Home to eight Oscars ceremonies in its early years back in the 1930s and 1940s, Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles organised a viewing party for the recent 91st Academy Awards on February 24 at its iconic Gallery Bar to recognise its legacy. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts the awards, was founded at a luncheon banquet at the hotel, and the design for the famous Oscar statue was allegedly sketched on a linen Biltmore napkin by MGM Art Director Cedric Gibbons at that same luncheon.

The hotel set up a “Hollywood-themed” red carpet for guests to take photos and a large screen for the viewing. The culinary team also presented a special menu with dishes and drinks inspired by nominated films for the 2019 awards. For example, there was a special fruit and marinated vegetable platter for two inspired by A Star Is Born starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, while the ‘Biltmore Favourite’ was a poached prawn cocktail named after the period dramedy about Queen Anne, The Favourite, starring Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz.

In addition, a media crew from Fuji TV, also flew in from Tokyo, Japan, to cover the party as part of their 2019 Oscars episode, which aired nationwide in Japan the next day.

The hotel is also no stranger to Hollywood, being the backdrop of Hollywood films, television shows and music videos since its opening in 1924. Notably, some movie scenes from A Star Is Born (the original 1937 version and the remakes in 1976 and 2018) were filmed at the hotel! The 2018 version was nominated for eight categories at the Oscars and walked away with ‘Best Original Song’ for ‘Shallow’, the duet performed by the two leads.