Sam and Colby's Secret Adventures

The Chateau Marmont Hotel

Sam Golbach, a blonde-haired, blue eyed, 25-year-old man and his girlfriend Katrina Stuart, a pink haired and dark brown eyed, 23 year old woman, along with Colby Brock, a black-haired, blue-eyed 25 year old and Justin Bishop, a man with dark-brown hair, brown eyes, were all driving up the hill towards the Chateau Marmont Hotel. The two ghost adventurers had gotten permission from the current owner of the Chateau Marmont, which is a hotel located at 8221 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Built-in the 1920s and based on a French castle in the Loire valley, Chateau Marmont looks like an abandoned Disney castle, loaded with gothic charm - vaulted ceilings, chunky hand-carved wooden furniture, and old velvet sofas. André Balazs retained the original interiors when he took over the hotel in 1990, allowing the spirit of old Hollywood to roam the halls: nothing here is new or flashy. The leafy garden terrace and restaurant are constantly buzzing (expect celebrity sightings but under no circumstances should you take a picture, this is a paparazzi-free zone) with most tables full during lunch and late into the night. The same goes for the dark and moody bar inside. The guest-only pool area is a peaceful hideaway with a few sun loungers and a corner bar. There is a small fitness center and a lovely, leafy pool area. Facilities may seem limited but being a Hollywood bolthole, everything can be arranged for you, from in-room spa treatments and personal training to personal shopping. Rooms inside the main building are dark, dingy, and intentionally shabby - old carpets, antique furniture, and dated bathrooms (though widely reported to have Kiehl's products, our bathroom had own-brand shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer). All the rooms have fully stocked minibars, baths, iPod docks, and televisions, and the suites all have kitschy but charming fully equipped kitchens. The cottages, poolside bungalows, and hillside bungalows have bigger bathrooms, mid-century furniture, and wooden floorboards. Some even have grand pianos. These feel slightly more Golden-era Hollywood. They parked their car in the driveway Justin got out the camera and began filming them. He then gave the two a thumbs up. "Hey! What's up, guys? It's Sam and Colby. We are here with Katrina and Justin. Their social media accounts will be linked down in the description. Tonight we will be doing an overnight here at the Chateau Marmont Hotel. We will be getting into the history of this place pretty soon but first, get that merch!" Colby said as he and Sam showed off their clothes. They walked through the gate and locked it behind them. They walked up the steps and into the huge castle. They walked around the lobby. "Wow, this is so beautiful." Sam said as he looked around the area. Justin panned the camera around the area before he finally stopped recording. They set up their tripod, sat down, hit record, and started their history segment of the video. "The Chateau Marmont has served as an escape for the rich and famous since it became a hotel during the 1930s. The hotel was designed by architects Arnold A. Weitzman and William Douglas Lee and completed in 1929. It was modeled loosely after the Château d'Amboise, a royal retreat in France's Loire Valley. The hotel is known as both a long- and short-term residence for celebrities as well as a home for New Yorkers in Hollywood. The hotel has 63 rooms, suites, cottages, and bungalows." Sam said that he had done tons of research. "In 1926, Fred Horowitz, a prominent Los Angeles attorney, chose the site at Marmont Lane and Sunset Boulevard to construct an apartment building. Horowitz had recently traveled to Europe for inspiration and returned to California with photos of a Gothic Chateau. (In which Chateau d'Amboise where Leonardo Da Vinci is buried) located along the Loire River. In 1927, Horowitz commissioned his brother-in-law, European-trained architect Arnold A. Weitzman, to design the seven-story, L-shaped building based on his French photos. When deciding upon a name for the building, Chateau Sunset and Chateau Hollywood were rejected in favor of Chateau Marmont, after the small street running across the front of the property. On February 1, 1929, Chateau Marmont opened its doors to the public as the newest residence in Hollywood. Due to the high rents and inability to keep tenants for long-term commitments during the Great Depression, Horowitz sold the apartment building in 1931 to Albert E. Smith, co-founder of Vitagraph. Smith converted the building into a hotel, an investment that benefitted from the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The apartments became suites with kitchens and living rooms. The property was also refurbished with antiques from depression-era estate sales." Colby said into the camera as they sat inside the lobby of the hotel. "During the 1930s, the hotel was managed by former silent film actress Ann Little. During World War 2, the hotel served as an air-raid shelter for residents in the surrounding area. From about 1942 to 1963 the Chateau was owned by Erwin Bretthauer, a German banker who had funded films in Weimar Germany, and was noted for allowing black guests, breaking the long-standing color line in Hollywood and Beverly Hills hotels. Designed and constructed to be earthquake-proof, Chateau Marmont survived major earthquakes in 1933, 1953, 1971, 1987, and 1994 without sustaining any major structural damage. Nine Spanish cottages, as well as a swimming pool, were built next to the hotel in the 1930s and were acquired by the hotel in the 1940s. Craig Ellwood designed two of the four bungalows in 1956 after he completed Case Study Houses. Business was good for the hotel, although by the 1960s, the building was in disrepair, and the owners attempted to sell it multiple times." Sam stated as he looked over at Colby who smiled at him encouragingly.