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photo creDit: chriS miller, Jerry roBertS, anD the hermoSa Beach hiStorical Society

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The Historic

iltmore Hotel in Hermosa Beach

by quinn roberTs The largest high rise structure in downtown Hermosa Beach during its heyday, the Biltmore Hotel became the center of social activity and a destination point for world travels, Hollywood types and anyone who wanted to enjoy the Beautiful Beach. Transformed from the Surf and Sand Beach Club in the 1920s between 14th and 15th streets on the Strand, the Biltmore changed Hermosa Beach forever and allowed residents and guests to enjoy elegance and grandness in a rapidly expanding Hermosa Beach.
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THE bEGINNING
Built in 1926, the luxurious hotel originally opened as the Surf and Sand beach Club, and was run on a private basis. After the private club idea became a losing proposition a few years later, the founders and owners sold the property to the Los Angeles Athletic Association, who attempted to run in on the same basis. However, this the group sold out to hotel interests in 1930, eventually creating the ground work for the Biltmore Hotel. A thriving establishment for close to 40 years, the building was acquired by the International Vangelica Society in 1966, and later torn down in 1969, marking the end of an era.

FUN FACTS
among those celebrated in the ballroom of the Biltmore hotel were aviator charles lindbergh and first lady eleanor roosevelt. the hotel even hosted Washington and other dignitaries. roosevelt even took over the property for a time to promote charitable causes. mobster Bugsy Siegel tried to buy the Biltmore, yet nothing ever came of it. a cost per ticket in 1940 for a dance at the Biltmore hotel was $1.25, including dinner and dancing in the ballroom. after the cup of cold Water ministry took over the building and operated it as mission a few years before it was torn down, hippies and vagrants, along with drifters found temporary shelter inside it, and according to news reports at the time, several fires had to be extinguished there. During World War ii, for a short time, the building was taken over by the federal government and used as a youth training center.

1. taken in 1928, the Biltmore hotel at thiS time WaS Still knoWn aS the Surf anD SanD Beach cluB. 2. With the Biltmore in the DiStance, thiS ShoWS a VieW of hermoSa aVenue at 22nD Street With Vacant DuneS anD plenty of open Space. in the miDDle of the Street, the reD car line DiViDeD the northBounD anD SouthBounD laneS of hermoSa aVenue. 3. from thiS aerial VieW, you can not only See the Biltmore hotel at the Bottom left corner, But oil WellS along the eaStern horizon. 4. taken During the roaring tWentieS, the Beach in front of the Surf anD SanD Beach cluB (Soon to Be the Biltmore hotel) numBereD in the thouSanDS, eSpecially on a Warm Summer Day, With the umBrellaS to proVe it. 5. taken During the 1932 olympic gameS in loS angeleS, the Biltmore hoSteD the athleteS from inDia (pictureD here) anD a Banquet WaS helD in their honor in the Ballroom, Which oVerlookeD the pacific ocean. 6. in thiS aerial VieW, you cannot only See the original pier anD the Biltmore hotel to the left, But the amount of unDerDeVelopeD lanD eaSt of pacific coaSt highWay. 7. a ticket to the annual hermoSa Beach Surfing cluBS Dance in 1940 at the Biltmore, featuring SurferS: John kerWin, hal pearSon, freD kerWin, Don granniS anD aaron Wolf. 8. a claSSic Summertime photo Depicting life on the StranD anD at the Beach in front of the Biltmore, thiS Shot WaS taken from eighth Street looking north toWarD the hermoSa Beach pier. 9. the interior During a 1928 hermoSa Beach chamBer of commerce luncheon, Where many local DignitarieS Sat, incluDing ralph anD charlotte matteSon. 10. torn DoWn in 1969, the Biltmore hotel markeD the enD of an era in hermoSa Beach.

FLOORS OF THE bILTMORE

A six story building, the Biltmore Hotel had floors for specific purposes, along with a roof top deck.

LObby
The most expansive floor, the lobby had everything from a coffee shop kitchen, to a cocktail bar to a swimming pool. Throughout the lobby were brown and coral upholstered lounges, along with coral lamp shades. The Cocktail Room, which was called the City Room sat 200, had a dance floor and a baby grand piano. Then decorated in sport plaid, with bar stools and upholstered chairs, the Cocktail Bar could seat 100 guests. It also opened directly onto the beach and became a popular place for both strollers and bathers. Meanwhile, the heated swimming pool had both mens and womens dressing rooms that adjoined the plunge which opened onto the Strand and beach.

MEzzANINE
Once comprised of a health studio, a large kitchen for guests and a clubroom named the Key Room, guests could multitask on this floor. The health studio had massage tables, weights and cycles for exercising, steam rooms, dressing rooms and showers. The kitchen had everything from a french fryer to a meat slicing machine to a walk in refrigerator and could serve a complete dinner for up to 2,500 guests. The key room had a scroll shaped bar, which sat 15, a small dance space and enough tables and booths to seat 50 diners or dancers.

FLOOR 2
The floor where everyone came to have a good time, the entire second floor was solely for recreation purposes. Three large rooms were used for dancing and banquets, with the ballroom extending across the entire building. Able to divide the ballroom area into two different rooms, one could accommodate around 1,500 guests, while the other could hold around 1,000.

FLOORS 3-6
Where a total 120 rooms in the hotel were located, each room in the biltmore contained a toilet and wash bowl, yet over half of the rooms had a private bath and several had connecting baths. Every room was completely renovated in 1955 with new beds, mattresses, furniture and rugs.

ROOF
* Many guest enjoyed sunbathing, while others were able to see breathtaking, panoramic views of: Catalina, Palos Verdes, the Hollywood Hills and Malibu.

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