Where was American Horror Story: Hotel filmed? Answer is – American Horror Story: Hotel was primarily filmed in Los Angeles, California. The majority of the interior scenes of the Hotel Cortez were filmed on a massive, custom-built set on a soundstage. However, the exterior shots feature a real-life historic building, the James Oviatt Building in downtown Los Angeles. Parts of the season were also filmed in other locations around the city.

Where Was American Horror Story: Hotel Filmed?

American Horror Story: Hotel, the fifth season of the wildly popular horror anthology series, delves into a world of glamour, addiction, and unspeakable horrors hidden within the confines of the mysterious Hotel Cortez.

Set in Los Angeles, the visually stunning season draws inspiration from classic hotel-based horror films and real-life tales of the macabre associated with some of the city’s most infamous hotels.

At the center of the story is the enigmatic Countess, played with chilling brilliance by Lady Gaga. The Countess is an ancient vampire-like creature who presides over the hotel, using her allure and supernatural powers to feed on its inhabitants.

Detective John Lowe (Wes Bentley) becomes entangled in the hotel’s sinister secrets when he investigates a series of gruesome murders linked to the Ten Commandments.

As he descends further into the hotel’s twisted labyrinth, Lowe encounters a host of eccentric and dangerous characters, including the Countess’s lovers, trapped souls of past victims, and the hotel’s unsettling staff.

American Horror Story: Hotel explores themes of addiction, lust, revenge, and the insatiable hunger for immortality. The hotel itself becomes a character, its opulent Art Deco design masking dark corridors, hidden rooms, and a history steeped in bloodshed.

It’s a place where the line between reality and the supernatural blurs, and where the consequences of desire can be deadly.

With its twisted plotlines, shocking violence, and a mesmerizing cast of characters, American Horror Story: Hotel delivers a visually captivating and deeply unsettling horror experience that lingers long after the final credits roll.

The Fictional Hotel Cortez

While the Hotel Cortez exudes an air of old-world grandeur, it’s a place born from nightmares, not reality.

The heart of the hotel was meticulously constructed on a soundstage, allowing the American Horror Story production team complete control over the environment and the ability to create a truly unsettling atmosphere.

Soundstage Sets

Building the intricate interior sets of the Hotel Cortez on a soundstage provided several key advantages:

Controlled Lighting: The crew could manipulate lighting to create an oppressive mood. The lobby’s dim, golden glow contrasted sharply with the unnerving, often flickering, lights of hidden hallways and guestrooms, enhancing the sense of unease.

Intricate Architecture: The soundstage allowed for elaborate set designs. The Cortez’s maze-like corridors, secret passages, and hidden rooms disoriented viewers and characters alike, adding to the claustrophobic feel.

Flexibility: Unlike real hotels, the soundstage offered flexibility. Walls could be moved, rooms reconfigured, and elaborate special effects seamlessly employed for maximum scares.

Production Design

The Hotel Cortez’s production design aimed to make the location both visually appealing yet deeply unsettling.

Here’s how they achieved this:

Opulent Decay: The hotel embodied a faded Art Deco elegance. Lush fabrics, ornate chandeliers, and geometric patterns hinted at a bygone era, while peeling paint, water stains, and cracked tiles subtly signaled neglect and a haunting history.

Color Palette: Warm, rich tones of gold, crimson, and amber in the public spaces contrasted with the cooler blues, greens, and stark whites of private rooms and service areas. This visual contrast added psychological depth and a sense of separation between the hotel’s deceptive facade and its sinister reality.

Unexpected Textures: Velvet upholstery, worn leather, and tarnished metal clashed with the smooth gleam of marble floors. This clashing of textures created a subtle sensory dissonance, making viewers slightly uncomfortable.

Hidden Horrors: Bloodstains, disturbing artwork, and even bodies entombed within the walls served as shocking reminders of the violence the hotel concealed beneath its glamorous veneer.

The James Oviatt Building

The James Oviatt Building, a historic gem located in downtown Los Angeles, provided the perfect facade for the fictional Hotel Cortez.

Its striking architecture and historical significance made it a compelling visual representation of the show’s themes of faded elegance and hidden darkness.

History of the James Oviatt Building

Birth of an Icon: Commissioned by James Oviatt, a wealthy haberdasher, the James Oviatt Building opened its doors in 1928.  It was designed by the renowned architectural firm Walker & Eisen, who were significant figures in shaping LA’s architectural landscape during the early 20th century.

A Changing City: Over the decades, like downtown Los Angeles itself, the Oviatt Building endured periods of decline and renewal. It was eventually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Architectural Features and Art Deco Influence

The James Oviatt Building embodies the Art Deco style, a movement popular in the 1920s and 1930s known for its geometric forms, opulent materials, and celebration of technology and progress.

Notable features include:

• Bold Verticality: The building’s facade soars upwards, emphasizing its height and creating an imposing presence amidst its surroundings.
• Ornate Details: Intricate metalwork, geometric patterns etched into the stonework, and stylized sculptures showcase the craftsmanship and luxurious aesthetic of the Art Deco era.
• Lalique Glass: The building originally boasted a wealth of decorative glasswork designed by renowned French artist René Lalique, including massive illuminated panels, chandeliers, and elevator doors. While some were removed over time, remnants remain, adding a touch of both beauty and eerie opulence.

Why It Was the Perfect Stand-in for the Hotel Cortez

The James Oviatt Building embodied the perfect blend of glamour and menace that American Horror Story: Hotel sought to portray.

