Note: While we recommend the full overnight Hotel Who experience to those that can afford it, we also recognize that with all the immersive horror and haunted houses this season, money is extremely tight. Hotel Who is offering discounted tickets for the experience alone (no overnight hotel stay) for only $125. With a six-hour immersive experience, a four-course meal, an open bar portion, and a gorgeous location brimming with fully developed characters, this is the best deal you’ll find in LA this Halloween season.

Hotel Who

Joseph Norman and I were never close friends. But when I heard that he eloped with a girl from Nebraska three days ago—I grew worried. Luckily, he’s hosting a party at his hotel—the Hotel Normandie—at 6pm with a four-course meal and drinks made from the stills in the basement of the hotel. He’s invited old friends as well as hotel guests, but how is he affording all this? I heard his last deal went sour, after he trusted a psychic to predict the outcome. I bet he made some enemies after he lost their money too. Well, either way, I’ll be there to meet his new bride and experience the festivities—and let’s just hope no one gets murdered.

Hotel Who is an overnight immersive world set in the year 1929 that participants are invited to step into, engage with characters, and ultimately, solve a mystery. The experience itself is set against the backdrop of the historic Hotel Normandie, allowing participants to explore not just the beautiful hotel lobby, but also the nine themed rooms where the characters are staying. This allows audiences to become sleuths, as they explore through the notes, belongings, and drawers of the characters, aiding in the quest to uncover the mystery.

As this experience extends overnight, it offers a fully contained world that you immerse yourself into, allowing you to enjoy the hour-long open bar safely, and stay up late sharing notes, theories, and clues with other participants, creating a comradery among guests that other immersives can only dream of. But it’s the improvisation and time that participants get to spend with the actors that really sets this apart from other immersive experiences. With over six hours across two days spent with characters, there’s time to really engage with them, both on and off script, proving that these actors are high caliber immersive talent, with the ability to riff and converse with you endlessly—because they know their character and embody them fully.

A Game of Clue

As any good murder mystery starts, Joseph Norman has invited his friends to celebrate the matrimony between himself and the lovely Jessica Ruth Norman, a simple girl from Nebraska. But as the night progresses, each of the residents who live within the hotel reveal a desire for Joseph’s demise—whether it is a financial partnership that went awry, an eviction notice that threatens their livelihood, or a desire to be with his new wife.

The motivations are fun, and all feel well thought out and realistic. These characters feel dynamic and lived in, as they all have intricate backstories that they are happy to share with you. Not all characters are who they may seem, and twists are uncovered as the night progresses—often requiring some sleuthing and asking the right questions. Some of my favorite moments are uncovering relationships between characters in surprise reveals, simply by asking the right question.

While the surface level narrative will unfold over the night—and come to its conclusion the next morning over brunch, the nuances and details require conversing with the characters as well as exploring their rooms. Even with the entire night, there’s not enough time to truly know every character, so we recommend finding your favorites, sticking with them, and don’t be afraid to ask their opinions.

The Logistics of Hotel Who

It’s 1929, and you arrive at the Hotel Normandie for Hotel Who dressed to perfection in your best dress or suit, adorned in pearls, a gun holster, and even a hat. You check into the hotel and are shown to your room, ready to celebrate Joseph and Jessie Norman. It’s only 4pm, so you return to the lobby, to engage with the Bellhop, Peter, as the other guests arrive. Peter hands you a card labeled “What to Know… Where to Go.” It has an itinerary for you.

At 5pm, the journey begins. You follow your itinerary, traveling from room to room or character to character as you meet many of the residents. All guests will spend time with Joseph as he shows his hotel off to you, including the numerous Moroccan jugs and handwoven rugs that fill the lobby. All guests will also spend time with Ardarth, the resident psychic who will read your fortune and spill the tea on Joseph and his recent failed business ventures.

On the second floor, itineraries start to diverge—and all guests will start to experience different paths. A series of five rooms will be offered, and as you step inside, you never know what you’ll find. Some people will step into the room with a resident already inside—and you’ll have to explain why a strange man is stepping into the hotel room of a young lady. Or you’ll step into an empty room, ready to explore and rifle through the belongings of a resident—until they barge through the door demanding what you’re doing inside and why you have their personal effects in hand. There are some rooms, though, that no resident will be present, and you will explore them alone, left to your own devices. It’s never spelled out, and always a surprise.

