Quality Inn Airport Hotel, Los Angeles 1982

This authentic 1980s color photograph, captured in 1982, documents the Quality Inn Airport hotel located near LAX in Los Angeles, California. The archival image showcases the Brutalist-inspired architecture of the high-rise hotel, featuring a repeating pattern of recessed windows and concrete balconies. A prominent yellow and white Quality Inn “Enter” sign is mounted near the main driveway, which is shaded by a striped awning. To the left, an Aztec Rent A Car office is visible, complete with its distinctive orange and yellow sun logo. The wide, multi-lane boulevard in the foreground features vintage vehicles, including a dark blue coupe and several period sedans. Lush green trees line the sidewalk, providing a contrast to the industrial scale of the hotel and the large billboard frame visible in the distance. While the Los Angeles airport area remains a dense corridor of hospitality and transit, many of these 1980s-era hotels have since been rebranded or underwent extensive glass-and-steel renovations. This building is still standing, though it has operated under various different flags since the early eighties. This factual record preserves the roadside aesthetic and corporate branding that defined the gateway to Los Angeles during the early 1980s. All our images are available as royalty-free instant downloads for use in books, media, and creative projects – or make your own prints for home, work, or as a truly unique gift.