As an aviation geek, I’m delighted when I hear of new airline themed hotels opening. Here’s a cool new one, though the exact details make this a little less appealing than I was hoping.
In this post:
Pan Am Hotel opening in 2026, at Citadel Outlets
The Pan Am Hotel is expected to open in mid-2026, as part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection. The hotel will be located at the Citadel Outlets, a popular shopping area in Los Angeles. The developers highlight how the Citadel Outlets are located 10 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles, and 25 minutes from Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and Orange County (lol… maybe by helicopter, or at 3AM).
The goal is to turn the Citadel Outlets into a destination in and of itself, rather than just a place where people shop. The hotel will have a mid-century design aesthetic, reflecting the Pan Am era, with lots of Pan Am branded art. Of course the hotel will also have all the modern comforts that guests would expect for a hotel opening in 2026. There will be two restaurants and a gym.
This is part of a larger expansion of the Citadel Outlets, whereby we’ll also see the introduction of a new “Grand Fountain,” which will be located between the hotel and the outlets.
Here’s how Steven Craig, the President of Craig Realty Group (the company behind this development), describes the project:
“Our vision for Citadel Outlets has always been to create more than just a shopping center — we’re building a global destination that inspires wonder and connection. With the addition of the Pan Am Hotel by Hilton and The Grand Fountain, we’re reimagining what’s possible — bringing together design, innovation, and hospitality to deliver something truly unforgettable.”
I love the ideal behind this hotel, but…
I always appreciate when developers try to open new hotels that might appeal to aviation geeks. However, I’ve gotta say, an aviation themed hotel attached to an outlet mall wasn’t exactly on my bingo card. I mean, I guess this will get more people talking about the outlet mall, and I can appreciate the desire to turn it into a destination.
However, I already struggle enough with deciding what part of Los Angeles to stay in when I visit, and it’s unlikely that I’d choose to stay at an outlet mall. But that’s just me.
We’ll see how this plays out, but based on the information provided so far, it seems that there will be some Pan Am themed art, but little more than that. It doesn’t sound like it’ll be anything like the TWA Hotel, where an incredible amount of effort was put into the aviation aspect of it, and it almost feels like a TWA museum.
Speaking of the TWA Hotel, despite the amount of effort that went into designing the hotel, it’s just a total operational disaster. I oh-so-much loved what they were going for when they opened the property. But the hotel has just turned into a cost cutting, nickel-and-diming mess, and the owners have forgotten that they’re in the hospitality industry. I feel like it’s worth visiting the lobby of the TWA Hotel, and maybe having a meal, but I won’t be staying there again.
Bottom line
The Pan Am Hotel is expected to open at Los Angeles’ Citadel Outlets in 2026, as part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection. The developers are trying to turn the Citadel Outlets into more of a destination, and that includes opening a hotel, plus a new fountain.
I’m always happy to see more aviation themed hotels, though staying at an outlet mall doesn’t have much appeal to me.
What do you make of these plans for the Pan Am Hotel Los Angeles?
They really should do PanAm-themed Intercontinental/IHG hotels rather than this random Hilton Tapestry Collection property, since after all, Intercontinental was founded by PanAm "to export 1960s American glamour to the world" and to house Americans flying on PanAm's then-exotic routes around the world.
Very familiar with The Citadel. It is a spot where you are guaranteed to be in a traffic jam while passing between LA and destinations south. So I've stared at the looming towers of the outlet malls many, many times while passing by at 1-5 mph. Aside from the walled in outlet malls and generic dining establishments, there is literally nothing outside of those walls you would want to see for miles... and it's sure to take you hours to cover those miles. So bizarre.
Most LA thing ever.
Old Navy, Gap, Guess... I looked at the directory and well, other than a Tumi store, not much pairs well with an aviation themed hotel. Odd choice.
Anyone know what’s going on with the real Pan Am building in MIA and the new PS lounge there?
Innovators innovate. Good luck to this business keeping some of the greatness of what was Pan Am alive. After all its not as if the hotel is shacking up guests in Pan Am branded boxcars in Northeast going head to head with TWA or anything.
Before it was Citadel outlets, it was a tire factory with nice perimeter walls. It would have been a shame to raze it so the citadel was a good idea. The original walls still exist and stores are within the original walls.
But a hilton as a destination to go shopping from Beverly hills when Rodeo drive is in the neighborhood and other shopping malls in west LA as well?
The vision is clouded.
