Sitting in the midst of the exciting streets of Los Angeles is a small, unassuming building with a truly dark history: the Cecil Hotel.

Sitting in the midst of the exciting streets of Los Angeles is a small, unassuming hotel that some people out there would probably like to avoid at all costs—the infamous Cecil Hotel. For practically all of its history, many things have gone seriously wrong inside this building. From spooky tragedies to unexplained mysteries, here are disturbing facts about the one and only Cecil Hotel.

TRAVEL TIPS

My resort charges $50 to replace a lost room key wristband. Is that a reasonable fee for a piece of plastic?

You check out, hand over your towel card, and then the front desk drops a surprise. A lost room key wristband will cost $50. For many travelers, that feels wildly expensive for what looks like a simple piece of plastic.

October 6, 2026 Jamie Hayes

TRAVEL TIPS

My parents invited my ex on our family cruise because they still like her. Am I unreasonable for refusing to go?

A family cruise is supposed to be easy. You unpack once, eat well, and let the ocean do the rest. But when your parents invite your ex because they still like her, the whole trip can start to feel less like a holiday and more like an emotional stress test.

October 6, 2026 Jamie Hayes

TRAVEL TIPS

My airline refused my cash and cards because all onboard purchases require its app. Can a flight really be app-only?

You board, settle in, and finally decide to buy a coffee or a snack, only to hear something unexpected. The airline will not take your cash, and it will not swipe your card either. In some cases today, the only way to pay onboard is through the airline’s app, and yes, that can be a real policy.

October 6, 2026 Jamie Hayes

TRAVEL TIPS

My tour guide took us to shops where he clearly earns commission instead of promised sights. Can I ask for money back?

You booked a tour for the views, the history, and the local highlights. Instead, your guide keeps steering the group into souvenir stores, jewelry outlets, or carpet showrooms that were never the main event. If that sounds familiar, you may be wondering whether this is just annoying travel culture or something you can actually challenge.

October 6, 2026 Jamie Hayes

WORLD HISTORY

Archaeologists high in the Altai Mountains have discovered petroglyphs revealing how early Steppe cultures understood the world around them.

October 6, 2026 Jack Hawkins

House on the Rock Wisconsin, woman in foreground

GUIDES

Americans Don’t Realize You Can Literally Only Find These Things In The United States—Nowhere Else In The World

You could travel the entire world looking for these. But unless you eventually reach the United States, you’re going home empty-handed. Some are famous. Others are so strange that even most Americans have no idea they exist.

October 6, 2026 Jesse Singer

Sitting in the midst of the exciting streets of Los Angeles is a small, unassuming building with a truly dark history: the Cecil Hotel.

Sitting in the midst of the exciting streets of Los Angeles is a small, unassuming building with a truly dark history: the Cecil Hotel.

READ MORE

My resort charges $50 to replace a lost room key wristband. Is that a reasonable fee for a piece of plastic?

My parents invited my ex on our family cruise because they still like her. Am I unreasonable for refusing to go?

My airline refused my cash and cards because all onboard purchases require its app. Can a flight really be app-only?

My tour guide took us to shops where he clearly earns commission instead of promised sights. Can I ask for money back?

Archaeologists high in the Altai Mountains have discovered petroglyphs revealing how early Steppe cultures understood the world around them.

Americans Don’t Realize You Can Literally Only Find These Things In The United States—Nowhere Else In The World

Surviving 72 days in the Andes: The 1972 Flight 571 disaster is one of history's most harrowing survival stories.

Sitting in the midst of the exciting streets of Los Angeles is a small, unassuming building with a truly dark history: the Cecil Hotel.

Sitting in the midst of the exciting streets of Los Angeles is a small, unassuming building with a truly dark history: the Cecil Hotel.

READ MORE

My resort charges $50 to replace a lost room key wristband. Is that a reasonable fee for a piece of plastic?

My parents invited my ex on our family cruise because they still like her. Am I unreasonable for refusing to go?

My airline refused my cash and cards because all onboard purchases require its app. Can a flight really be app-only?

My tour guide took us to shops where he clearly earns commission instead of promised sights. Can I ask for money back?

Archaeologists high in the Altai Mountains have discovered petroglyphs revealing how early Steppe cultures understood the world around them.

Americans Don’t Realize You Can Literally Only Find These Things In The United States—Nowhere Else In The World

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