Think flatiron angles in twilight, crystal chandeliers dripping light, and the soft echo of steps along vintage carpet. Since September 4, 1924, The Culver Hotel has been doing more than hosting—it has been conjuring stories. This September, it turns 101, and those stories still pulse in every room, every corner, every note of live music in the lobby.
A Legend Built in Stone & Screen
Harry Culver didn’t just build a hotel—he built a monument to his vision. He erected what was then called the Hotel Hunt to house his offices and sales force—but more than that, he planted the seed of a community. As the founder of Culver City, he lured filmmakers and studios like Thomas Ince and MGM, and soon his hotel stood at the geographic and mythic heart of Hollywood’s golden age.
Built by architects Curlett & Beelman in the Renaissance Revival / Beaux-Arts style, with its wedge-shaped flatiron silhouette, the hotel was advertised in 1924 as visible from miles away. Soon after, its guest list filled with legends: Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Judy Garland. All 124 ‘Munchkin’ actors from The Wizard of Oz stayed here—sleeping three to a bed. Stories abound of poker games, secret tunnels, and Chaplin, Wayne, and others walking its halls.
A Menu Worth the Milestone
To honor 101 years, The Culver Hotel isn’t resting on nostalgia; it’s turning it into flavor. For the whole month of September, a curated $101 dinner-for-two menu offers a chance to dine like it’s 1924 but with fresh flair: prawns in cocktail sauce, baby gem Caesar with rosemary sourdough croutons, beef sliders with Fiscalini cheddar, fries and bread & butter pickles—and finish with coffee crème brûlée built from beans from Hawaii Sunshine Orchards.
From 5 p.m. until close, guests can choose the Grand Lobby’s elegant interiors or the tree-lined garden patio. Live music from 7 p.m. onward turns every evening into a celebration. Add to that a trivia quiz about the hotel’s history—answer correctly, and you might win a complimentary night’s stay at this legend.
Plus restoration is written into its bones. After periods of decline—from boarded windows to rumor-filled corridors—the hotel was revived. In 2007, the Mallick family purchased it, and with design interventions that honor original details, it regained its voice: a place for cocktails in the lobby, casual dinners outdoors, quiet rooms with soul. It’s vintage inspired, European romantic, uniquely L.A. in that golden-hour glow.
Why 101 Is Just the Beginning
101 doesn’t mean old—it means inherited. The hotel is a living archive, a place where film and stories were once made and are still made. It holds the weight of celebrities, ghost stories, murals behind corners, the laughter of Munchkins, the collapse and the rebuild.
So here’s to September nights spent sipping drinks under trees, to sliders that hit just right, to trivia that connects you to the past, and to celebrating with those moments that feel timeless. The Culver Hotel doesn’t just turn 101—it turns up the lights for the next chapter.
Culver 101 Anniversary Menu
📍 The Culver Hotel, 9400 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA
📅 September 1–30, 2025 | ⏰ 5 p.m. until close (live music nightly at 7 p.m.)
🎟️ Special $101 Dinner-for-Two menu available all month, including prawn cocktail, Caesar salad, beef sliders with fries, and coffee crème brûlée.
🔗 culverhotel.com
📲 Follow: @culverhotel
Photo credits: Photos courtesy of The Culver Hotel
