It was a glamorous spot in the Silent Film era, attracting stars from the neighborhood like Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. The Hotel was also the place for community activities including children’s schooling, holiday gatherings and celebrations such as formal dances and weddings in the ballroom. Raucous parties on Saturday nights would give way to church services on Sunday mornings. Will Rogers was inaugurated as the first honorary mayor of Beverly Hills on the Hotel grounds.

The Stock Market was running up through the 1920s, and Mrs. Anderson sold the Hotel at the top of the market in 1928 to Hugh Leighten for $1.5 million. Months later, the market crashed, and Leighten lost his investment.