The Beverly Hilton

The Beverly Hilton
Company type	Private
Industry	Hospitality
Predecessor	Crummer Development Corporation
Founded	August 11, 1955; 71 years ago in Beverly Hills, California, United States
Founder	Conrad Hilton
Headquarters	Beverly Hills, United States
Area served	Worldwide (via Hilton Hotels & Resorts)
Key people	Beny Alagem (owner), Conrad Hilton (founder)
Products	Hotel services, event hosting
Owner	Beny Alagem (Oasis West Realty)
Parent	Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Website	www.beverlyhilton.com

The Beverly Hilton is a hotel situated on a prime site at the crossroads of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills, California, United States. It is famously known as the location for the yearly Golden Globe Awards ceremony and serves as a host for various awards presentations, philanthropic events, and entertainment sector functions.

History

In 1949, Hilton Hotels Corporation arranged to lease a forthcoming hotel project by Crummer Development Corporation on a 9-acre parcel in Beverly Hills. When the initial agreement collapsed, Hilton acquired both the company and its property in 1950 for $3.07 million, renaming it Beverly Hilton Development Corporation before merging it into Hilton.^[1]

Construction commenced in August 1953 on a $12 million, 416-room hotel designed by architect Welton Becket. Budget overruns delayed the planned 1954 debut and necessitated securing a $5 million mortgage on the Mayflower Hotel to finance the project.^[2]

The Beverly Hilton officially opened its doors on August 11, 1955, with founder Conrad Hilton and Vice President Richard Nixon present. The hotel rapidly flourished, expanding its Bali Room ballroom in 1957 to form the 1,700-seat International Ballroom, which became the largest ballroom on the West Coast. Since 1961, this venue has hosted the Golden Globe Awards.^[3] In 1960, a new Lanai wing featuring 41 rooms with direct pool access was added.^[4]

In March 1961, Hilton sold the property for $13.4 million to private investors but simultaneously leased it back under a long-term contract with options to repurchase. That same year saw completion of a 500-car garage, increasing total parking capacity to 1,500 spaces—the largest parking facility attached to any hotel worldwide.^[5] Hilton repurchased both the hotel and garage in 1966 for $14.3 million and by 1967 had constructed an additional 180-room wing equipped with new facilities, raising total room count to 630.^[6]

In 1975, Hilton divested a 50% interest in six hotels—including The Beverly Hilton—to Prudential Insurance Company, creating the Beverly Hilton Joint Venture.^[7] This joint venture later sold The Beverly Hilton to entertainer and entrepreneur Merv Griffin for $100.2 million in December 1987.^[8]

Before Griffin’s purchase, the hotel underwent a $35 million refurbishment. Griffin had initially sought to acquire the nearby Beverly Hills Hotel, which was ultimately sold to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei for $200 million.^[9] During Griffin’s ownership from 1987 to 2003, upkeep declined amid intensifying market competition.

In 2003, Griffin sold The Beverly Hilton for $130 million to Beny Alagem, co-founder of Packard Bell Electronics, through Oasis West Realty.^[10] That year marked the beginning of an extensive $80 million renovation led by architecture firm Gensler, carried out in partnership with Hilton Hotels, which has managed the property since its inception.^[11]

The modernization reduced the number of rooms to 570 and outfitted them with contemporary features including 42-inch plasma HDTVs and Bose Wave radios. Reflecting a strategic pivot from leisure to corporate clientele—now accounting for 80% of guests—the hotel upgraded its meeting facilities, notably enhancing the International Ballroom.^[12]

On February 11, 2012, singer Whitney Houston passed away in Suite 434; subsequently, that room number was retired and reassigned.^[13]

Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria and Measure H

In April 2006, the proprietors revealed plans for a $500 million expansion of the Beverly Hilton, which necessitated modifying Beverly Hills' three-story height restriction to accommodate two 13-story condominium towers alongside a 15-story condo hotel. The development intended to establish the renovated hotel as a more affordable 4½-star option compared to nearby five-star establishments. The addition of two new three-level structures along Wilshire Boulevard was projected to introduce 96 guest rooms and retail spaces, while the Beverly Hilton itself would be downsized to a 402-room hotel, rebranded as the Beverly Hilton Oasis.

Included within the proposal was the creation of a 120-room Waldorf-Astoria Beverly Hills hotel, crafted by Gensler with interior design by Pierre-Yves Rochon—marking the brand’s inaugural property on the West Coast. Although both hotels operate independently, they are managed under Hilton Hotels Corporation.

The Beverly Hills City Council narrowly approved the plan with a 3–2 vote; however, local resistance prompted the introduction of Measure H on the November 2008 ballot. This measure sought voter approval to amend the city’s general plan, permitting luxury hotel development, condominiums, and open space on the Beverly Hilton site. Following a close tally, Measure H passed by a margin of 129 votes.

By April 2014, Oasis West Realty and Hilton Worldwide announced commencement of construction for the 12-story, 170-room Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills located at Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards. Designed by Gensler with interiors by Rochon, the facility features high-end dining options, retail outlets including Graff Diamonds, a spa, meeting venues, and a ballroom accommodating up to 200 guests. The hotel officially opened in 2017.

Beverly Hills Measure HH

Measure HH appeared on the November 2016 ballot as an initiative proposing to grant Oasis West Realty permission to erect a 37-story condominium tower on the Beverly Hilton property. The proposal was rejected by nearly 56% of voters in Beverly Hills.

One Beverly Hills

In 2021, Alagem Capital, owner of the Beverly Hilton, unveiled plans for a $5 billion redevelopment project named One Beverly Hills on an adjacent 17-acre site. The city council approved the development by a 4–1 vote. Norman Foster serves as lead designer with Adamson Associates Inc. acting as architect of record. The project incorporates the existing Beverly Hilton into a larger complex featuring two residential towers (28 and 32 stories) containing close to 200 Aman-branded condominiums and a 10-story Aman Hotel with 75 suites. The development also includes roughly 35,000 square feet dedicated to retail and dining spaces, an underground garage accommodating approximately 2,100 vehicles, and eight acres of publicly accessible park-like areas featuring walking trails and botanical gardens. Construction commenced in February 2024 with an anticipated completion date set for 2031. As part of this undertaking, the multi-level parking garage at the Beverly Hilton was demolished during summer 2024.

Notable events

Golden Globe Awards hosted since 1961
Gracie Awards presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation since 1975
Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party
Richard Nixon’s final press conference in 1962 following his defeat in the California gubernatorial race
Exposure of John Edwards’ extramarital affair scandal in 2008
USA Swimming’s Golden Goggle Awards held in 2007 and 2009
Whitney Houston’s passing in February 2012 due to accidental drowning in her suite bathtub at the hotel

Film shooting location

The Beverly Hilton was featured as a filming site and backdrop for the movies To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Frost/Nixon (2008), and Argo (2012).

[1] Annual Reports

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[7] New York Times

[8] Associated Press

[9] New York Times

[10] USA Today

[11] New York Times

[12] New York Times

[13] Los Angeles Times

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