Los Angeles has never been short of great hotels (hello, Chateau Marmont, Hotel Bel Air, Terranea, etc.), but the city has raised its game in recent years. Across the county’s numerous cities and regions, from Santa Monica to Downtown via West Hollywood and West Adams, new and exciting options have emerged in the past couple of years.
On the westside, the beachfront V opened in summer 2021 in the heart of Venice Beach. It’s sited in a historic 1915 building (where long-term tenants reputedly included Charlie Chaplin) and retains many original architectural elements, including steel beams and a mahogany and bronze elevator. Rooms center around three themes: “breezy bohemian,” “soulful artist,” and “Dogtown skater.” Starting at 220 square feet, they’re not huge, but it’s hard to beat the location.
A little farther inland, the ever-evolving Culver City has welcomed The Shay, with its rooftop pool and bar, modern rooms, and pizza restaurant Etta. It’s part of the Hyatt portfolio, as is the new Hyatt Place LAX, which aims to rethink airport-adjacent accommodation (a little like JFK’s TWA Hotel) with its own rooftop pool and bar.
Downtown’s already thriving scene (with the requisite Ace and Hoxton properties) recently added L.A.’s second Proper hotel (the first is in Santa Monica)—a 147-room hotel on the city’s Broadway corridor, with a pair of dining options from James Beard Award–winning restaurateurs Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne (of city favorite wine bar a.o.c.). Don’t miss the two stand-out suites: one’s fashioned from the building’s old basketball court and the other features a 35-foot pool—inside the room. The latter reportedly costs $10,000 per night.
The list goes on. Here are six more stellar new L.A. hotels we’ve personally visited this year.
Any self-respecting L.A. hotel needs a rooftop pool and bar.
Courtesy of Christian Horan Photography / the Pendry Hotel
Pendry West Hollywood
- What to expect: Carefully curated artworks and a creative crowd
- Neighborhood: West Hollywood
- Book Now
Several striking pieces of art greet you as you pull up to the newest Pendry in the heart of West Hollywood. Outside the front door, a golden tree sprouting mother-of-pearl leaves adorned with Swarovski crystals reaches to the sky. It’s the work of L.A.–based Andy Cao and Parisian Xavier Perrot, whose work has been displayed across the world (most recently at Singapore’s Jewel Changi airport). Just inside the doors sits the mind-boggling Icosahedron (pictured top) that has to be seen (and probably Instagrammed) to be believed. It’s from a locally based British artist, Anthony James, who’s found a niche in spectacular sculptures. In fact, there’s so much intriguing art crammed into this hotel, often by Californian artists, the hotel has a small brochure for guests to conduct their own walking tour.
The overall palette for the decor, meanwhile, is inspired by golden hour at the beach, and rooms offer all the chic comfort we’ve come to expect from the brand. Sited on the former grounds of a House of Blues, the Pendry keeps the entertainment alive, with a performance venue that’s seen gigs by the likes of Jeff Goldblum, plus a cinema screening room, two Wolfgang Puck restaurants, the all-important rooftop pool, and even a Moët & Chandon vending machine. The Comedy Store is across the street.
The courtyard at the Alsace is a slice of calm in a bustling part of L.A.
Courtesy of the Ingalls
Alsace
- What to expect: A peaceful retreat in L.A.’s hottest neighborhood
- Neighborhood: West Adams
- Book Now
L.A.’s West Adams neighborhood has a long and storied cultural and architectural history. Once home to many of the city’s Black musicians and creatives (including Marvin Gaye and Sugar Ray Robinson, among many others), it’s a dynamic enclave full of significant craftsman homes and under-the-radar venues like Cafe Fais Do Do and Delicious Pizza. (The latter is run by the people behind L.A’s Delicious Vinyl label, home to hip-hop greats Pharcyde and Young MC.)
In recent years, the central L.A. burb has seen a spate of new arrivals, with galleries (Sacred House), boutiques (Antiqua), and a winery, Adams Wine Shop, focused on BIPOC- and women-owned producers. Food options have exploded, too. Along West Adams Boulevard you’ll find Bee Tacqueria, an unassuming spot of wooden benches and fairy lights where chef Alex Carrasco dishes up Mexico City–inspired (and Michelin guide–listed) tacos and taquitos; Open Face Food Shop for fresh salads and sandwiches with a Danish twist; a new outpost of Tartine for the chain’s famous bakery items; and kebabs, falafel, and other Middle Eastern delights at Mizlala.
Much of the above is listed on a neighborhood guide at the best hotel in the area, the Alsace. Here, behind a peaceful courtyard filled with palms sit 48 rooms thoughtfully designed by Brooklyn firm Home Studios and furnished with Revival linens and stocked with Five Wits bath products. Try to snag one with a terrace or patio, or soak up the SoCal sun at the heated outdoor pool.
