Two of the injured were in critical condition, Fire Department spokesman Maurice Luque said. The other injured included a police officer who suffered minor smoke inhalation.
The fatality was a man who was not immediately identified.
Two-dozen residents were in the three-story, 27-unit Mason Hotel when the fire broke out. Firefighters responded around 7 a.m. and put out the flames in a half hour.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. Property manager Tony Sanchez said it began in a first-floor recreation room at the back of the building.
The hotel, built in the early 20th century, was not required to have sprinklers and did not have them. A fire alarm did go off.
``When I opened the door it was all black,'' said resident Larry Bandelloni, 47. ``It was so black I was blinded. I walked into a wall. ``
Bandelloni said that by the time he got outside flames were licking up to the top of the building.
There was no estimate of the dollar value of the loss, but Luque said the interior was ``pretty well gutted.''
