The Christie Hotel is a historic eight-story building at 6724 W. Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California. Considered Hollywood's first skyscraper[1] and also its first luxury hotel,[2] the building features Georgian Revival architecture and has been described as "an excellent example of its style" by the United States Department of the Interior.[3]
Built in 1922, the Christie Hotel was designed by Arthur Rolland Kelly and owned by the Christie brothers,[2] two of early Hollywood's most powerful movie moguls who also owned the nearby Christie Realty Building.[4] The building features Georgian Revival architecture and is considered Hollywood's first skyscraper and also its first luxury hotel. The property, considered state-of-the-art for its time period, consisted of 100 guestrooms, each equipped with steam heat and an individual bathroom.[5]
In 1933, due to the effects of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression, the Christie brothers's companies were forced to file for bankruptcy. Assets, including this hotel, were sold away.[6]
Between 1933 and 1974, the hotel exchanged hands several times, at one point operating as The Drake and another point The Hollywood Inn.[1] In 1974, the Church of Scientology purchased the building for $1.25 million[7] and remodeled it into their information center, with apartments on the upper floors.[8]
