My Visit to Hotel Cecil: What I Learned
šØšš I got a bit busy, but Iām back, and Iām finally going to talk about my visit to Hotel Cecil.
I want to be clear that Iām just sharing my experience and what was discussed during the visit. Iām not implying anything about the case or making any claims, just putting the information I heard out there.
After my friend and I left The Last Bookstore, we walked to Hotel Cecil. As we approached it, I was excited and curious. It definitely had a vibe to it. It looked old and a bit odd, but kind of cool nonetheless, and very similar to how it looked in the Netflix documentary, except it was a bit more boarded up and divided. There was also a table set up at the entrance to the lobby. While we were there, I spoke with someone who was currently living in the building.
It seems like theyāve turned it into an affordable housing / supportive housing place.
The first guy wasnāt very friendly, and I was trying not to come across as annoying. I asked him a couple of questions, and he told me it was no longer a hotel, that it had been divided up, and that no one was allowed inside, not even into the lobby. Then he said something along the lines of, āI know why youāre here, and I know about that girl they found inside the tank.ā I figured a lot of people probably came by asking about the Elisa Lam case, and he was not in the mood for a conversation.
Then things got a bit more interesting because two other guys approached my friend and me and started discussing the case. They were a lot friendlier than the first guy we spoke to.
Anyway, they suggested that for a bit of money I could probably pay one of the guys who there (he wasnāt there at the time, they were talking about someone else), and that he could take me up to the rooftop to look at the tanks. The guy wasnāt around, though, and I wasnāt in the mood to get myself into any trouble.
I could, however, see the tanks from where I was standingā¦but not all of them, just the one furthest toward the corner, I think. I asked the guys about the tanks, and they told me something that I found very interesting.
Now, hereās where I need you all to pay close attention, because this was probably the most important piece of information I gathered. They told me the lids on the tanks are extremely heavy and that theyāre difficult to lift, even with two guys. Now, isnāt that interesting? Of course, I donāt know whether what they told me is true or not, but it made me think. If it is true, how was Elisa able to lift the lid of the tank to climb inside? And if she didnāt open the lid herself, that would suggest it was already open. If that were the case, why wasnāt the hotel found liable for her death?
Thatās why I found this information so significant.Ā
They didnāt say much else about the tanks, and going up to see them was out of the question. I probably would have tried a bit harder if I hadnāt been there with my friend, but I didnāt want to expose him to anything dangerous or risky, so I decided to ask them a bit more about the building itself.
I asked if all the rumors about the deaths and hauntings were true, and they said the building was very haunted. They mentioned hearing creepy screams around 3 a.m., and they also claimed that at least 80+ people who stay there die every year. My first thought was that it sounded like a ridiculous number of deaths, and I wondered how the building was even allowed to operate if that were true. They also told me they didnāt really want to live there, but that they had no other choice.
I kept asking about the sounds, and they said it had been going on for years and that strange things happened there all the time.
I decided not to ask any more questions and leave. Before I walked away, one of the guys said, āPlease help us.ā I replied, āOkay,ā not really knowing what else to say.
Iām pretty sure he was referring to the lack of resources and the hardships they were dealing with, and maybe he thought I was part of some program that could help them. Unfortunately, there wasnāt really anything I could do.
Skid Row is a very sad place, with a great deal of homelessness and addiction. It really makes you wonder why Elisa chose to stay there during her visit. My guess is that she simply wasnāt familiar with the area and was looking for an affordable place to stay while traveling. If that was the case, I completely understand.
Now, I canāt tell you whether the information they gave me was true or not, but thatās what I was told, and thatās all I have to go on for now. Personally, I donāt think they had any reason to lie, but who knows? We canāt be certain.
Of course, Iām going to look into everything they told me and investigate it further. I want to research the tank lids, learn more about water tanks in general, and verify as much information as I can. We need to understand as much as possible before drawing any conclusions. The more we research, learn, and question, the more we may uncover.
Thatās all Iāve got for today. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
