If you drive up Sunset Boulevard and look past the wall of greenery, you’ll see it. The Chateau Marmont. It looks like a French castle that took a wrong turn and ended up in West Hollywood. It’s quiet. Purposefully so. But if those walls could talk, they wouldn’t just whisper; they’d probably scream. Especially the walls of bungalow 3 at the chateau marmont hotel.
Most people know the Chateau for its celebrity sightings or the general aura of "what happens here stays here." But Bungalow 3 is different. It’s heavy. It carries a specific kind of historical weight that most hotel rooms—even the fancy ones—just don't have. It’s the site of one of the most tragic and talked-about moments in Hollywood history: the death of John Belushi.
Honestly, when you talk about this specific room, you aren't just talking about a place to sleep. You're talking about the end of an era in comedy and the beginning of a dark legend that still draws people to the property today.
Why Everyone Still Talks About Bungalow 3
It happened on March 5, 1982.
John Belushi was only 33. He was at the absolute peak of his fame, yet he was spiraling. He had checked into the Chateau to work on a screenplay, but the bungalow became a revolving door for drug dealers and hangers-on. When his fitness trainer, Bill Wallace, let himself in that morning using a spare key, he found Belushi unresponsive in the master bedroom.
The cause was a "speedball"—a lethal injection of cocaine and heroin.
The room changed that day. It ceased being just a luxury rental and became a landmark. You’d think a hotel would want to distance itself from something so grim, right? But the Chateau is different. André Balazs, who bought the hotel in 1990, understood that the "dark side" of Hollywood is exactly what makes the place alluring. People don't stay at the Chateau because it's the most modern or the most renovated. They stay there for the ghosts.
The Layout and the Vibe
So, what’s it actually like inside?
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It’s surprisingly domestic. It doesn't feel like a sterile hotel suite. It’s tucked away from the main castle structure, nestled in the gardens. You’ve got a private entrance. There’s a kitchen, a living area, and that famous bedroom. It feels like a small, 1920s-era California house.
The decor is classic Chateau—worn Persian rugs, heavy velvet drapes, and furniture that looks like it’s been there since the Great Depression. It’s "shabby chic" before that was a marketing term. Some people find it cozy; others find it suffocating. There’s a specific smell, too. A mix of old wood, expensive cigarettes, and jasmine from the gardens outside.
It’s private. That’s the whole point. You can have a party in bungalow 3 at the chateau marmont hotel and the people in the lobby would have no idea. That privacy is why Belushi loved it, and it’s why people like Robert De Niro and Robin Williams were reportedly there visiting him in the final hours before he died. They were just hanging out. They didn't know it was the end.
The Haunting of Bungalow 3: Fact or Fiction?
Hollywood is full of ghost stories. Most are nonsense. But the stories coming out of Bungalow 3 are weirdly consistent.
A few years ago, there was a story about a prominent stylist staying in the bungalow with her toddler. The kid kept pointing to the corner of the room and laughing. When asked what he was looking at, the toddler allegedly said, "The funny man."
Make of that what you will.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there is a psychological "heaviness" to the room. Guests often report feeling watched or experiencing sudden drops in temperature. It might just be the power of suggestion. If you know a comedy legend died in the bed you're sleeping in, your brain is going to play tricks on you.
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But even the staff—who are notoriously tight-lipped—sometimes admit that the bungalows have a different energy than the rooms in the main building. They’ve seen things. Or felt things.
Living in the Shadow of 1982
For a long time, the hotel tried to keep the room number a bit of a secret from casual tourists. They didn't want it becoming a macabre shrine. But in the age of the internet, that’s impossible. Fans of Saturday Night Live and Animal House regularly make pilgrimages to the gates, hoping to catch a glimpse of the roofline.
Interestingly, the room hasn't stayed frozen in time. It’s been refreshed. The carpet isn't the same carpet from 1982. The bed isn't the same bed. But the architecture—the windows, the floor plan, the fireplace—that’s all original.
The Lindsay Lohan Connection
Belushi isn't the only name linked to the bungalow's chaotic history.
Lindsay Lohan famously "lived" at the Chateau for a while. In 2012, she was reportedly asked to leave after racking up a bill of over $46,000 in just over a month. While she didn't stay exclusively in Bungalow 3, her presence at the hotel during her most turbulent years added to the "cursed" reputation of the property.
The hotel serves as a mirror. If you come there to be creative and quiet, it’s a sanctuary. If you come there to lose yourself, it’ll help you do that, too.
How the Chateau Protects the Legacy
The management at the Chateau Marmont is legendary for their discretion. You can’t just walk in and ask to see bungalow 3 at the chateau marmont hotel. They’ll kick you out before you finish the sentence.
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They have a "no cameras" policy in the public areas. They don't want influencers taking selfies in the lobby. They want to protect the "vibe." This is why celebrities still flock there despite the high prices and the somewhat dated plumbing. It’s one of the last places in LA where you can actually hide.
Is it Worth Staying There?
If you have a few thousand dollars to spare for a night, maybe.
But you have to ask yourself why you’re doing it. If you’re looking for a five-star, ultra-modern experience with a massive TV and a high-tech gym, go to the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills. The Chateau is for people who want to feel the history.
What to Expect if You Book a Bungalow
- Total Isolation: You have your own gated entrance. You don't have to walk through the lobby.
- The Kitchen: It’s fully functional. Many long-term residents actually cook their own meals here, which adds to the "apartment" feel.
- The Service: It’s impeccable but invisible. They know when you’re there and when you aren't.
- The Price: Expect to pay upwards of $2,000 to $4,000 per night depending on the season and availability.
Moving Past the Tragedy
It’s easy to focus only on the death of John Belushi. But Bungalow 3 has also been a place of immense creativity. Screenplays have been written there. Deals have been brokered. It’s a place where some of the biggest movies of the last 40 years were conceived.
The room is a survivor. It’s been through the hedonism of the 70s, the tragedy of the 80s, the grunge of the 90s, and the paparazzi-fueled madness of the 2000s. It’s still standing.
Actionable Insights for the History Buff
If you’re planning a visit or just want to dig deeper into the lore, here’s what you should actually do:
- Read "Wired" by Bob Woodward: This is the definitive (though controversial) account of John Belushi’s life and death. It gives a minute-by-minute breakdown of his final days in the bungalow.
- Visit the Bar, Not the Room: Unless you have the budget to stay, grab a drink at the Bar Marmont or the courtyard restaurant. You’ll get the atmosphere without the $3,000 price tag.
- Respect the Privacy: If you do go, don't be the person trying to find the bungalow. The staff is trained to spot "lookie-loos," and they will ask you to leave.
- Look at the Architecture: The bungalows were designed by William Douglas Lee. They are a masterclass in 1920s California Mediterranean design. Look at the leaded glass windows and the way the light hits the stucco.
Bungalow 3 is more than a room. It’s a reminder that in Hollywood, the line between glamour and tragedy is paper-thin. It’s a place that commands respect, not just because of who stayed there, but because of what it represents: the beautiful, messy, and sometimes dark reality of the American Dream.