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Building History

Construction on the Beverly-Hilton began in 1953, and concluded with the hotel's opening on 08/12/1955, on a prime 8.9-acre parcel at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard, across the street from the Los Angeles Country Club.

Hilton Hotels Corporation sold a half-stake interest in the Beverly-Hilton in 1975 to the Prudential Insurance Company. They sold the property for $100.2 million to television personality and real estate mogul, Merv Griffin (1925-2007), in 12/1987.

Oasis West Realty, an interest controlled by computer mogul Binyamin "Beny" Alagem (born 1953), bought the landmark in 2003 for $130 million. In 04/2006, Oasis West's proposal to redevelop the property intensively caused controversy. Alagem hoped to obtain a variance allowing him to build higher than Beverly Hills's three-story height limit. He sought to build two 13-story condominium buildings, a 15-story condominium-hotel (in which condo owners could rent out their spaces while not inhabiting them), two three-story hotel buildings with retail space and overnight accommodations, and an underground parking garage for 1,400 autos. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel of New York, NY, would erect its only West Coast outlet here, a 120-room design created by the New York architecture firm of Gwathmey-Siegel and Associates. Although the Waldorf and a down-sized version of the Beverly-Hilton, (called the "Beverly Hilton Oasis") would be separately owned, the Hilton chain would manage the pair. To make room for the new buildings, the existing Oasis Court and Lanai Buildings would be demolished. Additionally, the high-kitsch Trader Vic's Restaurant and Bar would be torn down, a disaster for lounge-loving hipsters. A rancorous battle grew between Alagem and Beverly Hills citizens who objected to the height and density of the project. Although a ballot measure narrowly passed on 12/02/2008, the project fell victim to a paucity of lending capital caused by the 2008 Real Estate Bubble.

Building Notes

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has staged its Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton since 1961. Among actors, this awards show has long been considered one of the most festive and enjoyable.

Tel: 310.274.7777 (2004).

Alteration

The hotel underwent a $35 million renovation c. 1986. The Beverly-Hilton originally contained 582 rooms, but this was reduced to 569 during a remodeling / renovation (supervised by the architecture firm Gensler) done for the hotel's 50th year, c. 2005. Further development proposed in 2006 would have reduced the hotel's size further, to 402 rooms. This Beverly Hills Oasis Hotel would charge more for more luxurious environs, becoming smaller but more profitable.

Demolition

The razing of the Beverly Hilton became inevitable in 06/2021, when the Beverly Hills City Council voted 4-1 to allow the construction of Beny Alagem (born 1953) and Cain International's $2 billion One Beverly Hills project. One Beverly Hills would consist of two condominium towers, one 32-stories and the other 28-stories, and an additional 11-story hotel project. These towers would be set within eight acres of landscaped gardens. Depending on the timeline for final approvals, the Beverly Hilton would be demolished either in late 2021 or early 2022.

PCAD id: 1908