The historic Aztec Hotel in Monrovia, Calif., is set to have a bunch of renovations in the coming weeks, including the renaming of its Elephant Bar, reported the Pasadena Star-News.
The building has an extensive Mayan theme, and the work done will better reflect that. The hotel is receiving a $50,000 grant from the California Route 66 Preservation Foundation to help in the effort.
Stucco will be taken off to reveal original storefronts, which were decorated with leaded stained glass windows. The hotel lobby will be restored and made larger. A wall dividing the bar from the lobby will be taken down.
The building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.
The Aztec actually dates to a year before Route 66 was commissioned. And one of the reasons Route 66 also was moved from Huntington to Foothill Boulevard was because of the Aztec.
The Aztec Hotel’s Web site is here.