This is also the mechanic in which some audience members will receive their first one-on-ones, or even two actors on one participant. This is a wonderful method to foster intimacy and connection between actors and participants and create friendships that will continue throughout the night.

When the clock chimes 6pm, cocktails are served in the lobby—as all residents and participants meet up for a toast, and the ability to meet those you did not meet upstairs. The drinks are strong, and a great lubricant to let secrets slip.

At 7:30, dinner is served. Four courses are brought out—but that’s not all, there’s also a murderer who sits among you. The characters will move from table to table, ensuring that you always have someone to engage with, as well as watch the larger narrative unfold.

Then from 9pm to 11pm, all rooms are open, and the residents are released throughout the hotel. It’s your time to find all remaining clues, talk to the residents, and uncover the truth of who the murder is at Hotel Who.

But that’s not all. As you awake the next morning from the comfort of your hotel bed, the resolution and a lovely brunch await you downstairs. Return to the dining room to enjoy a buffet catered by Cassell’s and be ready to make your case on who you think the murderer is. It changes every night, so if you saw a spoiler—don’t fret, your story will always be unique at Hotel Who.

The Residents of Hotel Who

As mentioned above, the highlight of Hotel Who is the characters who reside within its walls. They feel real because of strong character design—but also because of the amazing improvising that each and every one of these actors brings to their characters. You can ask them anything—and they have an answer for you, and are even happy to dive into their pasts, their thoughts on other characters, and of course, the gossip they’ve heard.

Lisa Stanley (The Tension Experience, Delusion’s Reaper’s Remorse, JFI’s Awake) is exceptional as Ardarth Ridell, the resident psychic. Her mystical nature offered us a peek across the veil and into some of the more ghostly aspects of the Hotel Normandie. She felt larger-than-life in the best way possible and was quick and witty with her responses, never shying away from speaking her mind. Stanley is an absolute treasure and was an absolute highlight of Hotel Who.

Another standout was Tony Defeo as Malcom Lowry, the resident writer, handful, and drink-aficionado. Defeo played Malcom with such ease—he had witty comebacks to everything we threw at him and seemed to be in denial of any of his talent. A true tortured soul, he was his own worst enemy, holding himself back from the greatness he could have achieved—if he could only get over himself. Despite his flaws, they only made him all the more fun to talk with and push buttons of, wondering if he had it in him to create a cult one day. You know we’d be there.

Taylor LaBarbera played double duty, doing a monumental job doing the hair design and makeup of each character ensuring that everyone looks period accurate—as well as playing Claudia Barrish. A young starlet looking to make it big in Hollywood, her improv was exceptional, remarking as not one, but two, gentlemen walked into her room unannounced. As the night continues, her transformation is a wonderful one as her strength is given room to shine and she steps into a leading role with absolutely no hesitation.

Becca Khalil (Hulu Hotel, Madcap Motel—she must really like hotels) steals every scene she’s in as Jessie Norman, the blissfully naïve wife of Joseph, arriving from Nebraska with only her friend Frankie (Meg Rumsey-Lasersohn) to protect her. Khalil emotes 110%, injecting such a fun level of humor into her scenes. She’s sweet and charming, with a hidden depth brimming underneath that suggests that she may be capable of more—if the right circumstances arise.

While I didn’t spend as much time with the other characters, we loved the sassy banter of Andy Dexterity as Percy Eisen—who shouted “I’m never washing my robe again” as our friend decided to wear it throughout the post-cocktail exploration. Louisa Howatt (Abby Tozer) had the voice of an angel when she sang for the group. Joseph Normann (Andrew Carroll) played the overly rich Hotel owner with just enough sympathy that I never disliked him, and some of his late-game actions made him redeemable from early mistakes. While I didn’t spend much time with Frankie (Meg Rumsey-Lasersohn)—friends spoke so highly of her and that she was an absolute fan favorite.

Finally, Bridig The Maid (Jess Cashin) and Peter the Bellhop (Maciej Bartoszewski) were incredible. While they are ever present and provide some of the best mysteries of the experience, they keep the experience flowing and on time, ensuring that everyone gets where they need to be. If you arrive early, Peter is such a pleasure to speak with and create early connections. Also, our interactions with Peter and Ardarth together were extremely memorable and a true highlight—all improv that was created from a conversation point early on in our experience.

