Kim Sing Theatre: Old vaudeville house in Chinatown reopening as small hotel

The Kim Sing Theatre’s next iteration? A “micro hotel,” says Ash Pathi, founder of Indra & Company, the property’s new owner.

Indra & Company bought the old neighborhood film house in Chinatown for $3.3 million in October from Willard Ford, son of Harrison Ford. “I’m a big fan of the lore and nostalgia of Los Angeles,” Pathi says. “History needs to be respected and focused on here.”

The venue opened as the Alpine Theatre in 1926, reportedly to show vaudeville acts, and, in 1943, might have been the location where the zoot suit riots started. In the ’70s and ’80s, Chinese American children spent weekend afternoons in the smoky theater, snacking on dried plums and soda while devouring kung fu films.

Ford took ownership of it about 16 years ago. He already gutted the interior, giving it an industrial look and transformed it into his personal residence, a fashion showroom, and a venue for parties. Pathi says his company didn’t have to change much: “It was a beautiful canvas. It was well done.”

They added beds and other furniture and decor, and are now ready to start taking reservations. The space, comprised of three bedrooms and a kitchen, is suited for groups; it can accommodate single reservations for parties up to 10 guests, with rates starting at $1,199 nightly.

When it’s not hosting over-night guests, that space will be used for event rentals.

Pathi says he’s also looking to bring in a coffee shop and a restaurant. “We talked to all of our neighbors. A big use they asked for was a coffee shop,” he says. “We wanted to open it up to the community.”

Indra & Company shared new photos of the hotel space; check them out:

Kim Sing Theatre

• Harrison Ford's son sells Chinatown live/work theater for $3.3M [Curbed LA]
• Buy Chinatown's 1926 live/work Kim Sing Theatre for $4.55M [Curbed LA]