The Standard Hollywood was pretty much just that – a "standard" on Sunset Strip. On Friday, after a 22-year run, the popular hotel was forced to shut its doors.
Alison Martino of Vintage Los Angeles is an L.A. born and raised historian, and her home is just blocks away from the now-shuttered building.
"It was like walking into a Stanley Kubrick movie, is the way I would describe The Standard. And 22 years later, they're closing. And I think it's very, very sad," Martino said.
The mid-century modern building went through several names and identity changes through the years. It was called the Thunderbird Inn Hotel when it went up in 1962, then the Sunset Hotel, and then the Golden Crest retirement home before becoming The Standard in the late '90s.
The hotel was known for how it played off the retro theme, complete with its shag carpets and hanging space-age chairs. It was most infamously perhaps known for the woman in a glass box behind check-in.
"I hope this isn't a domino effect because we're losing a lot of original structures on Sunset Strip, this being one of them," Martino said.
The hotel published a "fond farewell" on its site, citing a "significant increase to its lease, which makes operating the property impossible."
According to a report by The American Hotel and Lodging Association, the hospitality industry is down four million jobs in 2021 compared to the same time in 2019.
But The Standard is just the latest iconic spot to close on the strip, which today has a different feel.
"We need to start landmarking things more so we don't lose the Whisky a Go Go or The Rainbow. We're losing entire blocks, not just one structure," Martino said.
And for Martino, the hope is that whoever takes over the building will realize its historical significance.
"I like to keep things the same, but I know that's impossible. I hope that The Standard Hotel somehow recovers and it becomes another hotel or another venue that we can all go back to, and it has another life," Martino said.