The Biltmore Hotel in downtown L.A. opened in October 1923 to such immediate and enormous success, the hotel’s owners immediately set about making plans to expand the property, including more rooms, a theater (the Biltmore Theater became one of the premiere venues for live performances in Los Angeles) and a ballroom. Originally called the Sala de Oro and later renamed the Biltmore Bowl, the ballroom was a vast and sumptuous space two stories tall and played host to eight Oscar ceremonies in the 30s and early 40s. In the 1950s, it suffered a devastating fire and was not rebuilt. In its place, the hotel built two smaller ballrooms.