The historic Hotel Clark in downtown Los Angeles has reopened after more than three decades of inactivity, marking a significant development for the area as it gears up for the 2028 Olympic Games. The 11-story beaux-arts building, which first opened in 1914, had long been a dormant presence nestled between Grand Central Market and Pershing Square (now Biddy Mason Park).

Owned by New York-based Chetrit Organization, the Clark has undergone extensive renovations under the stewardship of Michel Attias, a family member involved in the property’s revitalization. The hotel debuted a soft reopening in mid-September, with about 120 guest rooms ready by late October and additional rooms coming online soon. Current room rates start around $200 per night.

The refurbished Hotel Clark features 348 guest rooms, many outfitted in a contemporary style blending gray, black, white, earth tones, and chrome, with distinctive interior touches such as zebra-print wallpaper and faux alligator-skin panels. The property also includes a Mediterranean restaurant named Votana, a cocktail lounge, a courtyard pool with a poolside bar, and Moroccan tile fountains honoring the owners’ cultural heritage. A ballroom with a 600-person capacity is expected to open shortly. The hotel currently employs about 100 staff and aims to double that number in the coming months.

Hotel Clark’s history reflects broader changes in downtown Los Angeles over the last century. Originally built by railway pioneer Eli P. Clark with 555 rooms each boasting a private bath—a major luxury at the time—the hotel featured prominent rooftop neon signage added decades later. However, by the mid-20th century, the hotel declined alongside the surrounding district, transitioning into low-cost residential use before closing to paying guests sometime in the early 1990s.

In 1989, May Wah International Enterprises, a Chinese company with ties to the Chinese government, acquired the building and envisioned a revitalization featuring a “friendship store” and hotel. The plan faltered amid tenant lawsuits over alleged poor living conditions and protracted evictions. May Wah ultimately sold the property to the Chetrit family in 1999.

Attempts to relaunch the Clark have faced numerous setbacks, including the 2008 financial crisis and opposition from hospitality unions and local officials. Notably, Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar, now serving a federal sentence for corruption, was involved in negotiations that reportedly stalled progress. Despite securing necessary city approvals, partnership dissolutions and other hurdles pushed the project repeatedly into hiatus.

The Chetrit Organization also owns the nearby Trinity Auditorium, another 1914 beaux-arts structure slated for reopening ahead of the Olympics, which includes roughly 180 guest rooms and a large performance space.

Advocates for downtown’s revitalization view the Clark’s reopening as a positive step in expanding legal commerce and lodging options along Hill Street. Hotel occupancy and room rates have surged recently, with analytics firm CoStar reporting average nightly rates of $200 to $210 from June through September, up more than 10% from the previous year.

Longtime local historian Nathan Marsak, who has tracked the Clark’s fate for decades, described the hotel as a “zombie building” during its dormancy. He said the reopening was an encouraging sign for the neighborhood despite disagreeing with some of the interior design choices. “Having the Clark open, facing Hill Street—which can get rough—is so brave of them. I can’t applaud it enough,” Marsak said.

With the 2028 Olympic Games approaching, the revival of Hotel Clark and similar projects may signal renewed confidence in downtown Los Angeles’s hospitality sector and urban core. As general manager Adrienne Craig put it, “There’s nowhere to go but up. The possibilities here are endless.”