L.A.’s Notorious Cecil Hotel, Subject Of Netflix True Crime Series, Is For Sale

A skid row hotel best known for its grisly Netflix true crime examination of a young woman’s mysterious death is now for sale.

The Cecil Hotel was the subject of an episode in the the 2021 Netflix series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. The story examined Elisa Lam, a Canadian student who went missing in the hotel under mysterious circumstances before later being discovered drowned in a rooftop water tank.

The Cecil Hotel was transformed in recent years into a privately funded supportive-housing complex for the formerly homeless. A new owner would be required to take over the 99-year ground lease, which allows its long-term use and development.

No price has been set for the hotel, but the property’s land and improvements were assessed at $31 million in 2023.

The building opened in the 1920s as a luxury hotel, but quickly became something less as the scene of several murders, suicides, and overdoses. The Cecil was the home base of serial killer Richard Ramirez, aka “The Night Stalker,” during his 1980s crime spree. Australian serial killer Jack Unterweger also was a resident at one point.

The 15-floor building was renovated in the last few years, but its 600 units are not filled.