John Barrymore was so thrilled at the prospect of appearing in the film with Greta Garbo that he accepted a three-picture deal with MGM.
The original MGM Grand in Las Vegas (where Bally's now stands) was built to resemble the design of this film.
Author and playwright Vicki Baum based "Menschen im Hotel" both on a true story about a scandal at a hotel involving a stenographer and an industrial magnate, and on her own experiences working as a chambermaid at two well-known Berlin hotels.
Joan Crawford initially objected to her role as Flaemmchen because she feared that much of her performance would be censored for being too provocative and racy. Director Edmund Goulding and producer Irving Thalberg assured her that her part would be filmed in a tasteful manner and that she would be shown in a sympathetic light. Crawford's misgivings were warranted, however, as many censor boards in conservative American states cut the majority of her scenes for indecency.
At one point, Oscar winner Wallace Beery stormed out of rehearsals, saying he would only come back "when Joan Crawford learns to act."