I first heard about the Chateau Marmont when Gore Vidal had mentioned it in his novel, Myra Breckenridge. (The cover image on the novel's dust jacket was the illuminated larger than life amazon that revolved outside the Chateau for years, but no longer.) Reportedly the only hotel that Garbo would stay at in Hollywood. That was good enough for me, so when my job at public television in Boston required me to give a presentation in LA, I opted to stay you-know-where. This was in 1980, long before the hotel's multi-million-dollar renovation, before the room rates shot sky high, long before John Belushi OD'd in one of the bungalows by the pool. It was still a little shabby, Old Hollywood but rough around the edges. When I arrived, they had no singles left, would I mind being upgraded to a suite? Yippeee! I loved my stay there and managed to accumulate any number of souvenirs (hangers, stationery, pens, matches) that still make me smile today.
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