A closeted soccer star escaped to a WeHo motel. A new doc sparked what came next

If you’ve ever taken a walk down Holloway Drive near La Cienega Boulevard in West Hollywood over the last few decades, chances are you spotted a silver-haired gentleman enjoying a glass of wine with his chihuahua on a second-story motel balcony. Occasionally, you might see a friend sitting and laughing with him on his perch, which is decorated with a string of colorful Christmas lights, a tiki mask, plants, and other kitschy décor. The balcony man’s name is Tony Powell, and he is, in fact, the last guest of the Holloway Motel. Tony Powell sits on the balcony of his former home, West Hollywood's Holloway Motel, with his beloved chihuahua Samantha.courtesy 'The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel'Built in 1954, the Holloway Motel originally served as a glam lodging option along historic Route 66. However, over the years, the building became run-down and gained a reputation as a hotspot for drug use and criminal activities.Powell’s path to the Holloway was a surprising one. In the 1970s, Powell became a local celebrity playing for the Norwich City Football Club, a professional soccer team based in Norfolk, England. He participated in 275 games for the club and was named Player of the Season in 1979. Then, in 1981, Powell suddenly left England. He first landed in San Francisco and played for the San Jose Earthquakes for two years, and briefly played for the Seattle Sounders. In 1983, Powell retired from soccer altogether and settled in West Hollywood. He became the Holloway Motel’s manager after residing there for several years.Friends-turned-filmmakers Ramiel Petros and Nicholas Freeman were initially unaware of this history. But they were among the many locals who’d become accustomed to seeing Powell as a neighborhood fixture. The Holloway Motel in West Hollywood, which is now being converted to shelter for unhoused individuals.Zayd EzzeldinePetros explains that he and Freeman, mainly out of curiosity, walked over to Powell’s outpost one day to ask him a few