Sunset Tower Hotel is an historical
landmark in West Hollywood
Sunset Tower Hotel
8358 Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Built in 1928 by
architect Leland Bryant, the Sunset Tower opened as a luxury apartment house
at just about the same time as the Chateau Marmont (seen in top-center photo
as white, castle-type building). By the 1920s, West Hollywood's location
between Beverly Hills and Hollywood and development of the Sunset Strip
turned this central land mass into a popular housing area filled with
Spanish Colonial Revival courtyard and Period Revival high-rise apartment
complexes. Designed by leading architects such as Leland Bryant, Walter
Davis, and Arthur & Nina Zwebell, the district was filled with unique
properties that became the homes of stars, writers, and directors, who
occupied them on a temporary basis while filming. Today, these buildings
offer one of the most impressive collections of 1920s and 30s apartment
buildings in Southern California.
Sunset Tower was one of the late additions to the West Hollywood skyline. It
was well-appointed and fully furnished with fine antiques, maid service,
security, and chauffeurs on staff. Its designer, Leland Bryant, was born in
Michigan in 1891. He graduated from University of California, Berkeley, and
became known in California for building designs ranging from Moderne to
Period Revival. Bryant collaborated with Samuel Coine to create Four Gables
Apartments, Beau Sejour, Savoy Plaza, Granville Apartments and La Fontaine.
Revisiting an authentic look and feel of the original "real deal" was a goal
for Jeff Klein, an independent hotelier from New York who seeks to develop
the boutique hotel into a product that holds a genuine experience for
today's audience. Who would notice that the celebrity photos peppered
throughout the property are Hollywood look-alikes? Purchasing West
Hollywood's aging Argyle Hotel, he's spent $40 million in the acquisition.
The Sunset Tower, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and by
the Historic Preservation Commission of West Hollywood, maintains the
structural elements mostly. Sunset Tower terraced pool area, which
overlooks a steep downhill slope, is being reconfigured and rooms have
received new drapes, bedding and bathroom upgrades.
Sunset Tower Hotel Reservations
