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A Cultural Icon

The play centers on interpersonal relationships between friends, lovers, ex-spouses, (and one sex worker), all of which might have been set anywhere at any generic hotel. But Neil Simon chose the Beverly Hills Hotel, a popular icon that is distinctly Californian. Five years earlier, Simon made a similar choice in Plaza Suite, which is sort of the west coast counterpart to California Suite, by setting it in the iconic Plaza Hotel in New York. 

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Everyone comes and goes, but the hotel and its workers - the world of the play - are the only constant. As explained in John Terry's director's concept, the Blackbox space allows for a more immersive experience than the original Broadway production's proscenium design. The audience sees behind the scenes in the characters' intimate moments and also the workings of the hotel. First, here are some fast facts.

Things to Know About the BHH:

  • It's flamingo-pink with teal accents, a large teal sign, and white and teal-striped awnings. 

  • BHH was painted pink in 1948 to complement the sunset, and it was nicknamed the "Pink Palace."

  • Neil Simon was a frequent guest.

  • It was founded in 1912 by Margaret Anderson, whose motto was:

    • "Guests are entitled to the best of everything regardless of cost!"

  • The hotel was designed by Paul Revere Williams. At the time he was one of the most celebrated architects in the world.​​

  • The famous banana-leaf wallpaper (on the right, and all over this website) is in all of the hallways, adding up to 5 1/2 miles of banana leaf paper.

  • The hotel was built as a place for people to stay while looking for homes to buy, and it became a major hotspot for celebrities to gather.

  • In 1976, the Eagles released their album Hotel California (with their immensely popular and recognizable song by the same name). For the album cover, they used a photo of the BHH at sunset (right) to make it seem darker and more sinister (1).

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The Pink Palace (BHH)

Banana Leaf Wallpaper

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1976, The Eagles

Another fun fact!:
The Beverly Hills Hotel was actually built before the city of Beverly Hills existed! It was advertised as "halfway between Los Angeles and the sea."

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The Hotel Property

The Entryway:
The entrance to the hotel is another famous image. There are a lot of photographs of the entryway with classic cars parked in front, and it has also appeared in movies that were shot at the hotel. 

Walking into the hotel was walking on a red carpet. It is not designed for those who want to be inconspicuous, but it's great for someone who wants to feel glamorous!

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1950s

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Today

Celebrity Bungalows:
The hotel has 210 guest rooms (including suites) and 23 stand-alone bungalows, each "a discreetly glamorous hideaway for the Hollywood elite (2)." They were spread out over twelve acres. Some have private pools and jacuzzis. The bungalows were a fixture in Hollywood history. They give the thrill of knowing that some of the biggest stars alive could be nearby without those stars constantly getting mobbed.

Some Examples:

Bungalow 1: Marilyn Monroe usually stayed in #1 for the privacy of its secluded location. She would live there, sometimes for months at a time, while filming in Los Angeles. She was often accompanied by her then-husband, baseball great Joe DiMaggio, and later her then-husband, major American playwright Arthur Miller.  

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Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe (1960)

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Bungalow 4: Howard Hughes, eccentric (probably mentally ill) millionaire, lived in #4 on and off for three decades. He sometimes booked up to nine bungalows at a time, and the only person who knew his location was the hotel chef, who he would call on for a midnight snack. Hughes required that his daily lunch (a roast beef sandwich) be delivered by wedging them into a tree for Hughes to collect. 

Howard Hughes (1942)

Bungalow 5: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (her fifth and sixth husband out of eight) honeymooned in #5 and frequently stayed there. They (supposedly) had a standing room service order for two bottles of vodka at breakfast and two at lunch. Taylor spent six of her eight honeymoons at the bungalow (3).

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Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (1964)

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More Amenities

The Hotel Pool:
Famed actress Faye Dunaway sits by the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel on March 30th, 1977, the morning after she won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Network. This is a year after California Suite, so she isn't the one who beat Diana after all. She actually wasn't nominated at all in 1976, but she got the nod in 1975.

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Faye Dunaway (1977)

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The Polo Lounge (1974)

The Polo Lounge:
Situated in the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Polo Lounge is a restaurant/bar that opened in 1941 and is still operating today. It is famous as a celebrity hangout, and some of its frequent guests have been Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich, Fred Astaire, and Frank Sinatra, among many others. According to legend, Mia Farrow, and possibly Marlene  

Dietrich, were kicked out of the Polo Lounge for wearing pants. In 1966, the Polo Lounge was the site of a brawl involving Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. For full details, read the article here.

Movies Filmed at the Beverly Hills Hotel:
Over 200 movies have been filmed at the hotel, but here are a few from the around the time of the play, in case you want a better sense of the place (5)!

