Ghosts & the Supernatural – The Cecil Hotel now known as Stay on Main is one of the most haunted hotels in all of California and perhaps even all of America. The hotel is so haunted that it inspired Hollywood to have a whole season of the TV series American Horror Story dedicated to the hotel.
This season was known as American Horror Story: Hotel in which the hotel magnate James Patrick March was based on another hotel magnate in Chicago, serial killer H.H. Holmes. The actual hotelier for the Cecil Hotel was a shrewd businessman named William Banks Hanner.
During the time I worked for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, working alongside FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) during the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, I stayed at the Mayfair Hotel (most of my time in LA) – 1256 W. 7th Street, Los Angeles; and I stayed 2 days in the Cecil Hotel. The reason why I stayed at these two hotels is because of the reasonable prices. The Mayfair Hotel is also very haunted. The Mayfair Hotel was influenced by the Moorish Revival and was built in 1927. It was designed by Charles F. Whittlesey. Special Note: The movie: True Lies was filmed in the lobby of this hotel and I was on the 2nd balcony watching the movie being filmed. This is the first time I met up with Arnold Schwarzenegger, I would later meet and shake hands with Arnold 3 more times in my life in Sacramento at the State office I worked at during the time. The 3 other times I met Arnold, he was then California’s governor.
The Cecil Hotel was constructed in 1942, so it also has a lot of history. More so that the older Mayfair Hotel. Cecil Hotel had plenty of suicides and 3 murders that took place inside the hotel. While staying at the Cecil Hotel, I became friendly with the hotel clerk. The hotel clerk explained to me that serial killers Richard Ramirez aka the Night Stalker stayed at the hotel in 1985 and that serial killer Jack Unterweger aka the Brassiere Strangler stayed in the hotel in 1991. I have read many accounts of these two serial killers staying at the Cecil Hotel, but I have never read that in February of 1976, Kenneth Bianchi, who was new to Los Angeles at the time, stayed at the Cecil Hotel for a couple of days. Kenneth Bianchi, along with his cousin Angelo Buono were known as the Hillside Stranglers and they terrorized Los Angeles from 1977 to 1978. The hotel clerk told me that he distinctly remembers Kenneth Bianchi staying at this hotel.
A victim of murder, the Black Dahlia may have stayed at the Cecil Hotel, but this is only a rumor. The Cecil Hotel has such a dark and disturbing history. Not to forget Elisa Lam whose body was found in a water supply tank on February 19, 2013. See the strange video of Elisa Lam here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ_E6l1P86U
Just recently on June 13, 2015, a 28 year old male committed suicide at the Cecil Hotel. Here are some of the stories I have been told to me by the hotel clerks of the Cecil Hotel and Mayflower Hotel.
Cecil Hotel Clerk relates to me:
A Lady in Blue was seen gliding down the hallway on the 2nd floor.
Shadow people seen in the hallway of the 4th floor.
On the 5th floor, a man with blood on his mouth has been seen. There have been 3 witnesses to this ghost and one of the patrons of the hotel called this ghost “Bloody Mouth”.
Mayfair Hotel Clerk relates to me:
A little boy is seen looking through hotel doorways on the 3rd floor. The little boy appears to be lost. He wears a blue jean one piece jump suit. The guests call him: Lost Boy.
A blonde nude woman is seen passing through a 4th floor hotel door room. Known as “Blondie”. Story goes that Blondie is a possible prostitute that frequented this hotel.
Several green orbs were seen floating around the 8th floor.
Little imp creature seen on 5th floor running from one room to another. Known as the “5th Floor Imp”.
If you are ever in Los Angeles and you consider yourself a paranormal investigator, these are two hotels you should visit. Let me know your results.
Paul Dale Roberts, HPI Esoteric Detective
Halo Paranormal Investigations (HPI International)
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/HPIinternational/
