The World-Famous Los Angeles Ambassador Hotel

Mid-century outlines of the iconic Ambassador Hotel in L.A.

This uncommon pair of diagrams provides a detailed mid-century overview of L.A.’s glamorous Ambassador Hotel. A floor plan printed by The T.V. Allen Company and noted as property of Roy S. Kellogg outlines the lobby, casino, and the 4th and 6th floors as representative examples of the hotel’s luxurious accommodations. It shows the legendary Cocoanut Grove restaurant/club and includes several manuscript updates (presumably by Roy himself). A second sheet, illustrated by Jud Wright, outlines the Ambassador’s grounds – “A 22 Acre Playground in the Heart of a Great City.” Over twenty guest amenities are numbered and demarcated, including numerous ballrooms, a rifle/archery range, miniature golf course, staffed children’s playground, and the ‘New Ambassador Lido.

The Ambassador Hotel, opened in 1921, quickly became a glamorous Hollywood landmark, hosting celebrities, dignitaries, and numerous Academy Awards ceremonies. Its Cocoanut Grove nightclub was a legendary venue, featuring performances by renowned entertainers. However, the hotel’s legacy is tragically marked by the 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in its kitchen pantry. Following years of decline and failed redevelopment plans, the Ambassador Hotel was demolished in 2005, making way for the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools.

Sources: Calisphere; Los Angeles Public Library