As Chateau Marmont owner Andre Balazs once said “Hotels unleash passions in people; that is why an inordinate number of affairs and scandals unfold in hotels.” And the hotel known as the Castle on the Hill has inspired its fair share. It’s where resident Howard Hughes used binoculars from his bungalow to scout women who were poolside. It’s where Leonardo DiCaprio (above), Robert DeNiro and Keanu Reeves and scores of other stars have holed up (some stars reportedly rarely leave their rooms). With just 63 spacious guest quarters, the place offers the ultimate in privacy. Stars can move from their rooms to the garage while avoiding the lobby altogether. “I probably spend more time here than my home,” actress Famke Janssen told Forbes Traveler. “It's this great old building with a lot of history. The rooms are really big… it’s like an apartment.”

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