Here's the story:
* Ambitious Project: In the 1950s, heir to the A&P grocery fortune, Huntington Hartford, envisioned a lavish, modern hotel in Pasadena. He hired renowned architect Welton Becket (who designed the iconic Capitol Records Building) to create a futuristic, glass-and-steel structure.
* Construction Begins: Construction began in 1959, but the project was plagued by financial problems and disagreements.
* Financial Trouble: Hartford's financial situation worsened, and he was unable to complete the hotel. The project was stalled in 1963.
* Incomplete Structure: The unfinished hotel stood as a skeletal shell for years, becoming a symbol of Pasadena's unrealized dreams.
* Demolition: In the 1980s, the building was finally demolished.
Today, the site is occupied by:
* The Huntington Hotel: A completely unrelated modern hotel built on the same property in the 1980s.
* The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens: A renowned cultural institution located nearby.
The story of the Huntington Hartford Hotel serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of ambition and the challenges of realizing grand visions.