Move Over, Darling (1963)
Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963)
Country Coyote Goes to Hollywood (1965)
The Outside Man (1972)
The Way We Were (1973)
Coffy (1973)
Funny Lady (1975)
California Suite (1978)
The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979)
American Gigolo (1980)
Honky Tonk Freeway (1981)

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*Plus, it's a bit out of our era, but Pretty Woman (1990) was filmed there too!

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A Period Piece?

California Suite opened on Broadway in 1976. It was written as a contemporary play, which makes it a little different from a "period piece," which is a work deliberately written about a different time period. However, the understanding era in which it was written is helpful to understanding the play.

In the White House:

1969-1974: Richard Nixon (Rep) was a year into his second term when he resigned due to the Watergate scandal, which arose after Nixon was discovered to be responsible for a break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters. By resigning, Nixon avoided impeachment and likely removal from office. For more information about Watergate, Click Here to see the entry on the Terms and References page.

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Richard Nixon

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Gerald Ford

1974-1977: Gerald Ford (Rep) became Nixon's Vice President when Spiro Agnew resigned in 1973. Then, he served the remainder of Nixon's term as POTUS after Nixon resigned. Ford made the controversial decision to pardon Nixon for the Watergate scandal. He also signed the Helsinki Accords in an attempt to ease the East-West tensions of the Cold War. Ford was defeated by Jimmy Carter in 1976. 

1977-1981: Jimmy Carter (Dem) served two terms as POTUS. Carter was a peanut farmer from a poor family and an unlikely presidential candidate, but he defeated the odds and the incumbent (Ford). He focused on humanitarian efforts, such as pardoning Vietnam War draft dodgers, overseeing peace negotiations around the world, and participating in the creation of Habitat for Humanity (6).

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Jimmy Carter

The 1970s: Timeline

1970: Paul McCartney announces that he is leaving the Beatles, one of the most famous and influential rock bands in history. This later leads to the group officially breaking up, a major event in pop culture history.

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1971: In response to the environmental damage caused by nuclear testing in the Pacific, Greenpeace is founded in Vancouver. It starts as a group of activists trying (unsuccessfully) to stop nuclear testing and it grows to be the largest international, direct-action environmental group. 

1971: The Intel Corporation produces the first microprocessor. They create a single chip that replaces thousands of transistors.

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1972: The Equal Rights Amendment, which would be the 28th, is approved by the U.S. Senate and sent to the states for approval. It is finally ratified in 2020. 

1972: The Godfather, with Al Pacino and Marlon Brando, premieres. It eventually becomes one of the most significant classic films of all time.

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1972: The Munich Massacre occurs during Olympic Games, when a militant Palestinian group raid the Olympic Village to capture hostages from the Israeli team. 17 people (11 Israelis) are killed. It's the first time that a terrorist attack is broadcast to a live global audience.

1972: In the case of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decides that a woman has a constitutional right to abortion. It was controversial, and some city legislators illegally refused to allow abortions, which is what the women on the right are protesting.

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1973: In a "Battle of the Sexes" match, tennis champion Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs. 

1973: Egpyt and Syria attack Israel, starting the Yom Kippur War. It lasts twenty days and is a significant event in the ultimate peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.

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1973: After the Yom Kippur War, OPEC places an embargo on Arab oil, which means forbidding oil shipments to countries that supported Israel in the war, including the US. This creates the first major oil crisis in the United States.

1974: Stephen King, a brand-new baby author, publishes Carrie, his first novel. He goes on to become one of the most prolific and popular novelists in the world. 

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1974: In a boxing match known as the "Rumble in the Jungle," (it took place in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) Muhammad Ali beats George Foreman for the undisputed heavyweight title. The bout was one of the greatest sporting events of the 20th century.

1975: Saigon falls in South Vietnam, despite the help of U.S. forces. They're defeated by the communist forces of North Vietnam, ending the Vietnam War. 

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1975: Stephen Spielberg's Jaws opens in movie theaters. The success of the film started the trend of producing summer blockbusters. 

1975: Arther Ashe becomes the first Black man to win Wimbledon.

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1975: Saturday Night Live premiers. The original cast was known as the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players."

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1976: Serial killer David Berkowitz (aka Son of Sam) went on a killing spree in New York City, murdering six people.

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1977: Elvis Presley is found dead in his Memphis home, shocking the world.

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1977: Star Wars premieres in theaters, becoming an enormous hit, revolutionizing filmmaking with ground-breaking special effect innovations.

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1978: The cult known as the People's Temple, led by Jim Jones, ends in mass suicide. More than 900 people, including families and children, drink cyanide-spiked Flavor-Aid.

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