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P R O F I L E | F I R E H O U S E H OT E L
HO T-S P O T
Once home to one of the cit y's fire companies, a piece
of histor y on Santa Fe Avenue now houses a newly opened
independent, boutique hotel and restaurant.
W R I T T E N B Y K A R I N E M O N I É
HO S PI TA L I T Y
H
ospitality entrepreneur Dustin Lancaster—the mind behind Hotel Covell, Chinatown
wine bar and bistro Oriel, among many other well-known projects—had to have patience
in undertaking his latest project. It was more than 10 years ago that Lancaster first laid
his eyes on the two-story historic building that was home to the Los Angeles Fire Department
from 1927 to 1980. So, in 2016, when the owner asked Lancaster to create a hotel "like Covell "
there, he agreed without hesitation. Also an obvious choice for the entrepreneur: partnering with
developer (and friend) Tyler Stonebreaker, founder and CEO of Creative Space. And for the
interior design, Lancaster immediately knew he could count on Sally Breer, co-founder of ETC.
etera, who previously worked with him on Hotel Covell and Oriel, so this project was a natural
continuation of their story.
Last April, the Firehouse Hotel opened in Los Angeles's Arts District, becoming the very first
boutique hospitality project in the neighborhood. Behind the original façade, with its two red
doors that pay homage to the building's past, guests discover a light-filled ground floor dedicated
to the community. It comprises the lobby-reception area; a café; a shop with products curated by
Breer's ETC.etera business partner Jake Rodehuth-Harrison; and a bar and restaurant—led by chef
Ashley Abodeely and pastry chef Rose Lawrence—with a patio. e space beyond the patio that was
originally used as the firefighters' handball court has been transformed into a private dining room
that can accommodate 30 people seated or 40 to 50 people for cocktail parties. Bespoke items created
Behind the original
facade, with its two
red doors that pay
homage to the building's
past, guests discover
a light-filled ground
floor dedicated to the
community.
"
