Is the Spirit of the Black Dahlia Haunting This Iconic L.A. Hotel?
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The full story of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel and the murder of Elizabeth Short is featured in an episode of House Beautiful’s podcast, Dark House. Subscribe here.
Between the notorious Los Feliz Murder Mansion and 10050 Cielo Drive, aka one of the sites of the Manson massacres, Los Angeles is full of allegedly haunted houses. But the City of Angels is also home to some of the creepiest hotels with reputations for paranormal activity. Nestled in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, the Biltmore is one of the most iconic of these Hollywood haunts, thanks to its architectural character, history, and impressive size. The 70,000-square-foot Art Deco marvel features Spanish and Italian Renaissance styles and Moorish detailing throughout, complete with lavish, high-beamed and coffered ceilings. Until the mid-20th century, the Biltmore was considered L.A,'s most elegant hotel. In fact, it hosted the Academy Awards in the 1930s and '40s and was also a popular destination for young Hollywood hopefuls, including murder victim Elizabeth Short, better known as the Black Dahlia.
Short was known to frequent the hotel with friends and also took Spanish lessons in the lobby, but, most notably, it was potentially the last place she was seen alive on January 9, 1947. She had asked a new acquaintance, Red Manely, to drive her from San Diego (where she'd been staying for the final month of her life) to the bus station in Downtown L.A. When he wasn't comfortable dropping her off there alone, she requested he take her to the Biltmore Hotel, where she told him she would be meeting her older sister, Virginia. Elizabeth was never planning on meeting her sister there, so we can only speculate as to why she said that, but most people speculate she used the excuse to exit awkward social situations.
Regardless, Manley tried to locate Virginia in the lobby until he left Elizabeth alone there at 6:30 PM to go home. Hotel staff saw Elizabeth making phone calls in the lobby that evening, but investigators never determined who she was trying to reach. The employees confirmed that they observed her alone and saw her get up and leave as if she were signaled by someone outside around 10:00 PM. The bell captain opened the door for Elizabeth as she exited the hotel alone and walked down south into the fog. Her mutilated remains were discovered a few miles south in an abandoned lot in Leimert Park six days later, on January 15, 1947, and her gruesome murder remains unsolved.
With over 300 suspects to sift through, dozens of false confessions, and the transient nature of the victim's life (along with a plethora of other systemic issues), the case remains one of the most mystifying and heartbreaking cold cases in history. And in the many decades since, Elizabeth's ghost has frequently been spotted in the Biltmore. Guests report seeing a pale woman with dark hair wearing a transparent black or gray, 1940s-style dress. She's usually spotted entering or leaving rooms on the 10th or 11th floors or wandering the halls. Author Ginny Meyers Sain accidentally caught a hair-raising snap of a spirit in a selfie she snapped for her son (see the image here).
Several Trip Advisor commenters have also reported cases of paranormal activity, from one guest who woke up with a figure hovering over her in the middle of the night, to a couple claiming to hear voices with 1940s Transatlantic accents in the room over, which was empty at the time. On top of that, bartenders have reported apparitions passing behind them on a daily basis. Whether it's Elizabeth's ghost or someone else's spirit haunting the Biltmore, we will never know for sure. Indeed, whether Elizabeth was seen alive and well after she left the Biltmore Hotel remains a highly debated subject amongst journalists and researchers today.
Curious to hear more about Elizabeth Short's case and whether or not the Biltmore was really the last place she was seen? Listen to this week's episode of our haunted house podcast series, Dark House, for exclusive ghost stories and insights into the home's twisted history.
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