Regarding what button Elisa Lam presses in the CCTV footage -

Elisa Lam CCTV elevator video



Elisa Lam was responsible for keeping the elevator door open by pressing the DOOR HOLD button.


Look at this image of the Cecil Hotel elevator panel she used.

[link to i.imgur.com]

The buttons she presses on the middle row from top to bottom:

14 (the floor she was on, since the button didn't light up), 10, 7, 4 (the floor of her hotel room), M (mezzanine), B (basement) and finally the DOOR HOLD button on the very bottom.


On the youtube video I provided, here is the time lime that I believe is what went down on the night of February 1st when that CCTV footage was recorded in the elevator -


0:03 Elisa enters elevator, no glasses. Demeanor suggest in a normal state, no panic.

0:06 She leans her face very close to the elevator panel buttons, but has a hard time to make up the numbers.

Using her memory, she remembers the 4th floor (her hotel room floor) is on the middle row. She decides, "what the heck", and presses the entire middle row as a gamble hoping she reach her floor.

0:07 Look at this image of the Cecil Hotel elevator panel she used.

0:11 Right when she is about to press the final button on the bottom, the DOOR HOLD button (refer to the picture on my reply post), notice the elevator door about to close.

It is only then when she presses the DOOR HOLD button that the elevator door retracts, and remains open.

0:13 Elisa backs up and waits for the elevator to close as normal. However it takes too long and then she begins to wonder if somebody is outside the hallway preventing the door from closing

0:23 Elisa slowly and cautiously steps forward to investigate the hallway. She carefully lunges out quick to get a quick peek out the hallway - but nobody is outside.

0:25 Elisa steps back into the elevator, bemused at finding nobody outside the hallway. I can imagine right now, her feeling nervous and confused. She wonders to herself, "is it a ghost??" "Is somebody outside the elevator?"

She spooks her self, and backs into the elevator wall, and into the corner

0:39 she musters up the courage again to step out the elevator to see if anybody is outside. Slowly taking cautious steps since there is a hallway on the left and right, and anybody is able to hide around the corner there.

0:57 At this point, security guards in the CCTV monitor room, watching her every move via the CCTV camera in the elevator get concerned, and one of them is dispatched to take the second elevator next to the one Elisa is in up to the 14th floor.

1:12 Elisa stands outside the elevator, back against the wall. She wonders if there is a problem with the elevator sensor and waits to see if it will close if she is out of the elevator

1:27 After waiting for so long for the elevator to work, with no luck - Elisa becomes frustrated and panics. She puts her hands on her head and gets back in the elevator as if to say "oh my god, why isn't this elevator working??"

This is when she gives a second attempt, to press ALL off the buttons again, only on the middle row to see if it will work. Unknowingly, she presses the DOOR HOLD button multiple times, triggering it on and off and on, resetting the door hold timer.

1:56 Elisa steps out the elevator again, and by this time, the security guard using the other elevator beside the one Elisa is in finally reaches up the 14th floor.

He steps out, away from camera view from the 1st elevator and calls out to? Elisa asking what is going on.

Elisa is surprised, and then gestures toward the elevator explaining her dilemma with the elevator not working. The guard asks her how many times she (still figuring out what), and Elisa uses her fingers to count 3 times.

I believe that Elisa Lam was looking for a public shower room that was vacant since the one on the 4th floor was occupied.

The Stay on Main hostel rooms at the Cecil Hotel are on the 1st - 5th floor as I'm told from somebody who stayed there a year ago. There are no showers in those resident rooms, which is why they need to use the public shower rooms located out on the hallway.

She must of been too stubborn to go back to her hotel room to get her glasses, which is why she is seen having trouble seeing the buttons on the elevator, and then taking a gamble to press the entire column hoping she'll get to her 4th floor from the 14th floor, but she unknowingly pressed the DOOR HOLD button as well.