Claim: American Horror Story: Hotel premiered.

American Horror Story : Hotel is the fifth season of the FX horror anthology television series American Horror Story . It premiered on October 7 , 2015 , and concluded January 13 , 2016 . The series was renewed in October 2014 , with the subtitle Hotel being announced in February 2015 . Hotel marks the first season to not feature series mainstays Jessica Lange and Frances Conroy . Returning cast from previous seasons of the series include : Evan Peters , Sarah Paulson , Denis O'Hare , Lily Rabe , Kathy Bates , Angela Bassett , Chloë Sevigny , Finn Wittrock , Wes Bentley , Gabourey Sidibe , Mare Winningham , Matt Bomer , Christine Estabrook , Matt Ross , John Carroll Lynch , and Anthony Ruivivar , along with new cast members Lady Gaga and Cheyenne Jackson . Breaking from the anthological format , like Freak Show , the season is interconnected to the first and third seasons , and features an appearance by the Murder House , its original owner Dr. Charles Montgomery -LRB- Ross -RRB- , its realtor Marcy -LRB- Estabrook -RRB- , and the psychic Billie Dean Howard -LRB- Paulson -RRB- , as well as the appearance of the witch Queenie -LRB- Sidibe -RRB- .   The plot centers around the enigmatic Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles , California , that catches the eye of an intrepid homicide detective -LRB- Bentley -RRB- . The Cortez is host to the strange and bizarre , spearheaded by its owner , The Countess -LRB- Gaga -RRB- , who is a bloodsucking fashionista . The hotel is loosely based on an actual hotel built in 1893 by H. H. Holmes in Chicago , Il . for the 1893 World 's Columbian Exposition . It became known as the ` Murder Castle ' as it was built for Holmes to torture , murder , and dispose of evidence just as is the Cortez . This season features two murderous threats in the form of the Ten Commandments Killer , a serial offender who selects his victims in accordance with biblical teachings , and `` the Addiction Demon '' , who roams the hotel armed with a drill bit dildo .   According to creators Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy , thematically , Hotel is much darker than previous seasons . Inspiration came from old hotel horror films and actual hotels situated in downtown Los Angeles with a reputation for sinister events , including the Cecil . The cycle also marks a return to filming in Los Angeles , where the first two seasons were shot . Hotel features one of the most expansive sets in American Horror Story history , with production designer Mark Worthington building two stories on a soundstage , along with a working elevator and stairway . In July 2015 , FX launched a marketing campaign for the series , with most trailers and teasers touting Gaga 's involvement .   Although Hotel was originally reported to consist of thirteen episodes -LRB- à la Asylum , Coven , and Freak Show -RRB- , that number was later revised to twelve -LRB- à la Murder House -RRB- . The season garnered a total of eight Emmy Award nominations , including two acting nominations for Paulson and Bates . It was the first time , however , that a season of American Horror Story was not nominated for Outstanding Limited Series . In addition , Gaga won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Mini-Series or Television Film while Hotel received a nomination for Best Mini-Series or Television Film .