Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel occupies more than half a city block, defined by its massive stone columns and the figures of Ceres and Neptune carved into its exterior façade. When it opened in nineteen twenty-three, it stood as the largest hotel in the United States west of Chicago. Architects Schultze and Weaver designed the structure in a mix of Spanish-Italian Renaissance Revival and Beaux-Arts styles, intending to honor the city’s heritage. The interior features frescoes and murals by Italian artist Giovanni Smeraldi, who also decorated rooms at the Vatican and the White House.