8 Hotels Where Famous People Have Died

by Libby Zay on

Thirty-one-year-old heartthrob Cory Monteith of “Glee” was found dead at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, Canada over the weekend. Sadly, this isn’t the first time a celebrity spent his or her final hours in a hotel. Here’s a look at some other hotels made famous by celebrity deaths.

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida
Anna Nicole Smith was found dead at the age of 39 in room 607. Coroners ruled her death resulted from “combined drug intoxication,” but no illegal drugs were found in her system.

Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, California
John Belushi was found dead at the age of 33 in Bungalow 3 of this Sunset Boulevard hotel, shortly after being visited separately by friends Robin Williams and Robert De Niro. The comedian, actor and musician’s death was ruled a drug overdose.

Stamford Plaza Hotel in Sydney, Hotel
INXS singer Michael Hutchence was 37 when he was found dead in room 524 of this Australian hotel, which was then a Ritz-Carlton. Despite the fact that a coroner ruled his death a suicide by erotic asphyxiation, fans and relatives consider his death accidental.

Hotel Chelsea in New York, New York
Nancy Spungen, girlfriend of the Sex Pistols’ front man Sid Vicious, was found stabbed to death under the sink in the bathroom of the couple’s hotel room at Hotel Chelsea. Four months after her death, Vicious, who was out on bail, was found dead of an overdose.

Ritz Hôtel in Paris, France
Style icon Coco Chanel died peacefully in her sleep at this Paris hotel at the age of 87. Chanel is credited with inventing the “little black dress,” as well as Chanel No. 5 perfume, the most famous fragrance ever made.

Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California
Singer Whitney Houston was found submerged in a bathtub at the age of 48 in Suite 434. Her death was ruled an accident due to “effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use.”

Highland Gardens Hotel in Los Angeles, California
After failing to show up to a recording session, musician Janis Joplin was found dead at age 27 in room 105 of this property, which at the time was called the Landmark Hotel. Her death was ruled a heroin overdose.

Swissôtel Nai Lert Park Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand
In 2009, David Carradine — a martial artist and actor most known for his role as Bill in “Kill Bill” — was found strangled to death in the closet in this luxury hotel. Carradine, who was making a film in Bangkok, was found with a rope around his neck and another around his genitals. It’s believed his death was an accident.

Aircraft Turned Diner To Open As Florida Attraction

by Chris Owen on

The Douglas DC-7 made history in 1953 flying the first non-stop coast-to-coast service in the country for American Airlines. But the DC-7’s fame did not last long, as just a few years later, jet aircraft would charge the future of commercial aviation. Gone but not forgotten, the DC-7 is getting new life as an aircraft turned diner Florida attraction.

Chef Tony Perna and brother Danny, who owns a flight school, bought the passenger DC7 and are now converting it into a 40-seat family restaurant. Built in 1956, the aircraft flew 32,856.40 hours hauling both passengers and cargo. Restored as the DC-7 Grille, An Aviation Themed Culinary Experience, dinners will range from $12 to $26 dollars and a kids menu will be included.”To complete the aviation experience each table with have a flight attendant call button, and headsets to listen to air traffic control,” says the DC-7 Grille Facebook page.

Preserving much of the aircraft in its original form, engine parts will be displayed and visitors can tour the preserved aircraft cockpit

Located on Skyline Drive in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, the DC-7 Grille is set to take off some time late this year. Props to these guys for preserving a bit of aviation history.

Not familiar with the DC-7 aircraft? Check out this video of one taking off:

Gang Allegedly Tags $2.3 Million Jet At Van Nuys Airport

by Libby Zay on

Not content with putting its mark on buildings and train cars, a gang has allegedly taken things to a higher level by tagging a $2.3 million jet. The graffiti artists snuck into Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles to scrawl the words “R.I.P.” and “flame” across a Learjet Model 60.

It’s estimated the jet’s owners will have to pony up $110,000 to fix the plane. The FBI and Los Angeles police are investigating how the secure area was breached, with authorities believing the tags may be “gang related and gang initiated.”

“This is a big deal to me, to have somebody who could get onto the airfield and who could do that kind of damage, that kind extensive graffiti to an aircraft, and not be seen,” Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon tells the Aviation Writer. “I’m not happy about it.”

[via news.com.au]

Huge Summer Festival Does It All In One Day

by Chris Owen on

Summer festivals and events scattered around the United States feature a variety of themes. At one event or another, there is surely something for everyone. It’s just a matter of finding one that suits our interests and getting there. Some are small, local events with a focus on interests shared by friends and neighbors. Larger, regional offerings have a more broad appeal with a national focus – like oysters.

The Milford Oyster Festival is an annual cultural festival held on the third Saturday of August throughout the city of Milford, Connecticut. Commonly called Oysterfest, the 39 year-old event is the largest, free, single-day attraction in Connecticut, often drawing over 50,000 visitors.

Held on August 17, rain or shine, this year’s Oysterfest features ’80s rock band Blues Traveler as the event headliner. At many summer festivals, the musical acts are the main draw. Not so at Oysterfest, which also features hundreds of arts and crafts vendors, amusement rides, schooner cruises, a canoe and kayak race, food court, children’s stage, martial arts demonstrations and more.Insiders start the night before on the Oyster Eve kickoff event, this year featuring Key West’s Jimmy and the Parrots, one of the nation’s foremost “Buffet Bands” and the 2012 Trop Rock Entertainer of the Year.

Oh, and oysters? The East Coast Shellfish Growers Association will serve up over 20,000 of them, also recycling the shells to seed oyster beds.

Major League Midsummer Classic No Cheap Ballgame

by Chris Owen on

Major League Baseball‘s All-Star Game is an annual game between players from the National and American Leagues, this year to be played in Queens, New York. Baseball fans will come from around the world to Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, spending as much as $1,437 per night for a hotel and up to $20,000 for a ticket.

There are less expensive tickets; online source Ticket Liquidator has a view from the cheap seats starting at $235 each right now. Assuming ticket price does not knock attending the All-Star game out of the ballpark, less expensive hotels are on deck too.

Checking in with hotel search engine Room 77, travelers can expect to pay an average $286 per night during All Star Week. They have the 3.5-star LaGuardia Plaza Hotel, located 2 miles from Citi Field, for $120 per night. Or make a vacation out of it at the Ritz Carlton Central Park for $608 per night.

At the park, major league expenses continue with the cost of food and beverages to get through nine innings. Offering a hot dog for $6.25, Citi Field ranks high in a recent CNNMoney report on which ballparks charge the most.On the topic of ballpark food, it could be worse though. Rangers Ballpark, home of the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, has a $26 hamburger among other offerings, as we see in this video: