Hollywood, CA - Changes ahead for the Sunset Palms Motel?

Traveling along Sunset Boulevard these days is much different from what it was like just a couple of decades ago. Also called the Sunset Strip, entertainment of all types were typically found along this busy boulevard, with neon signs ablazing throughout. One such sign is themarquee atop the Sunset Palms Motel.

Sunset Palms Motel (Remodeled)
Hollywood, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Cruising Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, check out the towering marquee for the Sunset Palms Motel. Bold red lettering, flowing neon, and starburst accents gave this roadside stop a greeting that was hard to overlook. Even with plenty competing for attention along Sunset, the sign had a personality of its own.

Opened in 1954, the 24-room motel arrived during Hollywood’s post-war entertainment boom. Its location put travelers near movie, television, and recording studios, offering a convenient base for visitors hoping to spend a little time around the industry. The marquee handled the introduction from the boulevard.

Vintage postcards showed off the comforts waiting inside. Noiseless Carrier air conditioning, wall-to-wall carpeting, individual radios, and 21-inch television sets were all part of the appeal. Today those might sound like ordinary room features, but in the 1950s they gave a motor court something to advertise.

The Sunset Palms
Hollywood, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Behind that colorful welcome, the motel’s early history included some troubling events. In 1955, just a year after opening, police raided a room during a Hollywood vice operation. One of those arrested had previously been linked to an attack on big-band singer Billy Daniels.

In 1958, German research scientist Edward Roka died by suicide in one of the guest rooms. The incident became another dark chapter in the property’s history, far removed from the comfortable accommodations pictured on its postcards.

Later stories associated the motel with sudden cold spots, televisions switching on without explanation, and footsteps pacing the exterior upstairs walkways. These remain unverified ghost tales. Still, an old Hollywood motel with a long history seems almost certain to collect a few stories after the office lights go down.

However, trouble may be brewing for the Sunset Palms Motel marquee. Rumors state that new ownership has taken over with possible plans to remove the sign--or leave the vertical 'motel' part of the sign and put a new name up.

The Sunset Palms
Hollywood, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

As the years passed, the Sunset Palms name gave way to the Hollywood Studio Inn. The property continued serving guests through changing travel habits and a changing neighborhood, though its eventual future would take it beyond the overnight lodging business.

UPDATE : The Sunset Palms marquee is now in danger due to new ownership of this motel. According to the manager of the Sunset Palms, the new owners plan to remove the sign, or leave the vertical 'motel' part of the sign and put a new name up. Many thanks to Adriene Biondo for update

UPDATE: In 2010, the former Sunset Palms at 7160 W. Sunset Boulevard was renovated and converted into permanent supportive housing called Michael’s Village. The old motel building escaped demolition and found a new purpose, providing residents with a longer-term home behind a frontage once familiar to Hollywood travelers. 10-26

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