( CNN ) Pink-painted elephants , bathing suit beauties and -- Richard Nixon ? It 's the sort of combination you can find only in Hollywood . All three were present at the opening of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 1955 . Since then this Beverly Hills landmark has hosted Hollywood 's and Washington 's elite -- and its drama . `` No grand hotel is a grand hotel without a touch of sleaze , '' quips Stephen Galloway of The Hollywood Reporter . `` And the Hilton has delivered . '' From former Sen. John Edwards , who was discovered there with his mistress , to Heidi Fleiss , the so-called Hollywood madam whose alleged prostitutes were caught in an undercover sting at the hotel , many public figures have stories that haunt the Hilton 's halls . But there 's a shiny side to the hotel as well . The Beverly Hilton boasts more than 100 red carpet events each year , including the People Magazine Awards , the Daytime Emmy Awards , the Oscar nominees luncheon and the Golden Globes . `` For a tourist coming in , it 's the buzz of that red carpet , '' said hotel manager Michael Robertson . `` You do n't get to see that anywhere else . '' Of course , the drama and glitter are often connected . It was before music mogul Clive Davis ' pre-Grammy party in 2012 that Whitney Houston was found dead in her room at the Hilton . `` In today 's world , when a lot of people think of the Beverly Hilton , they think of Whitney Houston , '' Galloway said . `` It has become a defining thing for ( the hotel ) . '' Management stays away from discussing the hotel 's Hollywood travails . But like it or not , the Beverly Hilton Hotel has hosted high drama for decades . `` John F. Kennedy was rumored to have had liaisons there , '' Galloway notes . `` Who knows how many were true and how many were false ? '' ( There 's more evidence Kennedy conducted normal presidential business there . In fact , a photo of Kennedy at the Hilton is hanging on the hotel wall . The President frequently arrived by helicopter , which a hotel spokesperson says landed on the roof of the hotel 's parking garage . ) Fellow politician Richard Nixon also delivered his famed `` last press conference '' at the hotel , after losing the race for California governor in 1962 . With his political future in doubt , he told the press `` you wo n't have Nixon to kick around anymore . '' Nixon went on to become president , but `` this turning point in ( his ) life -- and it could have been the end of his political career -- happened at the Hilton , '' Galloway says . The Beverly Hilton has n't always been a hip spot in Hollywood . When Nixon , then vice president , helped open the Beverly Hilton , he declared it `` magical . '' But the luster and intrigue of the hotel had begun to wane by the time Merv Griffin bought the property in 1987 . The former producer and talk show host poured money , and himself , into the hotel . With his Hollywood influence , the facade once again shined . `` He made a big impact on the hotel with the entertainment world , '' said Robertson . `` He had his table by the pool ; he was out there every day and you never knew who was going to come have lunch with him . '' Today at the same pool , just days before the 72nd annual Golden Globes , tourists wander around , hoping for a glimpse of a star . On this day it 's not meant to be ; only stagehands buzz around , readying the International Ballroom for the awards telecast . But no one seems to mind because they 're staying at the Beverly Hilton . And when there are no actors around , the hotel itself -- and all its history -- easily plays the starring role . `` Hollywood is a world most people do n't live in , '' Robertson notes . `` If only for a moment , this is their chance to experience it . ''
Beverly Hilton Hotel hosts the Golden Globes every year . Hotel opened in 1955 and has hosted many politicians , stars .