The Dark History of The Cecil Hotel: Part 1
2 September 2026
Deep Dive
The Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles has one of the darkest histories ever discussed on the podcast. As a one-time home to serial killers including Richard Ramirez and the site of countless strange and terrible deaths, is it any wonder many guests have described the Cecil as feeling incredible haunted? Today, in Part 1 of this landmark 100th episode, Chyaz explores some of the most bizarre stories to emerge from the Hotel Cecil over the past century. When you think the reputation of this Skid Row establishment can’t get any more bizarre, it somehow manages to get one step stranger…
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Source Shout Outs:
Vanity Fair Article: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/cecil-hotel-los-angeles-for-sale?srsltid=AfmBOorqtj3XyhvvqPPnja5EjAvKGb0q3Lm7-eTREbUxqyiWrmRYM9h-
Business Insider Article: https://www.businessinsider.com/cecil-hotel-history-what-its-like-today-photos-2022-3#percy-ormond-cook-was-the-first-known-guest-to-take-his-life-at-the-cecil-in-1927-3
HowStuffWorks Article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/cecil-hotel.htm
Los Angeles Times Newspaper Clippings: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-cecil-suicide-att/20113056/?locale=en-US
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-cecil-hotel/29333897/
Progress Bulletin Newspaper Clipping: https://www.newspapers.com/article/progress-bulletin-dorothy-jean-purcell-b/142627154/
Los Angeles Times Article: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-30-me-10223-story.html
Memories Project Post: https://memoriesproject.com/2021/02/10/my-fathers-cecil-hotel-experience-haunted-him-for-life/
Biography.com Article: https://www.biography.com/crime/jack-unterweger
Britannica Article: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Ramirez
ScreenRant Article: https://screenrant.com/vanishing-cecil-hotel-black-dahlia-connection-murder-explained/
Mental Floss Article: https://www.mentalfloss.com/crime/the-black-dahlia-murder-facts
DenofGeek Article: https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/ghost-adventures-cecil-house-zak-bagans-interview/
Country Living Article: https://www.countryliving.com/life/travel/a45235/creepy-history-cecil-hotel-los-angeles/
The LAist Article: https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/cecil-hotel-downtown-los-angeles-skid-row-homeless-housing-problems-tenants
Peet Montzingo Cecil Hotel Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhcK4KMRKMgomxSq7zv6WUft8DawIksJz
Watch on YouTube
Themes
- Urban decline and housing
- Violence and infamous residents
- Haunting, atmosphere and personal testimony
- Media and mythmaking
Questions Explored
What is the Cecil Hotel and how did it change after it opened? + −
The Cecil Hotel opened in 1924 in downtown Los Angeles as a 14 storey, 700 room art-deco hotel marketed to businessmen and tourists, but the Great Depression forced cheaper room rates and both short and long stay bookings, transforming it into low-cost accommodation. Chyaz Samuel lays out this early history in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100-PT1: The Dark History of The Cecil Hotel: Part 1.
When did deaths and suicides begin at the Cecil Hotel? + −
The first recorded suicide at the Cecil was Percy Ormond Cook in 1927, and the 1930s and 1940s saw at least nine further deaths including poisonings and multiple falls from the building, with several incidents described in contemporary newspaper clippings. Chyaz Samuel covers these early fatalities in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100-PT1: The Dark History of The Cecil Hotel: Part 1.
Who were the notorious killers who stayed at the Cecil Hotel? + −
The episode identifies Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker, who lived on the 14th floor during his mid-1980s killing spree, and Jack Unterweger, an Austrian murderer who stayed at the Cecil in 1991 and is believed to have killed several sex workers in Los Angeles. Chyaz Samuel lays out these connections in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100-PT1: The Dark History of The Cecil Hotel: Part 1.
Why do people describe the Cecil Hotel as haunted? + −
Accounts focus less on visible apparitions and more on an oppressive, dark atmosphere; investigators on Ghost Adventures called the building saturated with dark energies, a former guest reported being smothered in his room, and a neighbour who filmed the exterior described eerie sightings and a chilling feeling when exploring inside. Chyaz Samuel goes into these accounts in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100-PT1: The Dark History of The Cecil Hotel: Part 1.
What is the Cecil Hotel’s status today and how have recent uses affected its reputation? + −
A portion of the building was rebranded in 2011 as Stay On Main, it closed for renovations in 2017 and reopened in 2021 as supportive housing initially managed by the Skid Row Housing Trust, but reporting notes ongoing infestations, broken lifts and open drug use, and management appears unclear as of 2026. Chyaz Samuel lays out this recent timeline in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100-PT1: The Dark History of The Cecil Hotel: Part 1.
Why is Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, sometimes linked to the Cecil Hotel? + −
Elizabeth Short was a 22 year old woman murdered in January 1947 whose case drew massive media attention; rumours have long suggested she might have visited the Cecil, but the episode notes there are no official records proving she stayed or was at the hotel bar, and the link appears driven by an LAPD officer’s report and later speculation. Chyaz Samuel goes into the Black Dahlia connections in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100-PT1: The Dark History of The Cecil Hotel: Part 1.