http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-24T09:05:50Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Los%20Angeles%20Hotels http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/16/114318/62 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/32083/mondrianskybar.jpg" class="top"><p> <p><i>Sky Bar, where post-shopping cocktails can be had, even in the dead of winter</i> <p>That familiar seasonal tune may claim "it's the most wonderful time of the year," but when you're making lists, checking them twice, and trying to decide what's re-giftable, the holidays can seem less than cheery. Gift shopping can seem like an endless chore, and a very pricey one at that. <p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Mondrian+West+Hollywood/local/288"><b>The Mondrian Los Angeles</b></a> has put together a special holiday deal that gives gift givers an ever-so-slight discount on some of the city's chicest stores. Truthfully though, the package's appeal is more self-serving, targeting female travelers with a love of labels and luxury treatments. Through January 10th, ask for their <b>Ultimate Shopping Heidi Atwal 2009-11-16T12:44:52-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/10/125434/58 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/32083/butterflies.jpg" class="top"><p> <p><i>Butterflies on the ceiling of Bar Marmont</i> <p>Cocktail culture is a different breed in Los Angeles. This is a town known for "doing lunch," after all. Aspiring screenwriters and actors usually work during the day and hit clubs late at night, and slick producers hustle deals both during afternoon meetings and after hours. Happy Hour just isn't as popular here as it is in other cities you might visit. <p>And what makes choosing a bar even more difficult in LA is the rate of trend turnaround; one week some place is <i>the</i> place to be, the next you wouldn't find a <i>Twilight</i> cast member caught dead there. <p>Recently, the erstwhile travel reporter Jen Leo tweeted <a href="http://twitter.com/HotelChatter"><b>@HotelChatter</b></a> Heidi Atwal 2009-11-11T16:51:13-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/4/142840/024 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/32083/miyako.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>Los Angeles is just the kind of city that embraces cool cultural influences, particularly those from the far East&#151;and we're not just talking about the multitude of sushi restaurants in greater LA County. We've seen contemporary tea houses, high end hot spring spas, and we just got news that a thoroughly Japanese hotel, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Miyako+Hybrid+Hotel+Torrance/ian/334748"><b>The Miyako Hybrid</b></a>, will soon be opening its doors to the public. <p>The Miyako line is apparently well-known in Japan for being ultra-modern and sleek, so its arrival in the City of Angels comes as no surprise. What's shocking is that <b>you won't find it sharing block space in Beverly Hills or West Hollywood, but in Torrance of all places</b>. We're scratching our Heidi Atwal 2009-11-04T15:57:28-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/10/30/103532/04 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/32083/andazweho1.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>The perils of booking a room on Priceline are many, from the strategic "name your own price" tango to begrudgingly having to settle on whichever hotel you're offered. In the past, we've lucked out, having landed a great value on Paris' <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Le+Meridien+Etoile/ian/114226">Le Meridien Etoile</a>, and likewise for what ended up being a nice stay at <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Intercontinental+Century+City/local/1303">The Intercontinental</a> in Century City. Sadly, the tale we're about to tell you doesn't have the happiest of endings. <p>A trusted HotelChatter source and frequent traveler to Los Angeles has long been using Priceline to book her accommodations in the city, West Hollywood being her neighborhood of choice for convenience's sake. Not long ago, both she and her husband related Heidi Atwal 2009-10-30T11:23:27-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/10/27/133026/55 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/oliveriobigger.JPG" class="top"><p> Foodies in Los Angeles are all abuzz lately about some big turnover in hotel restaurants around town&#151;both on the menu and in the kitchen. Plus, now that there&#146;s an end in sight to beach weather, it&#146;s time to put the bikini away and start thinking about packing on the pounds for winter. Here are four of the stories and specials we&#146;ve been following lately.<p>Last week, we stopped in for a dinner at the new restaurant in Beverly Hills&#146; <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Avalon+Hotel/local/584">Avalon Hotel</a></b>, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/9/24/2365/05707/hotels/Note_to_Kathy_Griffin_blue_on_blue_at_the_Avalon_Hotel_is_now_oliverio">oliverio</a>. To complement the 1960&#146;s Italian-style redecoration (pictured above), new chef Mirko Paderno (formerly of Cecconi&#146;s in West Hollywood), has created an Italian-inspired menu that is equal parts familiar and fanciful, with dishes like an EricRosen 2009-10-27T15:44:17-05:00 34.0600490 -118.43738 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/