Places, Earth
Ambassador Hotel

State Parks, Historic Sites, and Museums need your help.
Throughout the country, state parks, historic sites, homes, buildings, museums, and similar institutions are struggling to continue operating. Because of general financial problems, many of these institutions are operating on a reduced schedule or in danger of closing. Some are being forced to sell off artifacts and property. Many will not weather these hard times without your help.

Places Earth urges everyone to support these vital and important public resources any way you can. Please donate your treasure, time, and talent. Write to your governor and other elected officials telling them to find a way to keep state parks open. It will be your loss.

Public Service Announcement

Test space for future ad if donations don't increase.

This web site contains no paid advertising. Donations help.

Back	Back to Los Angeles County

Ambassador Hotel

When the Ambassador Hotel opened, it helped bring development to this area of Wilshire Boulevard. The hotel provided stays to every U.S. President from Herbert Hoover to Richard Nixon, as well as British royalty. Nixon wrote his famous Checkers speech at the hotel in 1952. Other wealthy people, including Howard Hughes, stayed for short or long terms. The hotel is also famous as the tragic assassination site of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. The hotel has been closed since 1988. The hotel was once the center of night life in Los Angeles, especially for the Hollywood crowd. The Coconut Grove lounge (opened 1921) was filled every night with all the famous people in the entertainment industry.

The Ambassador Hotel lost favor and started a decline. By the 1980s and 90s, the hotel was used more as a Hollywood filming location than a hotel and hot spot for the Hollywood famous. The was sold and then resold to Los Angeles Unified School district and sat empty for several years. The Los Angeles Conservancy fought for several years to preserve the hotel. In the fall of 2005, the Ambassador Hotel lost its appeal and was sentenced to death by the LAUSD. LAUSD won a court case to demolish the Ambassador Hotel and demolition began quickly thereafter. See what is left one last time, but do it soon, it is coming down quickly and may be gone by the time you read this. Most of this web page is devoted to the demolition of this great hotel.

Demolition progressed rapidly. In mid-October, there was little evidence of demo as seen from the street. By mid-November, the roof and top floor of the north wings had been demoed. By mid-December, the north wing was almost completely gone. At the same time, the lower constructions on the west were being demolished and was gone by mid-December. Also during this time, demolition was progressing slowly throughout the remainder of the building. In the second half of December, the end section of the southeast wing was completely demolished.

Location:
3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California.

The below four images were taken about two years before demolition began.

Looking south from Wilshire Boulevard. Photo date: December 20, 2003.

Looking south from Wilshire Boulevard. Sign. Photo date: December 20, 2003.

The following section shows progressive grouping of images for various parts of the Ambassador Hotel.

North Side from Wilshire Boulevard

Note that the Coconut Grove remains, but the tower slowly disappears.

North Side. Photo date: 10-15-05.

North Side. Photo date: 11-12-05.

North Side. Photo date: 12-4-05.

North Side. Photo date: 12-17-05.

North Side. Photo date: 12-29-05.

North Side. Photo date: 1-15-06.

North Side. Photo date: 2-19-06.

Northeast Tower

Northeast Tower. Photo date: 10-15-05.

Northeast Tower. Photo date: 11-6-05.

Northeast Tower. Photo date: 11-12-05.

Northeast Tower. Photo date: 11-19-05.

Northeast Tower. Photo date: 12-4-05.

Northeast Tower. Photo date: 12-17-05.

Northeast Tower. Photo date: 12-29-05.

Northeast Tower. Photo date: 2-2-06.

Northeast Tower. Photo date: 2-19-06.

West Side

West side. Photo date: 11-19-05.

West side. Photo date: 12-4-05.

West side. Photo date: 12-17-05.

West side. Photo date: 12-18-05.

West side. Photo date: 1-15-06.

West side. Photo date: 2-19-06.

Sign

Sign. Photo date: 11-19-05.

Sign. Photo date: 2-19-06.

October 15, 2005

These photos were taken shortly after demolition began. Note that the trees are gone. The exterior is still largely intact, demolition of the interior is progressing quickly.

November 6, 2005

I returned a few weeks later to observe the progress of the demolition.

November 12, 2005

By the 12th of November, 2005, the roof over the northeast wing had been removed along with the top floor for the same wing.

November 19, 2005

On Saturday, November 19, 2005, I observed the demolition in action. A large machine on the top remaining floor was hammering away at the ceiling above and on the floor below, a bulldozer was shoving debris over the side through a gaping hole in the facade.

December 4, 2005

By December 4, 2005, the top three floors of the north wings were gone. The center section was also showing more light through the building because of the removal of interior walls.

December 17, 2005

Two weeks later I returned to observe that the entire two north wings were gone.

December 18, 2005

By December 18, 2005, the north wings were gone.

December 29, 2005

I returned on December 29, 2005 and was shocked to see that the end section of the southeast wing, which had looked almost untouched two weeks earlier, was gone.

January 15, 2006

Just two weeks later on Sunday, January 15 ,2006, only one small section of the once H-shapped hotel tower remained. I was dismayed how much had been demolished in only two weeks after watching the northeast wing take over a month.

February 5, 2006

I was unable to return for several weeks by which time, only debris remained.

February 19, 2006

Two weeks later, even the debris was disappearing.

April 2, 2006

My final photos were taken on April 2, 2006. By this time, even the debris was gone and construction of the new school had begun. The Coconut Grove was still standing, but with no front or back exterior walls and the interior mostly gutted.

August 6, 2006

I took a few follow-up photos on August 6, 2006. The site hasn't changed much. The Coconut Grove was still standing, but with no front or back exterior walls and the interior mostly gutted.

April 6, 2008

The Ambassador Hotel is gone now. A new school will take its place. Perhaps one of the student educated in the new school will be enlightened enough to find a way to save other historic buildings.

Sign. Photo date: 10-15-05.


The high school that replaced the Ambassador Hotel was originally promised to retain historic elements. The building nearing completion at the time of this writing, resembles nothing of the original building.

Photo date: June 11, 2011. The school is open. The replacement building is the same shape and size, but looks nothing like the historic hotel. Blue glass has replaced beige masonry. None of the historic elements have been preserved as promised.

Los Angeles County Main Page

This page last updated: Sunday, 03-Jul-2011 09:44:18 EDT

Note: This is not the official site for any of the places shown in Places Earth. Places Earth is not responsible for accuracy of the information. Hours of operations, prices, exhibits, and sometimes locations are subject to change without notice.

Support this Web Site This web site started because of my love for Architecture and interest in History. This web site is for your benefit and I make no profit on it. I don't allow paid advertising. This site is supported primarily from my regular paycheck as a Set Designer and there haven' been many this year. I sell art at www.klimages.com. A non-tax deductable donation to help cover the cost of operating this web site may be made to Kesign Design Consulting through PayPal ...
You can buy candles from my wife.	Or donations can be mailed to the address on the contact page.	Buy my art.

This site maintained by Kenneth A. Larson.
Copyright © 2004 - 2012, Kenneth A. Larson. All Rights Reserved.
Website content including photographic and graphic images may not be redistributed for use on another website.

This site is a non-commercial alternative to my commercial design portfolio site. This site's only purpose is for your enjoyment. There is no advertising and I make no profit. If you are in the need of a designer, please check my commercial site www.kesigndesign.com.

Places, Earth Ambassador Hotel