The Stratford Hotel
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Check out the rooftop sign for the Stratford Hotel, an old apartment-hotel near downtown Los Angeles. The large lettering gives the building a presence beyond its front entrance, joining the collection of hotel and apartment names scattered above Westlake’s streets.

These rooftop displays were part advertisement and part neighborhood landmark. A resident could point toward the lettering when giving directions, while a traveler looking for accommodations had something to watch for above the storefronts.

The Stratford shown here stands on West Eighth Street near Hoover. Its sign recalls the days when even a neighborhood hotel could make a fairly substantial announcement overhead.

UPDATE: The Stratford remains listed as a residential property on West Eighth Street. This is a different location from the Stratford Apartments on West Sixth Street associated with the deadly 1973 fire. 10-26

Royale Wilshire
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Another rooftop name worth a look along Wilshire belongs to the Wilshire Royale. Originally opened as the Arcady in 1924, this Walker & Eisen-designed apartment-hotel catered to residents who liked the comforts of home with someone else handling the chores.

Developer Olive Philips built the Arcady on the former Higgins mansion site, after the house was moved farther west. Advertisements promised service from maids, butlers, valets, and porters. A fairly convincing argument for leaving the housework behind.

The building later served as Fifield Manor and, during another chapter, a Howard Johnson’s hotel. Its changing names and uses tell a little of the boulevard’s history, while the architecture gives passing motorists something more lasting to recognize.

UPDATE: The Wilshire Royale operates as residential apartments. Its renovation included relighting the celebrated rooftop neon, giving the old hotel name another turn above the boulevard. 10-26

Gaylord Apartments
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Across Wilshire from the former Ambassador Hotel site stands the Gaylord Apartments, with its familiar rooftop sign above Koreatown. Opened in 1924, the thirteen-story building was named for Henry Gaylord Wilshire, whose name also went onto the boulevard.

The Gaylord began as a cooperative housing venture before becoming a rental building. Downstairs, the nautical-themed HMS Bounty opened in 1962, offering dark booths and maritime decorations just steps from Wilshire traffic. No boarding pass required.

UPDATE: The Gaylord continues as an apartment building, with the HMS Bounty remaining a familiar ground-floor destination. The Ambassador across the street is gone, but this side of Wilshire still offers a look at the old neighborhood. 10-26

The Plaza Hotel
Hollywood, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Near Hollywood and Vine, the Hollywood Plaza Hotel adds another familiar rooftop sign to a neighborhood with no shortage of names overhead. Opened in 1925, the hotel stood close to the studios, theaters, and broadcasting activity that helped make this corner famous.

Clara Bow and her husband Rex Bell opened the It Café here in 1937, borrowing the nickname that had helped make Bow one of the silent screen’s biggest stars. A little Hollywood publicity came built into the restaurant’s name.

Guests included entertainers such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Gene Autry, while George Burns maintained an office upstairs during the 1930s. Between the hotel and its café, there were plenty of reasons for familiar faces to pass through the entrance.

UPDATE: The Hollywood Plaza survives as senior housing. Its rooftop name, near the Broadway Hollywood sign, recalls the days when Vine Street offered visiting entertainers a place to stay between appearances. 10-26

Cecil Hotel
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

On South Main Street, the Cecil Hotel is hard to miss with its large exterior lettering and tall downtown profile. Opened in 1924, the hotel was designed by Loy Lester Smith, with an elaborate lobby intended to make arriving travelers feel they had chosen a substantial Los Angeles address.

The Depression and later changes downtown brought a much different chapter. Over the decades, the Cecil became known for its difficult history as much as its architecture. Part of the property was marketed as Stay on Main beginning in 2011, adding another name to the building’s story.

The 2013 death of Canadian traveler Elisa Lam brought worldwide attention and later became the subject of Netflix’s Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning. The surrounding internet speculation has often overshadowed both that finding and the people who call the building home.

UPDATE: The Cecil reopened as affordable housing in December 2021. Later reporting documented serious challenges with living conditions and resident services, making its latest chapter an ongoing housing story as well as a historic-building story. 10-26

Knickerbocker Hotel
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Just north of Hollywood Boulevard, the Knickerbocker Hotel announces itself with a rooftop sign visible well beyond Ivar Avenue. The old hotel welcomed its share of entertainment figures, including Elvis Presley, who stayed here while making Love Me Tender. A memorable guest to have passing through the lobby. 10-05

The Knickerbocker became a hotel in 1929 and accumulated plenty of Hollywood stories. On Halloween in 1936, Bess Houdini held a rooftop séance in an attempt to contact her late husband, Harry Houdini. Ghost stories later became part of the building’s reputation, with former occupants said to linger long after checkout.

UPDATE: The Knickerbocker was converted to senior apartments in the early 1970s. Its hotel days ended, but the familiar rooftop name still recalls an address with plenty of Hollywood history attached. 10-26