 1937, the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota added unusual minarets and Moorish domes, unusual because the polychrome decorations are made out of corn cobs of various colors assembled like mosaic tiles to create patterns. The 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel , whose minarets and Moorish domes are now the pride of the University of Tampa ,

6786-426: The terrain. Some English towns had as many as ten such inns and rivalry between them became intense, not only for the income from the stagecoach operators but for the revenue from the food and drink supplied to the wealthy passengers. By the end of the century, coaching inns were being run more professionally, with a regular timetable being followed and fixed menus for food. Inns began to cater to richer clients in

6873-458: The time, a parallel to chinoiserie , as a dream vision of fanciful whimsy, not meant to be taken seriously; however, as early as 1826, Edward Blore used Islamic arches , domes of various size and shapes and other details of Near Eastern Islamic architecture to great effect in his design for Alupka Palace in Crimea , a cultural setting that had already been penetrated by Ottoman architecture . By

6960-570: The well-known yogi and author Paramahansa Yogananda , collapsed and died of a heart attack after finishing a speech at a banquet in honor of the Indian ambassador Binay Ranjan Sen . This site within the hotel is now revered by many as the place of the yogi's mahasamadhi , or conscious leave of the body. The 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles chose John F. Kennedy as the party's presidential nominee. He set up his campaign headquarters in

7047-564: Was Villa Zorayda in St. Augustine, Florida , built in 1883 by Franklin W. Smith as a winter home and showplace for the Boston businessman and architectural enthusiast. Today it is a museum, open for tourists. In 1893, The Great Saltair was built on the southern shores of The Great Salt Lake , adjacent to Salt Lake City . Under dozens of Moorish domes and lambrequin, polylobed, and keyhole arches, Saltair housed popular clubs, restaurants, bowling alleys,

7134-679: Was completely renovated. Regal Hotels purchased The Biltmore in 1996 and it was renamed the Regal Biltmore Hotel . Regal was sold to Millennium & Copthorne Hotels in 1999, and the hotel was renamed the Millennium Biltmore Hotel on April 9, 2001. In 2016, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels established a separate luxury brand called The Biltmore, and in 2024, the hotel was moved from the Millennium brand to The Biltmore brand and renamed The Biltmore Los Angeles . That same year, it

7221-586: Was featured in Visiting... with Huell Howser Episode 625, as well as a commercial for Stanton Optical, a company based in Palm Springs, Florida . The hotel's exterior can also be seen in Curb Your Enthusiasm , and in the thirty-fifth season of The Amazing Race . The hotel hosted Miss Teen USA 2024 and Miss USA 2024 on August 4, 2024. Steve Perry , Oh Sherrie (1984); Janet Jackson , Son of

7308-599: Was inducted into Historic Hotels of America , a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation . The architectural firm Schultze & Weaver designed the Biltmore's exterior in a synthesis of the Spanish-Italian Renaissance Revival , Mediterranean Revival , and Beaux Arts styles, meant as an homage to the Castilian heritage of Los Angeles. The "Biltmore Angel" is heavily incorporated into

7395-504: Was meticulously restored in the 1980s by Smeraldi's apprentice, Anthony Heinsbergen . The imported Austrian crystal chandeliers that adorn it are 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter. The hotel's original main lobby is today known as the Rendezvous Court, and is used for afternoon tea. It is decorated with a Moorish Revival styled plaster ceiling painted with 24 Carat Gold accents, two original imported Italian chandeliers from 1923, and

7482-456: Was situated at the corner of 5th and Grand, now the Biltmore Court & Tower location. Will Rogers emceed the opening of the theater in 1924, which then hosted plays starring Helen Hayes , Katharine Hepburn , Alfred Lunt , Lynn Fontanne , Bela Lugosi and Mae West until it closed in 1967. It also occasionally booked high-profile films such as the 1925 silent epic Ben Hur: A Tale of

7569-674: Was the largest hotel in the United States west of Chicago . The hotel was sold to nightclub owner Baron Long in 1933, in the depths of the Great Depression . Long also owned the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego and had developed the Agua Caliente resort in Tijuana. Long renovated the hotel and renamed it The Biltmore Hotel . He established the Biltmore Bowl, the world's largest nightclub, in

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