Here’s why:

• Visual Allure: The Art Deco style is inherently cinematic. The Oviatt Building’s striking lines and ornate details created a sense of timeless beauty, ideal for establishing the hotel’s deceptive facade.
• Haunted History: Like any old building, particularly one situated in a transforming downtown area, the Oviatt Building carries with it a sense of history, some of it likely checkered. This unspoken past aligns perfectly with the suggestion of dark secrets hidden within the Hotel Cortez.
• Sense of Scale: The building’s imposing size and vertical thrust mirrored the intimidating grandeur the creators envisioned for the Hotel Cortez.

The James Oviatt Building provided far more than just a beautiful backdrop for American Horror Story: Hotel. It served as a tangible reminder of Los Angeles’ own glamorous and sometimes sordid past, seamlessly blending the real world with the show’s fantastical brand of horror.

Other Los Angeles Filming Locations

Carondelet House: This historic 1928 mansion, known for its eclectic Italianate and French Chateau architecture, served as the home of fashion designer Will Drake. Its opulent interiors and sprawling grounds mirrored Drake’s glamorous lifestyle and provided a stark contrast to the hotel’s macabre atmosphere.

Los Angeles City Hall: The seat of LA’s government was transformed into a police station where Detective John Lowe conducts his investigations. The building’s imposing neoclassical design and grand interior spaces added a sense of both authority and coldness, reflecting the procedural elements of the plot.

Park Plaza Hotel: This grand old hotel, a prime example of Art Deco architecture, provided backdrops for various scenes throughout the season. Its vintage charm, echoing a bygone era of Los Angeles, further enhanced the show’s exploration of faded glamour and the lasting grip of the past.

Vibiana: This former cathedral-turned-event-space lent its unique ambiance for the Countess’s lavish fashion show. The mix of sacred and profane elements within Vibiana’s architecture symbolized the Countess’s own duality, blurring the lines between beauty and monstrosity.

Griffith Observatory: The iconic observatory, with its sweeping views of Los Angeles, played a role in the backstory of Tristan Duffy (Finn Wittrock) and provided a picturesque backdrop for scenes of romance and seduction.

How They Contributed to the Overall Aesthetic

The diverse filming locations throughout Los Angeles played a crucial role in establishing the show’s distinctive visual language and thematic depth:

• Glamour and Grit: The juxtaposition of opulent mansions, glamorous hotels, and the gritty underbelly of police stations mirrored the stark social contrasts present both within the Hotel Cortez and the city of Los Angeles itself.
• Timelessness: Utilizing landmark buildings steeped in history evoked a sense of timelessness and a blurring between past and present. This reinforced the theme that even amidst the changing face of the city, old evils and lingering darkness remain.
• Visual Variety: Moving beyond the confines of the hotel expanded the visual scope of the season. Filming in unique spaces contributed to the show’s sense of cinematic flair and heightened the viewer’s sense of exploring a complex, multifaceted Los Angeles.
• Symbolic Settings: Locations like City Hall representing authority, or the desanctified Vibiana, aligned with the show’s undercurrents of social commentary, as well as exploration of morality and corruption.

By carefully selecting a range of Los Angeles filming locations, American Horror Story: Hotel achieved a rich visual tapestry. These locations not only offered beautiful backdrops, but actively contributed to the narrative, symbolizing the various facets of the city, its characters, and the ever-present battle between beauty and decay.

Conclusion

American Horror Story: Hotel expertly weaves together a blend of purpose-built sets and iconic Los Angeles locations to create a chilling and visually striking world of horror.

The fictional Hotel Cortez, brought to life primarily on a soundstage, offered the production team maximum control, allowing them to design a labyrinthine environment filled with unsettling details and flexible spaces for terrifying special effects.

The opulent Art Deco design of the hotel further contributed to its menacing elegance, serving as a constant reminder of the darkness lurking beneath the surface.

The use of the James Oviatt Building as the exterior of the Hotel Cortez was a masterstroke. Its grand facade and historical presence instantly conveyed the themes of faded grandeur and secrets hidden in plain sight.

The contrast between the inviting exterior and the horrors within mirrored the deceptive nature of the characters inhabiting the hotel.

The careful selection of additional locations across Los Angeles, from vintage hotels to iconic landmarks, expanded the world of American Horror Story: Hotel.

These locations served both practical and symbolic purposes, adding visual flair and deepening the show’s exploration of Los Angeles as a city of both glamour and hidden darkness.

What Does “Where Was American Horror Story: Hotel Filmed?” Mean for Fans?

For dedicated fans of American Horror Story: Hotel, understanding the filming locations offers several exciting possibilities:

The Thrill of the Visit: Fans can experience the evocative presence of the James Oviatt Building in person. While inaccessible for interior exploration, standing before the building that served as the fictional Hotel Cortez provides a direct connection to the show’s world, potentially sparking the exciting yet chilling sense of stepping into the show’s narrative.

Appreciating the Production Process: Learning about the creation of the Hotel Cortez’s interior on a soundstage offers insight into the meticulous details and craftsmanship involved in making a horror production. Fans gain a deeper appreciation for how sets, lighting, and sound design create unforgettable scares.

Peeking Behind the Curtain: Exploring other Los Angeles locations used in the season provides a glimpse into the filmmaking process. Recognizing familiar places transformed into settings within the show reveals a kind of magic in how everyday locations become stages for horror and drama.

FAQs

Can I go inside the James Oviatt Building?

Unfortunately, the James Oviatt Building currently functions as an office space and is not open for public tours.

Are there guided tours of American Horror Story filming locations in LA?

Several companies offer tours specifically focused on filming locations of movies and TV shows, including American Horror Story. A quick online search for “Los Angeles horror filming location tours” should yield several options.

How do I find out where other seasons of American Horror Story were filmed?

Websites dedicated to filming locations, such as On Set Locations or The Movie District, offer detailed information about filming locations for various seasons of AHS.