The Wilshire Grand Hotel saw its last guest exit its doors late last month

The iconic Wilshire Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles has closed its doors for the last time, bidding farewell to its final guests late last month.

Built in 1952 at a cost of US$25 million, the historic property is set to make way for a $1.1 billion, 45-storey hotel and 65-storey office tower, to open in 2015.

Over its nearly 60 years, the Wilshire Grand welcomed such luminaries as Pope John Paul II and Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, but it was a lesser-known patron who had the honor of being the final guest to exit the hotel’s heavy, gold-rimmed doors.

"I cherish the memories I have had here," Los Angeles attorney, and long-time hotel fan, Richard Macias told the Los Angeles Times.

Mr Macias, who had been staying at the hotel since the 1960s, said he would mostly miss the workers he had befriended and the escalator that carried guests from 7th Street to the lobby, the newspaper reported.