Church Of Scientology Is The New Owner Of Former Hollywood Mama Shelter Hotel
A Hollywood building that formerly housed the Mama Shelter hotel has sold out of receivership to an entity linked to the Church of Scientology for $16M, Bisnow has learned.
The sale price for the 70-room hotel works out to about $229K per key, below the 2025 average for LA County, according to a year-end report from Atlas Hospitality Group.
Berkadia represented the seller and announced the sale earlier this month but didn’t disclose a sale price or the buyer.
The hotel's distress likely contributed to the discount on the property compared to countywide averages, but the property commanded a higher price than other recent distressed hotel sales. In July, the 390-room Line Hotel in Koreatown sold out of foreclosure for $68M, or about $174K per key.
The former Mama Shelter received 13 offers, but the winning bidder was the nonprofit religious entity Building Management Services, a subsidiary of the Church of Scientology that dates to 1987. The church has previously used it to acquire properties.
It is unclear what the church has planned for the former hotel at 6500 Selma Ave. Its representatives didn't respond to requests for comment.
The Church of Scientology is already a large property owner in Hollywood. Its holdings include a creative office property it bought in 2023 that was formerly a church, the 1920s-era Celebrity Centre on Franklin Avenue, and two former office buildings on Hollywood Boulevard.
The organization also owns the entire block bounded by Fountain and Catalina avenues, L Ron Hubbard Way and Sunset Boulevard.
The Mama Shelter hotel closed in February 2025, a decade after it opened. It announced the closure in an Instagram post, Eater LA reported. The six-story hotel was known for its rooftop bar, which featured Hollywood Hills views.
It was placed in receivership in March 2025, court documents show. The receivership was tied to a 2018 loan with an original principal of $13.3M. The property owner, GRE Mama LA Owner LLC, stopped making payments on the loan in December 2024, according to court documents filed by the lender, a CMBS holding trust represented by Wells Fargo.
Property records indicate that the ownership entity was affiliated with Chicago-based GEM Realty Capital. Representatives for GEM didn't respond to a request for comment.
As of Feb. 3, 2025, the outstanding principal due on the loan secured by the hotel was approximately $14.4M. The loan was originally set to mature in 2029.
BMS signed a purchase agreement in November 2025, but court confirmation and closing weren't final until last month.
