Shuttered LA church transformed into chic Silver Lake luxe hotel

Talk about a divine renovation.

A long-dormant, 95-year-old house of worship in LA’s sophisticated Silver Lake east side enclave has found salvation as Hotel Lucile — a 25-room boutique hideaway opening its heavy timber doors to guests this week.

The hotel is located inside the former Bethany Presbyterian Church — and comes complete with stained-glass windows, a rooftop cross, Erewhon-stocked minibars, and a roving martini cart.

Where parishioners once prayed, Angelenos can now sip Sazeracs and dig into bouillabaisse beneath soaring chapel arches, steps from trendy Sunset Blvd.

The cavernous former sanctuary at 1629 Griffith Park Blvd. has been transformed into Sous Sous, a roughly 120-seat New American French restaurant and bar from executive chef Patrick Costa, of the downtown hotspot De La Nonna.

Meanwhile, the chapel’s former choir loft has been turned into a moody mezzanine lounge.

The 25 guest rooms, which frame a sunlit interior courtyard, ditch austerity for high-end comforts — with Aesop bath products, crisp Parachute linens, and handcrafted ceramics.

An on-site library was assembled in partnership with Skylight Books in neighboring Los Feliz, and guests will find custom stained-glass coasters made by local artists in their room.

The conversion marks the latest, and chicest, chapter for a building that has had a few different identities.

After housing a few different congregations, it became the home of the nation’s first Asian American theater company East West Players — and was then later used as an antiques shop.

“Throughout this restoration, our focus was on honoring the many lives this building has already held while creating something that feels distinctly of Silver Lake today,” general manager Anthony Gutierrez said. “We hope Hotel Lucile continues to evolve alongside the neighborhood through the artists, neighbors, guests, and collaborators who become part of it.”

Contemporary art pieces are expected to rotate throughout the property, with many available for purchase, turning it into a living art gallery.

Getting it from church to hotel, though, was anything but heavenly.

The redevelopment dragged on for over a decade amid neighborhood debate, city hearings, and a bankruptcy before hospitality group Casetta took it over in 2020.

The reimagined piece of prime property also boasts a cocktail pool, meeting spaces, and a rooftop deck with sweeping views of Los Angeles.

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One very traditional local amenity is notably missing — parking. The hotel has no on-site lot, meaning guests and restaurant diners will depend on valet or scarce street slots.

Nightly rates start around $441, but locals can snag a 15% discount to celebrate the opening, according to the hotel.