<strong>Hotel Figueroa: </strong>These days, the Hotel Figueroa is one of downtown L.A.'s coolest stays. But the hotel's history makes it even more special.
Hotel Figueroa: These days, the Hotel Figueroa is one of downtown L.A.'s coolest stays. But the hotel's history makes it even more special.
Courtesy Hotel Figueroa
<strong>Hotel Figuero-her:</strong> This property claims the world's first known female hotel manager, Maude Bouldin.
Hotel Figuero-her: This property claims the world's first known female hotel manager, Maude Bouldin.
Courtesy Hotel Figueroa
<strong>Herstory:</strong> The hotel was built in the early 1900s as YWCA, or Young Women's Christian Association, lodging.
Herstory: The hotel was built in the early 1900s as YWCA, or Young Women's Christian Association, lodging.
Courtesy Hotel Figueroa
<strong>Ladies only:</strong> The hotel has always been on Figueroa Street (hence the name).
Ladies only: The hotel has always been on Figueroa Street (hence the name).
Courtesy Hotel Figueroa
<strong>City of angels:</strong> The hotel's manager was Maude N. Bouldin, an aviatrix, traveler, feminist and trailblazer in the hospitality industry.
City of angels: The hotel's manager was Maude N. Bouldin, an aviatrix, traveler, feminist and trailblazer in the hospitality industry.
Courtesy Hotel Figueroa
<strong>Classic chic:</strong> The $1.25 million granted to the YWCA was reported in 1926 by the Los Angeles Times to be "the largest individual financial transaction ever undertaken by a body of women in the United States.
Classic chic: The $1.25 million granted to the YWCA was reported in 1926 by the Los Angeles Times to be "the largest individual financial transaction ever undertaken by a body of women in the United States.
Courtesy Hotel Figueroa
<strong>O Pioneers: </strong>The YWCA was intended to be a safe space for the growing number of women traveling alone or for business, which was often unsafe or frowned upon in the 1920s and '30s.
O Pioneers: The YWCA was intended to be a safe space for the growing number of women traveling alone or for business, which was often unsafe or frowned upon in the 1920s and '30s.
Courtesy Hotel Figueroa
<strong>Perks:</strong> The Figueroa also had a private cafeteria where women could eat, as restaurants were not hospitable to solo female diners, and private bathrooms.
Perks: The Figueroa also had a private cafeteria where women could eat, as restaurants were not hospitable to solo female diners, and private bathrooms.
Courtesy Hotel Figueroa
<strong>Update:</strong> The hotel was relaunched in 2016 after a painstaking two-year renovation. Many of Maude Bouldin's original ideas, such as an absence of TVs in common spaces, remain today.
Update: The hotel was relaunched in 2016 after a painstaking two-year renovation. Many of Maude Bouldin's original ideas, such as an absence of TVs in common spaces, remain today.
Courtesy Hotel Figueroa