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.
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.
John Barrymore famously said to cinematographer William H. Daniels: "I'm 50 years old and I want to look like Jackie Cooper's grandson."
The Hollywood premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater was one of the film industry's most spectacular promotional events to date. A reproduction of the film's iconic circular reception desk was placed outside the venue, and many of the movie stars who attended the showing were asked to sign the ledger at the desk as if they were hotel guests.