Iconic L.A. Hotel, Immortalized on Doors Album Cover, Ravaged by Fire

A former downtown Los Angeles hotel, famously featured on the Doors' 1970 Morrison Hotel album cover—photographed surreptitiously at the location—was severely damaged in a fire on Thursday morning, authorities said. The 110-year-old building, located at 1246 S. Hope St., was unoccupied but had reportedly become a haven for squatters. More than 100 firefighters worked for nearly two hours to extinguish the major emergency blaze, which was knocked down by 12:30 p.m. with no injuries reported, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Several dozen unhoused individuals fled the structure as the fire broke out, and fire crews used ladders to rescue three others trapped on the third floor, an LAFD spokesperson said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the department's arson team.

The smoke cloud was so close. We didn’t know where it was coming from, said Faith Ronning, a nearby resident. People in neighboring buildings rushed outside with their pets and kids. I’ve never seen a fire that big up close like that. Built in 1914, the Morrison Hotel achieved lasting fame after its appearance on the iconic album.

Music photographer Henry Diltz captured the iconic cover photo in 1969. In a 2020 Facebook post marking the album's 50th anniversary, Diltz recalled that while the band had initially been denied permission to photograph at the hotel, they seized the opportunity when the hotel clerk stepped away from the front desk. In a quick and stealthy maneuver, they took the now-famous shot using a single roll of film, with lead singer Jim Morrison prominently featured.

The building itself has a troubled history, marked by unsafe living conditions. Diltz described it in his post as a funky old sort of flop house, where rooms were available for $2.50 a night during the 1969 shoot.

In 2004, around 40 tenants from the 111-unit building filed a lawsuit against the owners, accusing them of slumlord practices. Residents reported hazardous conditions such as leaky windows, mold and mildew on carpets and walls, and exposed electrical wiring. Blood tests revealed elevated lead levels in children from deteriorating, chipped paint.

The building served as low-income housing until its closure in 2008, according to Urbanize L.A. Plans to convert the structure into a 444-room hotel with 136 luxury residential units were initiated in 2016. However, in 2022, the developer defaulted on a $13 million loan, leading the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to purchase the property with plans to convert it into low-income housing.

Representatives from the foundation confirmed on Thursday that unhoused individuals had been living in the building for several months. As soon as we secure the building, the homeless come up with power tools within hours and just cut the locks off, said Mark Dyer, vice president of operations for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in an interview with KCAL News.