HotelChatter

The first thing we were struck by upon entering our room on the 23rd floor of the hotel (all the Ritz-Carlton rooms are on floors 22-25), was its size. The room contained not only an entry foyer with an oversize glossy white armoire and an enormous bathroom suite, but the bedroom and living room area were spacious as well, and the huge windows looking out over L.A. Live and the Staples Center made it seem even bigger. Especially from the cushy window seat and the glass desk.

The beige and white color palette was more soothing than lively, but the king-size bed was covered with plush linens, and had not only two nightstands, but also small vanity area next to it. On the opposite wall was the entertainment system with a 42-inch flat-screen TV, a DVD player, and an A/V panel so we could plug in all our gadgets to watch on the television. In contrast, it was odd that the room’s telephones were unwieldy, anachronistic handsets, but we weren't using them anyway.

Below the television is the fully stocked (and automated, so if you take something out, you’re charged for it) minibar and the Nespresso machine we planned to make our coffee with the next morning.

Then there was our favorite feature: the black-and-white marble bathroom suite. There were his-and-hers vanities with an orchid spray between them and a small television monitor hidden in the mirror for viewing while brushing our teeth. There was a separate toilet room for maximum privacy as well. However, by far the coolest element was the huge glassed-in room with a deep soaking tub and rain and wall-mounted shower heads that became a steam shower. We could have spent all day in there.

We were given an Executive Club Deluxe room and allotted free WiFi use, which normally costs $12.95 and can be used throughout the hotel. We were also allowed into the Executive Club on the 23rd floor, and because of the primo north and west views over there, we decided to take our computer in there to work. That might also have been because of the free canapés, snacks and wine being poured during happy hour. We had our continental breakfast there the next day, too, and had we not been given access, we liked it so much, we might have considered paying the $50 fee for a day pass.

We didn’t get the chance to check out the spa while we were there this time (next time we’re totally going to try out the Champagne & Citrus Sugar Scrub), but we did have dinner at the signature restaurant, Wolfgang Puck’s WP24, so we’ll be telling you about that later this week. In the meantime, rates at the Ritz-Carlton start at $309 a night in January.

Full disclosure: Eric Rosen was a guest of the Ritz-Carlton at L.A. Live for one night while on assignment.