1907, Parkinson & Bergstrom, Architects
Los Angeles, California

At a cost of over three million dollars, the Hotel Alexandria was built for developers A.C. Bilicke and R.A. Rowan. Upon its opening , it was instantly the city's social center, showplace and crown jewel. Boasting 500 well-appointed guest rooms, the luxurious hostelry catered to the top talent of the developing Southern California movie industry, as well as national figures and foreign royalty. The guest register included such noted personalities as the Duke of Windsor (King Edward VIII), Sir Winston Churchill, Paderewski, Enrico Caruso, Sarah Bernhardt, Jack Dempsey, and William Jennings Bryan. Three U.S. presidents stayed at the Alexandria: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. Frequenting the popular gathering place were movie personalities Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Cecil B. DeMille, Lionel Barrymore, and many others.

The Alexandria was one of the first projects to be designed under the new partnership of Parkinson & Bergstom. The roaring success of the "Alex", as it was fondly nicknamed, prompted the owners to again , in 1910, retain the firm to add a twelve-story annex facing Spring Street. A distinctive mansard roof on this portion of the hotel, portrayed in early design drawings, was eschewed in favor of a cornice that more closely related to the original building. The opening of the larger Biltmore Hotel (1922) three blocks to the west, followed by the Great Depression, sent the Alexandria into its long decline. In the early 1950's well after the eclipse of the hotel, the Parkinson firm was again called upon, this time to alter the distinctive parapet and make other changes on the interior.

In April of 1970, the Alexandria reopened after an extensive remodeling by the S. Jon Freedman Company. Although well intended, the new interior reflected a Victorian decor that the hotel never had. Due to the serious decline of Spring Street and the Historic Core in general, it appeared that no amount of money invested could resuscitate her.

Today, like many older hotels to the East of Pershing Square, the Alexandria is a voucher-hotel for mainly low-income tenants. The Palm Court (originally called the Franco-Italian Dining Room), with its original stained glass ceiling still in place, is a Historic-Cultural Monument of the City of Los Angeles. The original grand interiors for most of the hotel building are still there, albeit underneath a few layers of remodeling efforts. When the neighborhood comes back to life, the Alexandria's grand interiors may be restored and once again fully appreciated.

Note cards featuring the Hotel Alexandria are available in the GIFT SHOP NEW!

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