Los Angeles always impresses with hilly views, innovative restaurant concepts and sunny skies on most days of the year. It’s also pretty great how the city is home to an ever-growing collection of hotels, each more beautiful and unique than the other.
We’ve compiled a list of some new hotels across town that we love. The next time you’re thinking about staying or traveling to LaLa Land, these accommodations should be at the top of your list. With rooftop bars, gorgeous bathtubs, and luxury amenities available 24/7, you might find it difficult to check out.
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Venice V Hotel
Venice V, which only opened in July, has a star-studded history. Parts of the 1986 film Cobra were filmed here with Sylvester Stalone, and the 1915 landmark was home to actors such as Charlie Chaplin and Wallace Berry. Tucked away right on the promenade, Venice V is dog-friendly and also good for long-term stays if you book a rooftop bungalow or penthouse room that includes amenities like Aesop products, a Nespresso machine, Apple TV and maybe even one Guitar offer.
The rooms on the penthouse floor offer views of the beach sunrise through a window overlooking the boardwalk and a beautiful skylight. There’s even a small courtyard right outside the penthouse rooms overlooking the beach with seating and tables perfect for working or sunbathing (charging sockets included).
Keep in mind that the hotel does not have a bar or restaurant, but you can order a delivery and the concierge will bring it to your room. Bicycles, skateboards and surfboards can also be rented at reception.
The Wayfarer DTLA
Another dog-friendly place, the Wayfarer, offers cozy rooms with plush beds, bathroom doors with full-length mirrors, DTLA views and even a small workspace in the room for those who need a good work-life balance while traveling.
Make dinner or drink reservations on the rooftop, where the breathtaking city views, fire pits, and comfy couches set the mood. You can also grab a seat in the Gaslighter, the hotel’s lobby bar, for a coffee or cocktail, hang out with friends, or attend a last-minute Zoom meeting at any time of the day.
Le Meridien Pasadena Arcadia
Le Meridien Pasadena Arcadia is technically 13 miles northeast of Los Angeles, but if your visit includes the Rose Bowl, the Huntington Library, or a hike on the Eaton Canyon Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains (all amazing and incredible things to do in LA!), Then this place is perfect for you. As a modern hotel from the middle of the century, the Le Meridien offers beautiful large guest rooms with bathtubs, living rooms next to the bedroom, floor-to-ceiling windows – of course with blackout curtains – and Malin + Goetz bath products.
After an eventful day, the Mélange is just the thing for you if you’re in the mood for Asian fusion (the restaurant also serves weekend brunch). More of a happy hour enthusiast? The hotel’s lounge, Longitude 118, offers specialty drinks as well as a fabulous burger and fries from Monday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Hollywood view
The dog-friendly Prospect is in Hollywood’s Whitley Heights neighborhood, and we love that it’s tucked away on a residential street. The bright red door might give it away, but it’s the perfect little enclave for anyone looking for a low-key, old Hollywood getaway in the heart of the city.
There are 24 rooms here, all named after actors who once lived in the area, and you can book for an extended stay or a short weekend getaway if you have tickets to the Hollywood Bowl. Designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, this property serves farm shop croissants in the lobby daily (pre-pandemic pastries were from Tartine). The lobby doubles as a bar with dark, sexy decor and soft velvet furniture in rich jewel tones.
The rooms on the first floor have original wooden floors from the 1930s and the landscaping alone was a three-year project by TERREMOTO. The tropical courtyard feels really far from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. Enjoy in-room claw-foot tubs (my favorite feature, of course), Derek Rose bathrobes, and luxurious Dyptique bath products in a truly magical space.
Downtown LA Proper Hotel (Photo via Downtown LA Proper Hotel)
Downtown LA right
Wow, oh wow. This property is beautiful. The newly opened Downtown LA Proper is located in a historic 1926 building that began as a social club nearly 100 years ago. Built by Claud Beelman, the same architect who shaped the famous Art Deco, east blue-green building (also in DTLA), this building underwent a full restoration – it has been in the works for years and also housed the YWCA for some time – before it will be opened to the public in October 2021.
From a stunning lobby mural by local artist Abel Macias, colorful tiles throughout the hotel and stained glass windows by the family-run Judson Studios, to a rooftop bar / restaurant / pool with great views of DTLA and a Portuguese-Californian lobby restaurant below Led by James Beard Award Winning LA Chefs Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne, the only word to describe Kelly Wearstler’s newest hotel project is perfection.
The 148-room hotel has a historic ballroom (this is where the 1928 MLB dinner was held, KILLSPENCER® and plush basketballs) and a $ 10,000 per night pool suite (with dining area, bar, lounge area and, yes, one large pool in the living room) among others. Head to the rooftop for a sunset drink or book a stay you won’t regret. Bathrobes in every guest room are from Parachute. Rooms start at $ 369 / night.
Alsace LA
Recently opened in the historic West Adams neighborhood of south LA, Alsace is a pastel earth-tone dream with just 48 rooms, a perfect courtyard, gym, pool, and intimate meeting area with a desert feel. The hotel has partnered with various local businesses like Yoube (a coworking space) and Adopt-A-Bike (so guests can explore the area on two wheels).
Once a month there is also a tour of historic houses in Alsace. The size of this hotel makes it great to book for friends / family during a wedding or group event. It’s also in a neighborhood’s fast-growing creative hub, so take your time to really absorb everything from the cafes to the nearby art galleries. Unique wall tile designs can be found throughout the hotel – all by local artists – that add to the hotel’s truly soothing and earthy feel. The first floor restaurant serving Japanese tapas will open in early 2022. The newest Tartine location will also open across the street.
