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 mother expects us to take family photos every morning on vacation before anyone can leave the room. I'm an adult, is it rude to just opt out?

A family vacation is supposed to start with coffee, sunscreen, and maybe a lazy plan for the day. For some travelers, it starts with a lineup on the balcony while one person insists on a full photo session before anyone is allowed to leave. If your mother expects family photos every morning on vacation, opting out is not automatically rude, but how you do it matters.

October 14, 2026 Miles Brucker

TRAVEL TIPS

My resort removed all lounge chairs from the beach to use for a private event. Should paying guests lose an amenity for someone else's party?

You book a beachfront resort expecting the basics to be there when you arrive. Then one morning the lounge chairs are gone because the hotel has cleared the sand for a private event. It feels personal when your vacation amenity disappears, but the real question is whether the resort had the right to do it and what it owes paying guests afterward.

October 14, 2026 Miles Brucker

TRAVEL TIPS

My cruise line changed our cabin to a lower deck but calls it an equivalent room. Should location count as part of the booking?

You book a cruise, pick your cabin, and start imagining sea views and easy access to your favorite spots onboard. Then an email lands saying your room has been changed, but the line insists it is an equivalent cabin. For many travelers, the real question is simple: if the new room is on a lower deck, is it really equivalent at all?

October 14, 2026 Jamie Hayes

TRAVEL TIPS

My airline says a mechanical delay doesn't qualify for a hotel because the repair was unexpected. Isn't that their responsibility?

If an airline tells you a surprise mechanical problem means it does not owe you a hotel, that answer can sound final. It often is not that simple. In the United States, whether you get lodging usually depends less on whether the repair was unexpected and more on the airline’s own policy and whether the delay is considered within its control.

October 14, 2026 Jamie Hayes

WORLD HISTORY

Explorers identified a 6,200-year-old stitched animal hide in British Columbia that may prove that ancient inhabitants wore shoes.

Archaeologists uncovered a 6,200-year-old stitched animal hide in British Columbia that may reveal how ancient people made and wore footwear.

October 14, 2026 Jack Hawkins

Asian geologist is exploring and surveying the sample rock

WORLD HISTORY

Ordinary Objects That Archaeologists Get Surprisingly Excited About Finding

When you imagine an archaeological discovery, you're probably picturing golden treasures, ancient statues, or mysterious tombs. But archaeologists often get just as excited about things most people would throw away. A broken plate, a rusty nail, or a handful of seeds can reveal extraordinary details about ordinary lives. Sometimes, the smallest discoveries answer the biggest historical questions.

October 14, 2026 J. Clarke

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 mother expects us to take family photos every morning on vacation before anyone can leave the room. I'm an adult, is it rude to just opt out?

My resort removed all lounge chairs from the beach to use for a private event. Should paying guests lose an amenity for someone else's party?

My cruise line changed our cabin to a lower deck but calls it an equivalent room. Should location count as part of the booking?

My airline says a mechanical delay doesn't qualify for a hotel because the repair was unexpected. Isn't that their responsibility?

Explorers identified a 6,200-year-old stitched animal hide in British Columbia that may prove that ancient inhabitants wore shoes.

Ordinary Objects That Archaeologists Get Surprisingly Excited About Finding

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 mother expects us to take family photos every morning on vacation before anyone can leave the room. I'm an adult, is it rude to just opt out?

My resort removed all lounge chairs from the beach to use for a private event. Should paying guests lose an amenity for someone else's party?

My cruise line changed our cabin to a lower deck but calls it an equivalent room. Should location count as part of the booking?

My airline says a mechanical delay doesn't qualify for a hotel because the repair was unexpected. Isn't that their responsibility?

Explorers identified a 6,200-year-old stitched animal hide in British Columbia that may prove that ancient inhabitants wore shoes.

Ordinary Objects That Archaeologists Get Surprisingly Excited About Finding

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