The Cecil Hotel gives "late check out" a whole new meaning.
Netflix's latest true crime docu-series, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, which premieres today, Feb. 10, unpacks the dark history of the Downtown Los Angeles hotel. In fact, as the trailer previously teased, the Cecil Hotel is best known by its nickname, "Hotel Death." Why?
Well, because the hotel has seen everything from untimely deaths to serial killer guests. Yet, in an exclusive chat with E! News, former general manager Amy Price revealed that she had no idea about the Cecil's haunting past.
"Absolutely none," Price stated when asked if she knew anything about the hotel before taking the job. "I didn't even google it—I don't think Google was popular back then—I didn't even know anything about the history or anything like that."
So, how did Price end up working at the Cecil? Per Price, she took the job as a favor to a friend.
"There wasn't even an interview," she continued. "One of my girlfriends' husbands needed a little help at this hotel, and I wasn't working at the time. So, you know, having the time, I just said, 'I'll do it. Why not?'"
However, after accepting the position, Price would come across some "real mind-boggling" guest experiences. "There were some circumstances that did, you know, impact me or I haven't forgotten about," she relayed. "There were more than a couple suicides that certainly left me feeling—I never experienced anything like that in my life."
On how she got through some of the tougher aspects of her job, Price credited the support of her "close girlfriends." She noted, "There are a couple people that I've been friends with for many years and certainly there were many phone conversations when I'd get home from work."
Price even revealed that her mom and sister both urged her to look for work elsewhere. It seems Price's family got their wish as the Cecil has since closed its doors for renovations.
As true crime fans know, the Joe Berlinger-directed series takes a closer look at the 2013 disappearance and death of Elisa Lam, as well as the media frenzy it caused. Unfortunately for Price, she had to relive tough memories surrounding this tragic event while filming Crime Scene.
"It was a lot to process," she said on recounting her time as the Cecil Hotel manager. "A lot of the things about my job were just—every day was a little different. So, to relive some of the things that happened…a lot of feelings did come up."
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel is available to stream on Netflix.