A devastating fire has completely destroyed the historic Hollywood Center Motel, a 120-year-old landmark that once housed rock stars and featured in famous films and television series.
A Landmark Lost to Flames
The fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning, consuming the Craftsman-style building that was constructed in 1905. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to reports of a rubbish fire on the property at 4:30 am. Upon arrival, crews saw large flames erupting from both floors of the boarded-up, two-storey structure and immediately upgraded the response to a major incident.
The tragedy struck just weeks after the city's Cultural Heritage Commission voted to consider the motel for designation as a historic-cultural monument. This move was hastened after the owner, Andranik Sogoyan, submitted demolition permits for parts of the building in early 2025.
Dramatic Rescue and Firefighting Efforts
As firefighters battled the blaze, they heard cries for help from inside. A 42-year-old man had become trapped on the second floor and had broken a window in an attempt to escape the intense heat and smoke. Firefighters used an aerial ladder to reach him, bringing him to safety. He was treated at the scene for a minor arm injury before being taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition, remarkably without any burns.
It took a total of 70 firefighters one hour and 12 minutes to fully extinguish the fire. A subsequent search of the ruined building found no other victims, and none of the emergency personnel were injured.
A Faded Star's History and Recent Decline
The motel boasted a glittering past. In the 1960s, it was frequented by the band Buffalo Springfield, as well as Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse. Its cinematic credits included the 1997 film LA Confidential and television series such as The Rockford Files, Perry Mason, and TJ Hooker.
However, the business had been in decline for years. It was officially shuttered in 2018, though its former owner and some long-term tenants remained until late 2024, when the property was foreclosed on and finally vacated. Since then, it had become a popular site for transient and homeless individuals, with the owner struggling to secure it despite installing fences, which were repeatedly cut through with wire cutters.
Two smaller fires had already occurred on the property in the second half of 2025: one on September 15 and another on October 19.
Lamenting a Preventable Loss
The non-profit organisation Hollywood Heritage, which advocates for preserving the area's history, lamented the loss in a statement. "The building could readily have been painted and preserved to serve in an adaptive re-use capacity as a gem in the community," they said. "By allowing its decay and neglect we again see rare historic buildings lost which were eminently restorable."
The owner had reportedly been supportive of the historic monument efforts and was prepared to redevelop the property in compliance if the designation was granted. A Hollywood Heritage webinar scheduled for Wednesday evening to highlight the motel's history will now be repurposed as a tribute and a discussion on preventing further losses of neglected historic properties.
This fire follows almost exactly a year after another iconic Los Angeles building, the 111-year-old Morrison Hotel featured on The Doors' album, was also destroyed in a blaze, with locals reporting similar issues with homeless individuals sheltering there.
