The Ambassador Hotel was a hotel in Los Angeles, California. Designed by architect Myron Hunt, the Ambassador Hotel formally opened to the public on January 1, 1921. It was especially well-known for its bar and nightclub, the Cocoanut Grove with its swaying coconut palm trees made of paper mache and monkeys with electrified amber eyes.

This pre-tiki establishment and its parent hotel were more Moorish in style than Polynesian, yet set the tone for tropical pre-tiki establishments. This was Los Angeles’ premier night spot for decades; host to six Oscar ceremonies and to every United States President from Herbert Hoover to Richard Nixon. Prominent figures such as Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Sammy Davis, Nat King Cole, Barbra Streisand, Bing Crosby, John Wayne, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, and The Supremes were some of the many entertainers that attended and performed professionally at the Cocoanut Grove.

The hotel was the site of the assassination of United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968. Due to the decline of the hotel and the surrounding area, the Ambassador Hotel was closed to guests in 1989. In 2001, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) purchased the property with the intent of constructing three new schools within the area. After subsequent litigations to preserve the hotel as a historic site, a settlement allowed the Ambassador Hotel to be demolished in 2005.

Details

Type

Bar & Nightclub

Address

Los Angeles, California, United States

Closed?

Yes (Permanently)