Behind the Door

The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel

By: Amy Price

Narrated by: Andi Arndt

The disturbing true story of the notorious Cecil Hotel in downtown LA, by its general manager for a decade and star of the controversial Netflix documentary series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.

When Amy Price took a temporary design job at an Art Deco hotel in Los Angeles to help a friend, she had no idea the path it would lead her down. Before long, she would become manager of the Cecil Hotel, seeking to make it more welcoming and correct its notoriety, not helped by sitting at the foot of Skid Row, or the fact that since its opening in 1927, there had been any number of deaths by suicide, and residents such as serial killers Richard Ramirez and Jack Unterweger.

She cared about guests and residents alike, though she faced challenges on many fronts, with over eighty people dying during her decade of service. Among them was Elisa Lam, whose tragic death became the subject of a Netflix documentary series that captivated millions and led to its own controversies and unwarranted personal attacks on Amy.

For the first time, Amy delves into her experiences at the Cecil Hotel. Equal parts memoir, true-crime, and cultural history, Behind the Door is essential to understanding one of America’s most enigmatic hotels.

the real facts about the hotel

I liked the historical information about the hotel and the residents in the hotel and the area.

Captivating

Excellent listen. Intriguing story. My only annoyance was the author assumes you've seen the documentary & I hadn't which left me wondering if I should have watched it before listening to the book.

Entertaining but not as expected

It was mostly autobiographic about the author and her life as she managed the hotel.

You will like it!

If you are even the slightest interested in the Cecil or any of the related cases, give this book a listen. Very insightful and interesting. The author gives all the details and stories we were left wanting to hear!

Such interesting stories, I couldn’t stop listening

Amy Price has a treasure trove of stories from her years at The Cecil and I love that she included so many. Through detailed imagery and a parade of local characters she paints a vibrant picture of the downtown community. The surprising practical challenges the staff faced were fascinating and made me curious for more. I feel like I can understand why she didn’t leave the chaos, it was an entire world unto itself! Really nicely written and presented. I totally enjoyed this and wish there was another volume of stories about the hotel.