A new travel hotspot is attracting visitors in droves. It doesn’t require a passport, and flights here are generally reasonable. It’s a destination for penny pinchers and big spenders alike. What is this hot new destination? I’m talking about downtown Los Angeles.
Downtown Los Angeles is nothing new, of course, but it has been reinvented within the last decade to be a travel destination for visiting out-of-towners and L.A. locals looking for a close getaway. The reinvention centered largely around the L.A. LIVE complex, a $2.5 billion sports, entertainment and residential district located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center. The first piece of L.A. LIVE to be completed was the STAPLES Center in 1999, home to four professional sports teams (two NBA teams, a WNBA team and an NHL team). And, with the opening of the Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles earlier this April, the entire L.A. LIVE complex is now complete.
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| Shared lobby of JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles. |
I was downtown recently and had a chance to check out L.A. LIVE and the surrounding area. My first stop was Yard House, one of my favorite chain restaurants for food and drinks (beer lovers, you will swoon at the sight of the tap selection—more than 100 are available at a time!). There are dozens of dining choices at L.A. LIVE, including Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, ESPN Zone, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Trader Vic’s, Katsuya and more.
After a little indulging and imbibing, I made my way across the buzzing plaza full of pre-game promotions and parties to the STAPLES Center for a Lakers basketball game. I’ve been to plenty of NBA games before, but nothing compares to watching the Lakers perform on their home court, which was lit like a stage, while playing “Find the Celebrity” during timeouts (I’m terrible at this game, but I spotted Neil Diamond, Gordon Ramsay and David Beckham).
After the game—a close loss for Kobe and teammates—I walked across the plaza to the tall glass building, which houses the newest and final additions to L.A. LIVE, JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles. Karen, the Director of Sales and Marketing, was kind enough to give me a tour of the new hotels. The JW Marriott’s 878 guest rooms, 52 suites, 3 ballrooms, multiple meeting rooms, fitness center and multiple dining options occupy floors 21 and below of the building. Guests at the JW
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| A standard guest room at JW Marriott. |
Marriott also have access to the Ritz-Carlton’s 8,000-square-foot spa, located on the second floor building. The main restaurant is L.A. Market by celebrity chef Kerry Simon and serves California cuisine with a focus on local, organic and sustainable food. There’s also a rooftop pool and bar for unwinding and relaxing.
Next on the tour was the Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, on the upper floors of the tower. There are 123 beautiful guest rooms and 14 luxury suites, and if you’re thinking of a more permanent stay, the very top floors of the 54-story tower are Ritz-Carlton Residences that provide all the amenities (including amazing city views) of the hotel. The Ritz-Carlton is packed with little luxurious amenities that make it a cut above the rest of the competition: its own private rooftop pool and bar, a 2,000-square-foot fitness center, flat-screen LCD televisions in every
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| A bathroom in a standard guest room at Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles. See the tv embedded into the mirror? |
room, iPod docking stations, high-tech TV monitors in the bathroom mirrors (my favorite part), terry bathrobes, valet parking and more. On the 24th floor is WP24, the newest restaurant concept by Wolfgang Puck, with private dining areas and a large cocktail lounge with semi-private seating areas.
Before braving the Los Angeles freeway traffic (I should have booked a room at one of the new hotels), I made one last stop to complete my downtown adventure: Philippe’s, the home of the French-dipped sandwich. This counter-service restaurant has been a Los Angeles landmark since 1908, and while the food is no culinary masterpiece, it’s definitely worth a stop in for the history and a sandwich (take it easy on the horseradish mustard—the stuff is potent!).
With multiple new condo developments, the convention center and the fully complete L.A. LIVE complex, downtown Los Angeles is abuzz with activity. And, with two gorgeous new hotels at L.A. LIVE, making a vacation destination out of downtown is easier than ever.