HotelChatter

The property is reportedly current on two other mortgages totaling $230 million, and owners had "refinanced the property and incurred $300 million in debt in 2007" — but, at the time, the hotel's revenues were high enough to support those payments and now they're apparently notsomuch. Interestingly, bookings at the St. Regis dropped by 20% in the months following the AIG episode, potentially attributed to the media frenzy surrounding the widely-publicized controversial retreat — which has been dubbed the "AIG curse."

The fate of the resort is complicated and the nitty gritty deets may only interest hotel investment geeks, but it seems like the resort is going to stay open (at least for the time being) and the whole ordeal shouldn't affect guests. Rates are hovering around $345 to $375 right now, and though the LAT even mentions the hotel's financial woes don't seem to be impacting peoples' stays, a couple of recent TripAdvisor reviews complained of poor service. One said the "pool area bar/service was an unorganized/understaffed mess" and another complained that the experience was "a good stay mired by some poor service" — though these could be plain ol' day-to-day kinks.

[Photo: Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times]