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One Guest's Love for LA's Sofitel Hotel
Hotel Maven Briancuttermd dropped in a first person review on the hotel page for the Sofitel LA. And while we usually point people in the direction of interesting comments, we thought this one deserved its own post because it's so detailed. And when you're done, check out Jaunted's review of the Beverly Center across the street.
After the jump, Briancuttermd's full review.
Tags: Hotel Hell / Los Angeles Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
Wilshire Grand Has Us Seeing Double
[Ed. Note: Jaunted contributing editor Claire had quick stopover in Los Angeles. Here's her hotel experience.]
When we checked into the Wilshire Grand in Los Angeles last week at 2 a.m. after flying cross-country, we stumbled into the bathroom to brush our teeth, before toppling into bed. The next morning, we woke up to shower, and walked into the bathroom. Slowly, we realized we were standing in a different bathroom. We did a double take, and discovered that the standard-sized room has hotel has two, separate single bathrooms (see open doors on left and right side of the image).
Tags: Hotel Spas / Hotel Renovations / Los Angeles Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
Los Angeles Hotels Renovations Update :: Spa Edition
Perhaps heeding the hellacious reviews on TripAdvisor and elsewhere, the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel has announced plans for a $29 million renovation which will include a Spa Luce spa, a new bar and lounge, and complete redos of the guest rooms, the outside pool and the lobby.
The name Spa Luce originates from the Italian word for "light," a guiding principle for the spa's design. When completed, natural sunlight will stream into the spa, creating an environment where light and warmth are seen for their regenerative, healing properties.
The hotel has already broken ground on the spa construction and expect it to open next winter.
Meanwhile, in other Los Angeles hotel news, the Hotel Bel-Air also announced their plans for a new 12,000 square foot spa, set to break ground this September and open in August 2008. So try not to visit these hotels until next year.
[Photo: Jay.Tong]
Related Stories:
· Spa Luce at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel Breaks Ground on Construction [Los Angeles Biz]
· Hotel Bel-Air Announces Plans For The Spa [Digital50]
· Renaissance Hollywood Hotel Has Too Much Action Going On [HotelChatter]
Tags: Designer Uniforms / Los Angeles Hotel Reviews / Trends / Jason Pomeranc / Diane Von Fursternberg / Jeff Klein / Peninsula Hotels / Sofitel Hotels / → All Tags
More Hotels Get Designer Staff Uniforms
The hotels below would not be caught dead wearing the uniforms above.
Los Angeles magazine has a quick write-up of the latest area hotels to get in on the hotel designer uniform craze.
Jason Pomeranc hired stylist to the stars Rachel Zoe and fashion designer Jenni Kayne to creat unis for the Thompson Beverly Hills Hotel staff (the hotel is expected to open this summer, our sources say.) The waittresses at Teddy's in the Hollywood Roosevelt are already sporting Diane Von Furstenberg dresses.
The Peninsula Beverly Hills puts the spa staff in blue and beige pants and sweater sets by luxury knits line St. John's.
The Sofitel LA employees get "gray pin-striped dresses with matching scarves" by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, a French designer.
And Jeff Klein's employees at the Sunset Tower sported Ted Baker uniforms until Klein reverted back to standard suits and polo shirts. Apparently, these staffers were so well-dressed, "everyone thought they were fellow guests." Ahh...the dangers of designer uniforms.
[Photo: Chrispitality]
Tags: Hotel Art / Los Angeles Hotel Reviews / W Hotels / → All Tags
Susan Sarandon Hanging Around the W Westwood Hotel
Sorry if we seem to be heavy on the Southern California hotel news today but we popped into the W Westwood Hotel last week and noticed gigantic photographs of celebrities on display, like this one of Susan Sarandon.
Turns out the pictures are part of the hotel's White Space exhibition (a W Hotels fine art series) and are the work of famed photographer Mark Seliger (he was chief photographer at Rolling Stone).
Other celebs featured include Salma Hayek, Jerry Seinfeld, Alicia Keys, Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox. The photos will be hanging in the lobby from now until June 24. You can buy the photos but they're expensive, ranging from $8,000 to $10,000.
Check out more photos of the W Westwood at HotelChatter's Flickr Pool
Tags: HotelChatter Flickr Pool / Los Angeles Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
HotelChatter Flickr Pool: Westin Bonaventure LA
Learn about the HotelChatter Photo Pool Here.
Thanks to Pat+, we have a killer photo of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in our HotelChatter Flickr Pool.
Unfortunately, what's not so killer is what goes on in this hotel. Reviewers said the rooms are sorta outdated (particularly the walls and the carpet) and the service was terribly unhelpful. Also the hotel does not have the best location in Downtown LA. The surrounding area was frightening enough for the Qantas flight attendants to ask for a new crash pad.
Additionally, there are some extra charges to be aware of like $12.95 for ethernet in rooms with a speed that "is close to that of a 56K dialup service" and a $35 parking rate.
Related Stories:
· Westin Bonaventure reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Pat+'s Photostream [Flickr]
Tags: Hotel Restaurants / Celebrity Scoop / Los Angeles Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
Hotel Restaurant Review: Seven Thirty at Nine Thirty at the W Westwood
The other week when we reported on an episode of MTV's "scripted drama" The Hills in which the "cast" dined at the NineThirty restaurant at the W Westwood, a hotel worker wrote in to us that MTV's editing crew had got the story wrong. The foursome ate an entire meal, not just dessert, and spent about two and a half hours in the restaurant with one of the best servers on hand.
