This Former Firehouse Is Now a Colorful Boutique Hotel
Visitors exploring Los Angeles’ burgeoning Arts District have plenty of places for dining, museum-hopping and retail therapy, and now the entertainment options have expanded in a unique way. With the recent opening of the Arts District Firehouse Hotel, the area is a whole lot more colorful.
Ranked on CN Traveler’s list of 12 Best Things to Do in Downtown L.A’s Art District, the independently owned establishment located at 7th St. and S. Santa Fe is the result of a revamped firehouse that was originally built in 1927. The city’s Engine Co. No 17 ran from 1927 through 1980, and subsequently served as an installation space. It was then that hospitality businessman and Firehouse Hotel owner Dustin Lancaster first saw the historic two-story building, but the idea to transform it into a hotel didn’t come about until 2016.
Touted as an architectural depiction of “L.A. love,” the Arts District Fire Hotel ultimately came to life by way of a creative collaboration between Lancaster, ETC.etera designer Sally Breer and Tyler Stonebreaker of Creative Space.
Two bold red firehouse doors open into the hotel’s ground level lobby, which is decorated with comfy, brightly-colored seating areas. The restaurant/bar area is accentuated by a marble countertop and a custom-made Simon St. James undulating pipe fixture that easily draws attention.
Also on the ground floor of the chic hotel are a café/coffee bar, an outdoor fire pit, a covered patio and a curated retail boutique. On the second level are nine stylish and unique guest rooms with kitchenettes, which are all painted in colorful shades ranging from blue, violet and indigo to green, red orange and yellow. Each room has a corresponding leather tasseled keychain. The interior is described as “retro elegant,” a theme that plays out via vintage furniture pieces paired with items from ETC.etera along with original factory windows, wood flooring and wood-truss ceilings and artwork in each room.
Suites range from approximately 220 (red) to 555 square feet (white); three suites have separate living areas and bedrooms, while three others can be combined into one master suite.
Individual guest rooms start at $295 a night. Check out the Arts District Firehouse Hotel website for availability and additional booking info.