Morrison Hotel (Los Angeles)
| Morrison Hotel | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Status | Closed indefinitely due to in-building fire |
| Town or city | Downtown Los Angeles |
| Country | United States |
| Year(s) built | 1914 |
| Destroyed | December 26, 2024 |
The Morrison Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles is a hotel that is known for being the location where American rock band the Doors shot the album cover for their album of the same name.[1]
Structure
[edit]The building's structure consisted of four floors[2] with 23 rooms. There were plans after it was purchased by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to renovate it to add 421 rooms to add up to 444 rooms in 2023, but due to the fire in December 2024, the plans were cancled.[3]
History
[edit]Not much is known about the early history of the building.
In 1970, photographer Henry Diltz, with the Doors, shot the album cover. According to John Densmore, the Doors asked permission to shoot it, but they were denied, so they shot the cover when the clerk wasn't looking.[4] In 2023, the hotel was purchased by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation after being sold by its previous owner.[3] On December 26, 2024, the building was permanently closed due to being severely damaged by a fire.[5] As of January 2025, the cause of the fire is unknown, Los Angeles police and arson investigators are working on discovering the cause.[6] The fire caused the roof of the building to fall down.[7] After the AIDS Healthcare Foundation had secured the building, the homeless people nearby came over to cut the locks off of the door, as AIDS Healthcare Foundation vice president Mark Dyer said: "As soon as we secure the building, the homeless come up with power tools within hours and just cut the locks off".[8] The building is eligible for inclusion in the California Register of Historical Resources, but is possibly ineligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places due to being altered, largely due to the fire,[9] according to a file available for viewing in the Los Angeles Historic Resources Inventory.[10] The building was vacant, so there were zero injuries in the fire, all of the building inhabitants were in the lobby, so everyone quickly evacuated.[11] The fire was successfully contained in a total of 1 hour 37 minutes.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Nowell, Cecilia (2024-12-27). "Morrison hotel featured on Doors' album cover burns in Los Angeles fire". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ "Morrison Hotel made famous by the Doors catches fire in Los Angeles". EW.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ a b Maetzold, Amy (2023-12-20). "The Doors' "Morrison Hotel" becoming affordable housing in Los Angeles - CBS Los Angeles". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Densmore 1991, pp. 234–237, 244.
- ^ Childers, Chad ChildersChad (2024-12-27). "Building From Historic Doors Album Cover Damaged in Fire". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Solis, Nathan (2025-01-03). "The long, painful decline of the L.A. hotel made famous by the Doors: Can the Morrison rise from the ashes?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 4, 2025. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (2024-12-27). "'Morrison Hotel' Building in Los Angeles Destroyed by Fire". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Sharp, Julie (2024-12-26). "Once home to Morrison Hotel, historic building in downtown Los Angeles goes up in flames - CBS Los Angeles". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ "Fire damages L.A. building featured on cover of The Doors' 'Morrison Hotel' album". NBC News. 2024-12-28. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ "Historic Places Los Angeles - Resource Report". hpla.lacity.org. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Balk, Tim (2024-12-27). "Los Angeles Building Featured on Doors' 'Morrison Hotel' Cover Burns". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (2024-12-26). "Firefighters Put Out Blaze At Site Of The Doors' Famous Morrison Hotel In Downtown L.A." Deadline. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
Sources
[edit]- Densmore, John (1991). Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and The Doors. London: Bloomsbury, Arrow. ISBN 0-09-993300-4.