Perhaps sensing our skepticism at W service, we were invited to try out NineThirty for ourselves. And we, always in the mood for food and drinks, accepted the invitation.
So last night we pulled up to 930 Hilgard Avenue (get it?) for a 7:30 reservation. We walked carefully up the lighted blue steel steps at the hotel's entrance and made a quick left in the lobby towards the restaurant.
Now back in the day, when the W Westwood was only a year or two old, you would enter the hotel and be greeted with a darkly lit lobby and a bar right in the center of the room. Imagine arriving after a long flight at 10pm to find a loud party happening in the lobby?
Fortunately, the hotel has undergone a series of renovations so that when you first step into the hotel, it's still dimly lit (W-style) but the front desk and concierge are brightly lit stations to your right, the bar Whisky Blue and NineThirty are to the left, and a Living Room (W branding, not ours) greets you in the center with a curtained off sitting area just before the elevators. Now, that's more like a hotel.
MORE on Nine Thirty with pictures
Tags: Celebrity Scoop / TV Set Hotels / Los Angeles Hotel Reviews / Hotel Bars / Hotel Restaurants / → All Tags
'The Hills' Skip Dinner and Get Dessert at W Westwood
Update: Stupid fake reality shows. They can never be trusted, not even when commenting on skipping dinner and getting desert. We just got a note from a W Westwood worker who was present during the fake reality shoot:
I wanted to let you know that the party of four actually ate a 2 ½ hour dinner at our restaurant NineThirty, enjoying appetizers, entrees, and dessert. I know, because I was there the entire time overseeing the shoot. In the editing, they cut out the footage of the group dining. I just re-watched the segment, and can understand why it seemed as though they did not have a full dinner due to the nature of the editing. I want to ensure you that the group received top service – we had one of our best servers assisting them all evening.
Now if we could only get that servers name, so we could request him next time we go to NineThirty...
We're not a big fan of the MTV scripted "reality" show, The Hills but we did happen to tune in the other night out of sheer boredom.
Luckily for us, it just happened to be the night that LC (of Laguna Beach fame) decided to go on a double date with a girlfriend at the celeb-loving W Westwood Hotel.
Recently, the W has gotten a new look, including a swank new restaurant, Nine-Thirty and revamped Whiskey Blue bar area. This reality foursome hip up the restaurant and kept saying over and over again, "This place is nice" and "This place is great" which was probably part of the deal with W to shoot there.
However, their waiter took a bit too long in taking orders so the kids just ordered dessert. Sounds like what we would expect W Hotel service to be.
Tags: Holiday Inns / Odd Hotels / Los Angeles Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
Gift Shop at Holiday Inn Staples Center Doubles as Barry's Ticket Office
We learned something a little funny last night as we headed out to Downtown Los Angeles for a chamber music concert at the Staples Center.
The Holiday Inn across the street has a gift shop that doubles as a ticket brokers' pick-up office. So next to the tampons and toothbrushes, are a couple of people working for Barry's Ticket Office.
Obviously it makes sense for a ticket office to set up shop so close to the Staples Center (across the street.) But we wonder how Holiday Inn let their gift shop be rented out for that?
As far as staying here, the lobby is small but clean, the rooms get so-so reviews, there's two restaurants and the hotel is full of free internet access in both the rooms and public areas. In other words, it's a Holiday Inn.
Related Stories:
· Holiday Inn Los Angeles City Center reviews [TripAdvisor]
Tags: Los Angeles Hotel Reviews / LA Hotels / HotelChatter Questions / → All Tags
HotelChatter Answers: The Orlando Hotel is the Chosen One
Remember the female traveler that needed to book one of three hotels in LA for an Industry wrap event a couple weeks back?
She booked the Olrando Hotel.
We will let her tell you about it. Enjoy.
Tags: Los Angeles Hotel Reviews / Hotel Music / Hotel Bands / → All Tags
LA's 'Musical' Hotels
Yesterday, we looked at some Los Angeles hotel options for a friend looking to get some "Award Season Boondoggle." Today we found a more subdued query on the A Luxury Travel Blog from a Randi I. who was looking for a hotel in LA with good musical entertainment.
I am just overnighting there and I will be by myself, but I'd like to hear some good jazz, folk, or classical music if possible. I'm not really into traveling around a lot or even renting a car, but if there were some place that had entertainment in the hotel itself that would work very well for me.
Randi also goes on to mention that LA might be culture shock for her as she is coming from Alaska and might not want to leave the hotel much. Totally understandable as LA can be scary but a shame if you've traveled so far to get there.
Luxury Travel's suggestions and HotelChatter's suggestions for Musical LA hotels after the jump.
Tags: HotelChatter Questions / Los Angeles Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
HotelChatter Questions: Where to Stay In LA?
A friend of HotelChatter is due for a trip to LA to partake in some sort of awards season boondoggle. The Industry has presented her three hotel choices to choose from based on location to the Wrap Event in question: The Sofitel Los Angeles, The Elan Modern and The Orlando. She needs to book, yesterday, and wanted a quick rundown of HotelChatter knowledge. As always, we like to help out our friends. Go this way for our hotel thoughts on this matter.
Got a hotel question that needs meddling? Send it our way, no promises we get to it, but we always try.
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