Hip and hot: What’s new and noteworthy in California hotels
Does L.A. really need more hotels? Ready or not, two Kimptons, a Waldorf Astoria, hipster hotels in downtown L.A. and more are set to open this year in Southern California.
Consider: Tourism in 2016 is estimated to have brought a record 47.3 million visitors and 81% hotel occupancy to L.A., according to the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. The county is expected to add almost 6,000 new hotel rooms this year and an additional 2,300 rooms by 2019.
For the record:
9:21 a.m. Dec. 30, 2024A previous version of this story said L.A. had received 46.5 million visitors in 2016, that the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills was opening in June and that La Peer Hotel’s pool deck was 3,900 square feet. L.A. had 47.3 million visitors, the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is opening in April and La Peer Hotel’s roof deck is 3,900 square feet.
Here are some hotel openings to look out for in 2017 — and some you may have missed.
Dream Los Angeles | Hollywood (March)
The Dream hotel at 6417 Selma Ave. in Hollywood is the first West Coast location for the brand. The building claims a “Neutra-inspired” design for the building with 178 rooms and a rooftop pool and lounge. Keyless entry, in-room tablet and free Wi-Fi are tech perks included in the price. Reservations start March 1. Info: Dream Los Angeles | Hollywood, (323) 844-6417
Freehand (mid-March)
This hotel and hostel brand that Travel + Leisure calls “ultra cool, ultra hip” already exists in Miami, Chicago and in New York in 2018. It plans to open in the Commercial Exchange Building at the corner of 8th and Olive streets in downtown L.A. Reservations are open starting March 15, and there are room options aplenty, like a basic king-sized room, a loft suite or a shared room. The Broken Shaker rooftop bar makes cocktails and elixirs, and the Exchange restaurant promises to bring together L.A.’s cultural cuisines “through an Israeli lens.” Info: Freehand, (213) 612-0021
The Everly (April)
Boutique brand Kimpton Hotels comes to the city in a big way in 2017. In Southern California, it already operates the Hotel Palomar Los Angeles Beverly Hills and Hotel Wilshire (known for its rooftop pool and the Roof restaurant), both in L.A. Now it adds the Everly at 1800 Argyle Ave. in Hollywood, which is set to open in April. It will have 216 rooms, including 12 suites. In a release, the brand describes the hotel’s vibe as “a true celebration of its Beachwood Canyon neighborhood and the laid-back California lifestyle.” The fifth-floor pool deck might become one of those above-it-all L.A. hangouts. Info: The Everly, (213) 279-3532
Hotel Indigo (mid-April)
Another DTLA hotel expected to join the lineup is Hotel Indigo located at 899 Francisco St. The hip boutique brand owned by InterContinental Hotel Group strives to deliver an authentic urban experience in whatever city you’re in. Local experiences and design drives the decor at this 350-room site, according to the website. Reservations accepted starting April 15. Info: Hotel Indigo, (877) 846-3446
La Peer Hotel (May)
The brand’s second hotel to open this year will be the Kimpton La Peer at 627 La Peer Drive in West Hollywood. It will have 105 rooms and suites and a 3,900-square-foot roof deck, pool and fitness center, and more. Expect a cooler, metallic look here — a front desk sculpted from aluminum and a “leather cocoon wall” in the lobby. Info: La Peer Hotel, (855) 239-4324
InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown (June)
The glass-towered building for the InterContinental in downtown L.A. will be part of a new city landmark, the Wilshire Grand Center at 900 Wilshire Blvd. With a big spire, it aims to be America’s tallest building west of the Mississippi River. The hotel will have 900 rooms in 73 stories, with a lobby on the 70th floor. Reservations being accepted for June 1. Info: InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, (888) 424-6835
Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (April)
The luxury Waldorf Astoria comes to the area with a sleek, Art Deco building right next to the mid-century Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. It will feature 170 rooms in the 12-story building along with a 5,000-square-foot Spa by La Prairie and a roof-top pool.
Rates start at $895 if you want a reservation starting June 1 though the opening date is slated for April, according to the hotel’s website. Waldorf operates La Quinta Resort & Club in the desert resort of La Quinta, Calif., and has announced plans to create a San Francisco hotel in a new tower complex that will surround the Transbay Transit Center. Info: Waldorf Astoria, Beverly Hills, (310) 860-6666
NoMad Los Angeles
First there was the food truck, now there’s the hotel. L.A.’s NoMad hotel is housed in the Giannini Building at Olive and 7th streets, the onetime Bank of Italy building. The 1923 structure will hold 250 rooms and a rooftop pool. It’s created by the Sydell Group, which most recently opened the Line in the mid-Wilshire area. This is the same company overseeing the overhaul of the Freehand too. Info: NoMad Los Angeles
In case you missed these (2016 openings)
Paséa Hotel & Spa near the Hungtington Beach Pier brings more luxe digs to Surf City. It opened last summer and has 250 rooms as well as features like (from the website) “a Balinese-inspired spa with indoor and outdoor treatment areas,” two pools and Tanner’s restaurant atop the hotel’s rooftop deck bar. Info: Paséa Hotel & Spa, (866) 478-9702
Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel in California’s wine country blends something old, the historic Acacia House, with something new in creating 68 rooms and suites. It has a dream location at 1915 Main St. in St. Helena, next door to the Beringer Winery (how convenient!), and opened last fall. Info: Las Alcobas, (707) 963-7000
The beachy vibe lives at the Kinney at 737 Washington Blvd. in Venice, which opened last summer. The former Marina del Rey Hotel sits about a mile from the beach and the crazy hustle-bustle of the Venice boardwalk. Ping-pong tables, chaise longues and a heated pool and spa add to the laid-back feel of the 68-room hotel. Info: The Kinney, (310) 821-4455
The three-story Shade Redondo Beach joins a sister property (Shade Manhattan Beach) in offering beach-adjacent digs. The boutique hotel at 655 N. Harbor Drive opened in the fall. You can stay in one of 54 rooms, each with a view of the King Harbor Marina. Info:Shade Redondo Beach, (310) 921-8940
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