Aztec Hotel
Architect Robert Stacy-Judd designed and built the Aztec Hotel in 1925. This project launched Stacy-Judd’s exploration and promotion of the Mayan Revival style. He named it the ‘Aztec’ because he believed that the general public was better acquainted with that tribe than with the Maya. Early financial and promotional struggles diminished with the creation of Route 66 in 1927. In 1931, Route 66 was divided, and the Aztec fell onto the wrong leg of it, which saw barely any traffic. The hotel declined amid rumors of iniquity and vice and financial struggles. Grant assistance from the National Park Service’s Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program allowed new owners to restore and renovate the hotel in the early 2000s. The hotel listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a a National Historic Landmark and Monrovia Historical Landmark.
Monrovia, Los Angeles County
Photographer: Al Russell
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt