The building that now houses the Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel was commissioned in 1926 by the Commercial Club of Southern California, a business-oriented organization that served as the social annex to the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Unlike traditional exclusive gentlemen's clubs, this institution focused on promoting the city's industrial and commercial future, attracting members from the entertainment industry including Cecil B. DeMille and Harry Warner alongside prominent business figures. The club represented the optimistic boosterism of 1920s Los Angeles, when downtown was positioning itself as the center of a rapidly expanding metropolis.
Designed by the partnership of Curlett & Beelman, the structure displays a sophisticated Renaissance Revival façade with disciplined massing that reflects the firm's refined pre-Art Deco sensibilities. The building's long, elegant elevation along Broadway demonstrates the architects' skill with large-scale commercial and institutional projects that maintained Beaux-Arts composure while anticipating sleeker modernist approaches. The original interior planning accommodated the club's diverse programming with spaces for dining, business meetings, athletics, and social gatherings, including a swimming pool, racquetball court, and basketball facilities that remain remarkably intact today.