Where did the inspiration for hotel California come from?

Hotel California was inspired by Don Henley's stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 1976, he was struck by the hotel's luxurious yet eerie atmosphere and the feeling that it was a place where people could easily get lost or trapped. He began writing the song in his room that night and completed it after returning home.

However, the song's lyrics have also been interpreted as a metaphor for the dark side of the American Dream, with the hotel representing a place of excess and illusion that ultimately leads to disillusionment and despair.