1992 was the last year a new hotel, built from the ground up, opened in downtown L.A. George W. Bush was president and the Lakers' home court was the Forum. The streets emptied after work and few people actually lived downtown.
Much has changed in 17 years. Once abandoned office buildings are loft residences; there are dozens of new restaurants, bars, clubs and art galleries in the historic core and downtown's population now numbers close to 40,000.
February 15, 2010 is the opening date for two newly built hotels within one shiny 54-story glass tower: a 123-room Ritz-Carlton and 878-room JW Marriott. My tour of the still-under-construction property began in what will be the Marriott's three-lane entryway and portico. The Ritz has its own entrance and lobby across from the just-opened Regal Cinemas.
The JW Marriott's glass walled lobby faces out onto LA Live's plaza and Nokia Theater's side. Crystal curtains and sandstone facing were partially under wraps but both will preside over the hotel's slightly elevated bar called Glance. On the 23rd floor, there will be martinis-with-a-view at the Ritz's yet unnamed bar and fine dining restaurant that look out to downtown's skyscrapers. The chef will be announced soon but think famous and from L.A. On the 26th floor will be the Ritz's infinity pool and leafy pool deck.
Room designs are in the final tweaking stages for both hotels. At the Ritz expect swiveling glass table-tops for desks, white granite for countertops, black-and-white tiled showers with rain head shower fixtures (some rooms will have tubs) and an opaque glass wall that separates bath from sleeping area. Nicely done: a room length couch just under the window. Flat screens TV, iPod dock and easy access to a power strip will be built in. The look is super-contemporary, not the classic American traditional Ritz-Carlton style you may know from other properties.
I'll check back with the project as it gets closer to completion. Reservations are available online now. All should be up-to-speed by June when L.A.'s largest convention, the E3 Expo of interactive entertainment ( aka video games) takes over the adjacent LA Convention Center.
The JW Marriott's glass walled lobby faces out onto LA Live's plaza and Nokia Theater's side. Crystal curtains and sandstone facing were partially under wraps but both will preside over the hotel's slightly elevated bar called Glance. On the 23rd floor, there will be martinis-with-a-view at the Ritz's yet unnamed bar and fine dining restaurant that look out to downtown's skyscrapers. The chef will be announced soon but think famous and from L.A. On the 26th floor will be the Ritz's infinity pool and leafy pool deck.
Room designs are in the final tweaking stages for both hotels. At the Ritz expect swiveling glass table-tops for desks, white granite for countertops, black-and-white tiled showers with rain head shower fixtures (some rooms will have tubs) and an opaque glass wall that separates bath from sleeping area. Nicely done: a room length couch just under the window. Flat screens TV, iPod dock and easy access to a power strip will be built in. The look is super-contemporary, not the classic American traditional Ritz-Carlton style you may know from other properties.
I'll check back with the project as it gets closer to completion. Reservations are available online now. All should be up-to-speed by June when L.A.'s largest convention, the E3 Expo of interactive entertainment ( aka video games) takes over the adjacent LA Convention Center.
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