Opened on June 18, 1971 with 200 guest rooms in its 8-floors, Los Angeles-Airport was Company operated and the 16th Motor Lodge complex operating in the Golden State. Its decor was described as "Spanish-Mediterranean with tropical plantings," and the site boasted four dining rooms seating up to 220 guests. Sited close to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), this facility was among 15 that were located near major airports back in 1971. The Company believed that airport sites offered substantial growth opportunities and encouraged new and existing licensees to build them.

Often featured in magazine articles and advertisements, the Los Angeles-Airport complex had served as a model for the Howard Johnson Company. Later the complex took on the Plaza-Hotel label and remained a HoJo until about 1994. By the 2000s it operated as a Four Points by Sheraton.