This place must have been a boon to Angelenos seeking a fun-in-the-sun vacation at the turn of the century, or Easterners looking to escape the harsh winters. By the 1890s, getting to California wasn’t so difficult with transcontinental railways now a standard service. But getting those last 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles to Redondo Beach was made easier by the Redondo Railway Company which deposited holidaymakers at the sprawling 225-room Hotel Redondo. The hotel offered all sorts of amenities, including a ballroom, bowling alley, golf course, as well as wood-floored tents for the less well-heeled. The hotel opened to the public on May 1, 1890, so I’m guessing this photo was taken in the 1890s. After some management changes, Prohibition proved to be the final blow to its heyday, and the hotel closed in 1920.

Here’s another shot of the hotel, circa 1900:

And here’s a shot of the dining room:

The Hotel Redondo stood empty for 4 years and was demolished in 1924. Today that area is called Veterans Park and a library now stands where the hotel was. This image is from July 2022.