After 25 years of serving the Los Angeles music scene, Hotel Café is closing its doors, but not for good.
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, Hotel Café published a carousel post titled “A note before we go” on Instagram, announcing the news of the venue’s upcoming closure.
“Twenty-five years ago, we opened the Hotel Café with nothing more than a tiny stage, a whole lot of naivety, and the belief that music could bring people together in ways nothing else could,” reads the post. “Turns out we were right. Since then, we have been lucky enough to witness tens of thousands of performances and welcome more than a million fans through the doors.
“It is hard to put into words what this space and the last quarter century have meant to us, and to all of you who have filled it with songs, stories, and life. The Hotel Café has been more than a venue. It has been a family, a refuge, a launchpad for countless careers, and a place where magic regularly happens. Today, we are turning a page. After twenty-five years, the doors at our beloved Cahuenga location will close in the early months of 2026. But this is not the end for us.”
According to the latest update, Hotel Café, currently located at 1623 1/2 N. Cahuenga Blvd., will reopen inside Lumina Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard in the first half of 2027. The owners wrote that the new location will expand capacity while preserving the “soul and intimacy of the original” and offering a more “modern and elevated experience” for its audiences and performers.
Patrons of the original venue shared their fondest memories on social media, illustrating what the space has meant to them through the years.
“I saw my very first show in LA at The Hotel Cafe. Played my very first sold-out LA show at The Hotel Cafe. MET MY WIFE at The Hotel Cafe. Had my wedding rehearsal dinner at The Hotel Cafe,” one user wrote. “Hard to put into words what this place has meant to me. It was my LA experience. It was my LA home. Thank you for everything, Marco, Max, Gia, @joeleckels and everyone else who made this place BREATHE for so many years.”
“I cut my teeth at the hotel. Impossible to overstate its impact,” another user wrote. “I still feel my coolest when I walk through those doors and everyone knows my name. I know I’m not alone – we [singer-songwriters] felt at home at the hotel more than any venue anywhere. Marco/Nax/Gia, you created a legendary venue and created a community of musicians without parallel. I can’t wait to see the sequel.”
Hotel Café began as a young, scrappy coffee shop, but over its quarter-century run, the space evolved into a staple of the Los Angeles music scene and even launched its own tour and record label. It also caught the attention of Hollywood acolytes, such as “Grey’s Anatomy” music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, who frequently visited the venue, keeping an ear out for new talent and licensing acts like Meiko and Adele for the hit show.
While no official dates have been announced for the closing or anticipated reopening, a few events are listed on Hotel Cafe’s website through Dec. 16.