Photos: Hotel high school

Anzhelika Tamaryan, Petra Snajberkova and Didun Ayodeji, from left, leave the L.A. Hotel Downtown, in the background, for P.E. class. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Oct. 23, 2014 5:40 PM PT

Chinese billionaire Wei Huang purchased a downtown Los Angeles hotel and converted part of it into a boarding school for international students. American University Preparatory School began classes this fall, with students staying in guest rooms and attending class in meeting rooms.

Teacher Paula Nolan admires her birthday card as students sing to her during a lunch break. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Kristine Keenan teaches Spanish in a conference room at the L.A. Hotel Downtown. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Dean Schonfeld instructs an integrated math lab in a conference room at the L.A. Hotel Downtown, home of American University Prep. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Petra Snajberkova and Didun Ayodeji study together during an integrated math lab. Half of the new boarding school’s students are foreign. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Didun Ayodeji and Kaitlynne Thomas make their way past cleaning crews in the hotel hallway between classes. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Annie Chau, Millenn Mong and Meilee Chung, from left, unwind in Mong’s unconventional hotel “dorm” room. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Douglas Wilkin teaches chemistry to Didun Ayodeji and Abena Boadi-Agyemang in a hotel room at the school, which began classes this fall. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Nicole Neumann works on an English class assignment in her dorm room -- which, like her school, is located at the L.A. Hotel Downtown. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)