Hollywood's Mark Twain Hotel, a Spanish Colonial revival building built in 1924, is being renovated into a modern boutique inn.

The three-story structure, located at 1622 N. Wilcox Avenue, has served as single room occupancy housing for much of its lifespan.  Already regarded as somewhat of a "flophouse," by the early 1930s, the Mark Twain has played host to countless down-on-their luck individuals through its nine-decade existence, including the famed animator Joe Barbera, who once compared the building to a prison.

Hawkins Way Capital, the investment firm which owns the property, will seek to change the Mark Twain's seedy reputation through a series of exterior and interior improvements that will bring the hotel up to modern building code and design standards.  When the process is complete, the building will contain 62 guest rooms and a lobby with office space, laundry facilities, dining and a vending area.

According to the website of John Kaliski Architects, the updated design is being carefully modeled after the hotel's original look, using vintage photographs from the 1930s.  The project also includes the refurbishment of the Mark Twain's iconic rooftop sign, which is seen as a key component to the hotel's place in Hollywood's history.