I sorta hate to bring this up, since it’s a trivial fact in light of a tragedy.
But the hotel where singing superstar Whitney Houston died on Saturday — the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. — sits next to Route 66. A reader alerted me to this today.
The hotel lists its address as 9876 Wilshire Blvd., which is not Route 66. However, the sprawling hotel complex occupies a corner of Santa Monica Boulevard, which is Route 66. And the Hilton is visible from that road.
And it’s not as if the Beverly Hilton is a johnny-come-lately of the chain. It was built in 1955, and was owned by Merv Griffin for over 15 years.
It’s not just a celebrity hangout. Numerous U.S. presidents have stayed there, to the point where it’s called the West Coast White House. The Beverly Hilton is already historically significant because of its age, and because of who booked a room there.
TMZ reported today that Houston’s room where she died is reoccupied. However, instead of booking guests there, the hotel probably is taking the room out of rotation for a few weeks until morbid curiosity-seekers go away, or until the room is thoroughly remodeled.
Celebrity death sites will attract a smattering of tourists. A lonely stretch of U.S. 95, aka Route 66, near Needles, Calif., was where comedian Sam Kenison died in a car crash in 1992.
We agree with you, Route 66 News, and others as well also hate that you brought it up in this Hollywood-lighted fashion, too. In our opinion,… Route 66 News is much more realistic than the over fanatical and controversial TMZ (Thirty Mile Zone), and most likely shouldn’t be associated with the mention in online news broadcasts.
Nice article – I truly forgot Sam Kinison did die on the route. Next time I head to Needles – I will have to slow down and be a ‘late to the party rubber necker’!