Biltmore Hotel overlooking Pershing Square, downtown Los Angeles, 1927

Posted on November 11, 2012 by

Biltmore Hotel overlooking Pershing Square, downtown Los Angeles, 1927
1927 – Looking west over the thick, lush groves of palms and banana trees of Pershing Square to the Biltmore Hotel, which opened in 1923 and became known as “The Host of the Coast” as it was the fanciest hotel west of Chicago (which, let’s be honest, back in 1923, probably wasn’t that hard to be.) The lovely gardens of Pershing Square had to go in the early 1950s when the city decided to install a multi-floor parking garage underneath. So we lost a lovely green space but gained a parking garage. How very L.A.

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2 responses to “Biltmore Hotel overlooking Pershing Square, downtown Los Angeles, 1927”

  1. Paul says:
    October 28, 2020 at 3:59 pm

    Don’t forget the Fairmont (1907) and Palace (1910) or the muted grandeur of the St Francis (1904) all in San Francisco. But, for me the Biltmore isn’t just elegant or opulent (which would describe either of SF’s grand dames, it’s stylish in a quiet manner unlike any hotel I can think of (including several Biltmore’s I’ve seen). I can’t quite put my finger on what it is about the Biltmore but to me it’s in a class of its own. There are some great hotels across America, but none I’ve seen quite make the point quite as it’s made by the Biltmore.

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