Am I the only one who thinks this hotel doesn't belong to Hilton.
It's would be a disgrace if the hotel isn't part of IHG.
The renderings look like they just slapped the “Pan Am” logo all over the place, on an otherwise trendy-but-nonspecific generic hotel design concept. What exactly is supposed to be “aviation themed” or relate to Pan Am beyond the logo? The brown and orange colors?
People that are puzzled by this location really don't understand that specific part of LA. A. It's off the 5 in the center of the metro area so gets a ton of car traffic and...B. That outlet is by the San Gabriel Valley it gets a *ton* of Chinese tourists. Would it be perhaps better by LAX? Sure. But there is a market there, with money, esp given the Chinese tourists
It’s a bit of an odd location for this type of themed hotel, but I don’t think the location is *quite* as terrible for non-tourists as some others. It is easily accessible from downtown via city streets, if you want to avoid I-5. With downtown LA still not exactly being the most desirable place to stay, I could see some appeal if you needed to attend meetings there or something. Then again, most people attending...
It’s a bit of an odd location for this type of themed hotel, but I don’t think the location is *quite* as terrible for non-tourists as some others. It is easily accessible from downtown via city streets, if you want to avoid I-5. With downtown LA still not exactly being the most desirable place to stay, I could see some appeal if you needed to attend meetings there or something. Then again, most people attending meetings aren’t hunting for a themed experience. The Citadel Outlets are nice as far as outlets go, at least, but there must be dozens of hotels around LAX or even in the Anaheim area that could be converted to this and serve the purpose better.
I can understand the strategy. Shop till you drop and literally drop on your bed - right next door...
It's a wonderful idea, but physically misplaced. Who would stay in such a hotel? Mostly travel and/or avgeeks - preferably with an above average income. Is an outlet mall where you'll attract these customers? No, such customers can be found in the bigger tourist areas around maybe Burbank/Glendale (not Hollywood, which is a dump), in the westside or near the airport where aviation buffs ofen drop by.
In this regard, the TWA hotel had the...
It's a wonderful idea, but physically misplaced. Who would stay in such a hotel? Mostly travel and/or avgeeks - preferably with an above average income. Is an outlet mall where you'll attract these customers? No, such customers can be found in the bigger tourist areas around maybe Burbank/Glendale (not Hollywood, which is a dump), in the westside or near the airport where aviation buffs ofen drop by.
In this regard, the TWA hotel had the right idea, though executed horribly.
Okay but whyyy here? It’s 25 miles away from LAX (so could easily be over 1hr away with bad traffic) TWA kinda makes sense since it’s nearby an actual airport but this just seems totally random.
Outlet malls aren't necessarily trashy. You might be surprised at the income and net worth of people shopping at for example the Livermore outlets in the SF Bay Area. Sometimes they put my $6MM/year equity partner income to shame.
They have been trying to make "the Citadel" a destination since the 1990s. But, it's in a traffic choked area (right on the 5 freeway) that is surrounded by industrial buildings and not much to offer a tourist staying there. City of Commerce is not exactly convenient unless you live in communities nearby. Admittedly, I haven't been to the area in years, but it's about 25 minutes east of Downtown LA (which is limited in...
They have been trying to make "the Citadel" a destination since the 1990s. But, it's in a traffic choked area (right on the 5 freeway) that is surrounded by industrial buildings and not much to offer a tourist staying there. City of Commerce is not exactly convenient unless you live in communities nearby. Admittedly, I haven't been to the area in years, but it's about 25 minutes east of Downtown LA (which is limited in its offerings) and more like 45+ minutes from the Westside during normal traffic.
There's actually an existing Doubletree adjacent to the mall as well. I believe there are also some office buildings that are part of the complex, which may be where most of the clientele for the hotels come from. The development is basically a big outlet mall and office park adjacent to the highway. And while it's in LA County, it's not in LA proper and the traffic on the 5 where it is located can...
There's actually an existing Doubletree adjacent to the mall as well. I believe there are also some office buildings that are part of the complex, which may be where most of the clientele for the hotels come from. The development is basically a big outlet mall and office park adjacent to the highway. And while it's in LA County, it's not in LA proper and the traffic on the 5 where it is located can be horrendous, so not really a place to stay if someone wants to visit LA proper.
Sounds like a neat hotel, but who exactly is staying here? This is not a nice or desirable part of Los Angeles, and you're loco if you think it's 25 minutes from the Westside.