Hotel Lorane Los Angeles – Rocky III’s Sketchiest Stay
“This is below you and the sister’s standards.”
Yes, It Was a Real Hotel – And It’s Just as Rough
When Rocky, Adrian, Apollo and Paulie pull up to the Hotel Lorane in Rocky III to set up digs at the horrendous Hotel Lorane, you don’t need dialogue to know this place smells like cigarettes, booze, and who knows what else. The Balboas trade their mansion in Philly (really filmed in Beverly Hills) for downtown L.A., and somehow it gets grimmer. Welcome to the Hotel Lorane – no class.
Location, Location… You Sure About That Location?
Plopped on a crusty block near Apollo Creed’s old gym, this actual hotel was used as their temporary West Coast basecamp. It’s real, it’s filthy, and it’s still there – kinda. The place was already sketchy back in the early ‘80s, and while the bones are still recognizable if you squint, these days it’s half-hidden behind pop-up vendors and sidewalk hustle that clutter up the facade.
As of 2024, the faded Jack’s Secret Sauce colored exterior still has a sign that reads “Loraine” – maybe a rebrand attempt, maybe just a paint job gone rogue. Is it open? Is it still a hotel? Unclear. Is it safe? Also unclear. But if you’re looking for authentic Rocky III filming locations, this is about as real as it gets.
The Hotel’s Other (Tiny) Moments of Fame
The Lorane also moonlighted in a few other roles. Back in the mid-1980s, it popped up in an episode of Scarecrow and Mrs. King, the spy show starring Kate Jackson – yes, one of Charlie’s Angels. It also made a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in the 1984 Miami Vice episode “Glades,” right in the opening montage. And if you’re really digging deep, the hotel was featured in the forgotten 1961 B-movie The Cat Burglar, which starred a bunch of actors you’ve never heard of.
Fire? Yeah, It Survived That Too
In December 2017, the top floor caught fire. L.A. firefighters got the blaze out in 25 minutes flat. Cause? Still under investigation – maybe a Sterno explosion or a burning cigarette. Either way, this place is a survivor, and it’s got the battle scars to prove it.
So, Should You Stay There?
Just do yourself a favor: if you’re out hunting filming locations, maybe skip booking a night here. Snap your pics, keep your wallet close, and move along. And please – don’t spend your honeymoon here.
