Since it opened in 1929,
the Chateau Marmont has been a beloved retreat of actors, writers, musicians, and directors craving a temporary (or sometimes not so temporary) home away from the prying eyes of the public and the press. As the Old Hollywood adage goes: “If you want to be seen, go to the Beverly Hills Hotel. If you don’t want to be seen, go to Chateau Marmont.”The Chateau was the brainchild of Los Angeles attorney Fred Horowitz, who hired architects Arnold A. Weitzman and William Douglas Lee to build an apartment building inspired by European châteaux, particularly Château d’Amboise in the Loire Valley, France. Following the Great Depression, Chateau Marmont was sold and turned into a hotel, and over the years, the property has been a landing pad for young stars arriving in Hollywood and A-listers between marriages, and a spot to live as one pleased without fear of it ending up in the papers. In 1990 hotelier André Balazs bought and renovated the storied hotel. Balazs announced plans to convert it into a private members–only hotel in 2020, but that plan was abandoned in 2022, the same year the hotel staff were able to unionize. Read on for a glimpse at the guestbook and discover the famous guests that have called the Chateau Marmont home.