The Hotel and The Rooms Within

While you have seen other murder mysteries that are far less immersive—and far less impressive—staged in the ballroom of a hotel, Hotel Who quickly separates itself from the competition by welcoming you into the Hotel Normandie, a gorgeous boutique hotel from the golden age of Hollywood and rose in popularity during the 1920’s. Designed by Albert R. Walker and Percy Eisen (Percy is a character in this!), the hotel fits the time period perfectly.

Yet, beyond just the lobby and exterior, the second floor is full of themed rooms all brimming with character. This allows each character to come to life in their room, as Joseph arranges secret meetings in the Hunting Lodge themed room: complete with deer head and elk and bear themed wallpaper. Louisa’s room is adorned in beautiful floral print wallpaper, perfumes and creams on her desk, and her business card stamped with a kiss. Maxwell’s room comes complete with hidden alcohol, books on every shelf, half-written notes, and even various drafts of his speech he plans to write at dinner. Art Direction from Karie Ann Flora shines here as the rooms feel appropriate to each character and adds more depth to their already vibrant personalities.

While I was never fully surprised by a character’s room, their belongings and room selection did provide a deeper look into who they are as people and provide some interesting talking points. Further, the rooms also provide the necessary clues needed to ultimately solve the murder when new information is brought to light at Brunch. So, take strong notes in the provided notebook, because the smallest detail could be the one that gives away the killer.

Dining and Cocktails in the Prohibition Era

The dinner and drinks were exceptional during Hotel Who. The first course is a delicious ginger and parsnip soup served in a teacup—as if it, too, is a secret being shared among friends. The second course is spiced shrimp and grits where the Fresno Chilies add a little heat to your evening. The third course is seared pork chop with a symphony of root vegetables, roasted yam puree, and Argentinian chimichurri. This was heavenly and absolute treat to the senses. The dinner finished with its final course: a Dutch chocolate mudslide with vanilla bean ice cream and a chocolate biscotti crumble. Yes, my mouth is watering all over again just writing this.

Vegetarian and gluten-free options exist for the second and third courses, replacing the shrimps with mixed peppers and onions and the seared pork chop with grilled portabella mushrooms.
Brunch the next day comes with the classics: bagels, yogurt, eggs, bacon, pancakes, and of course, coffee—which is needed after a late night of investigating.

The Cost of Murder

While the main deterrent of this experience is the cost, especially during an already busy Halloween season, we can say that it is worth it to have the comfort of eating and drinking—and then retiring to your room at the end of the evening. It maintains a level of immersion that I haven’t seen in experiences outside festivals like the immersive game at The Overlook Film Festival.
While $500 is worth it for two people to do the immersive experience, have an overnight stay, enjoy a four-course meal, and have drinks while getting to know the characters, we do understand that money is tight.

Hotel Who is offering a ticket at $125—so for $250 (half price), two people can still enjoy everything but the overnight stay. We highly recommend this so if money is a concern, this second option is a wonderful opportunity to visit this world.

Renovations of Hotel Who

The highlight of Hotel Who is the amount of time guests have in this world and the strength of the actors who bring this world to life. Yet, while the focus is on the characters and understanding who they are, my only area of improvement would be adding more variety for guests to experience. Specifically, an experience like Crimson Cabaret had audience members taking on missions for certain characters—and it would have added another layer of intrigue if I had to sneak into a hotel room with a key from a given character to unlock someone’s luggage and find pivotal information. Or if there were some puzzles that required more collaboration among players to solve. We are not suggesting that this turn into an escape room—because we love the character focus—but a bit more agency and involvement is always appreciated, especially after dinner, where you are entering rooms you may have already explored earlier in the night with no new clues added in.

Conclusions

Hotel Who is an incredible addition to the Los Angeles immersive scene, transporting audiences back to 1929 to dress up, to eat and drink, and to solve a mystery. Yes, murder mysteries have been done before—but not like this: not using the incredible immersive talent present in this show, not using a location like the Hotel Normandie, and not with world-class food and drinks that come included in the price.

Directors, creators, and producers, Angela Fegers and Monica Sharon, have created something memorable and special here, and while it is running during an already jam-packed Halloween season, it rises to the top as one of the best experiments we’ve done this Halloween season—right up there with JFI’s The Willows. If you’re a fan of strong immersive interactivity, there’s nothing else like this out there. We highly recommend checking in—just make sure you solve the murder so you have the ability to check out.

For more information about Hotel Who, check out their Facebook, Instagram and website. For information about similar events, check out our Event Calendar.

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