The Silver Lake Pool & Inn is sited in one of L.A.'s most walkable districts.
Courtesy of the Silver Lake Pool & Inn
Silver Lake Pool & Inn
- What to Expect: Poolside retreat in a hip, walkable neighborhood
- Neighborhood: Silver Lake
- Book Now
Located around the block from the neighborhood’s main hub, Sunset Junction, Silver Lake Pool & Inn is a quiet oasis in the walkable (yes, walkable . . . in L.A.), creative enclave of Silver Lake.
Its bright, airy guest rooms with stylish design elements, such as terrazzo countertops and leather lounge chairs, are a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. Complete with comfortable king or queen beds, cotton Turkish robes, luxurious walk-in rain showers, and an impressive mini-bar selection (think: Madre mezcal, Salt Point canned cocktails), it has everything you’d need to keep the vacation vibes flowing. And if for whatever reason you don’t, the friendly staff is happy to help.
The focal point of the property, however, is the sunny pool and lounge area, where guests can relax with a cold Aperol spritz from the poolside bar or order a burger or fresh salad from the hotel’s restaurant, Marco Polo. Though you may be tempted to while away the day poolside, this central L.A. neighborhood is rife for exploring as well—don’t miss drinks at the retro, tiki-themed bar Tiki-Ti, breakfast at popular Courage Bagels, or stellar Thai food at Night + Market Song, all within walking distance.
The Hotel Ziggy lobby is papered with historic lawsuits.
Courtesy of the Hotel Ziggy
Hotel Ziggy
- What to expect: Lively times for music fans
- Neighborhood: West Hollywood
- Book Now
West Hollywood is still the beating heart of L.A.—particularly when the sun dips toward the Pacific and DJs start livening up the scene at all those rooftop pools. The 2-square-mile, LGBTQ-friendly district is unusually walkable, and the recent addition of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures added another reason to visit.
The Viper Rooms and Whiskey A Go Gos of the Sunset Strip might not be in their heyday but they’re still alive and kicking, and the Hotel Ziggy is in the heart of it all. Just down the road from the offices of the starry-eyed Oppenheim Group realtors (of Selling Sunset fame), the Ziggy plays up the area’s music history big time. But don’t expect a Hard Rock experience. Here upon entry you’re greeted by huge Rolling Stones neon lips, a wall papered with music biz lawsuits including Frank Zappa’s fight with Congress for lyrical freedom, a bar full of records, and bass lines that will rattle your rib cage.
Memorabilia is centered on L.A. and California bands, including local Latin and Asian acts, and those that have made the pilgrimage here. Guests have access to a “Shred Shed” offering guitars, amps, record players, Walkmans, and backpacks, for true immersion.
The hotel is centered around a saltwater pool, of course, with first floor rooms featuring their own cabanas. A ground floor bar hosts bands, and a pizza window on the Strip slings slices to guests returning home late. It’s a fun stay in the thick of the action.
The Prospect aims to charm, seduce, and comfort.
Photo by Jaime Kowal
The Prospect, Hollywood
- What to expect: A secret spot with singular design touches
- Neighborhood: Hollywood
- Book Now
Three miles east of the Ziggy, the Prospect offers a far quieter place to lay your head. Round the corner from the Hollywood Bowl and perfect for anyone heading to a concert, it’s tucked away on a quiet street in the Whitley Heights district and set around a meditative, plant-filled courtyard. A restoration of a 1939 Hollywood Regency-style building conducted in collaboration with the Hollywood Heritage Historic Society, it features interiors from celebrated designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard and 24 rooms designed in collaboration with a sound engineer for maximum peace.
Bullard was after “charm, seduction, and comfort” in the design and those elements are abundant in both the lobby (where morning pastries and coffee are served) and the singular bedrooms. Expect marble floors, velvet furnishings, plenty of custom wallpaper, and vintage artworks and trinkets. Minibars eschew plastic-wrapped cups for cut crystal stemware. Returning visitors might want to check into a different room each time to get the full feel of the place.
Lumière restaurant at the Fairmont Century Plaza brings 1920s France to the Los Angeles alfresco dining scene.
Courtesy of the Fairmont Century Plaza
Fairmont Century Plaza
- What to expect: Luxurious comfort in a historic location
- Neighborhood: Century City
- Book Now
The Fairmont Century Plaza building has held a storied spot in L.A. history since it opened in the mid-‘60s. The first hotel in the U.S. to have color televisions has hosted Nixon’s Dinner of the Century honoring the return of the Apollo 11 astronauts, seen Lucille Ball win Actress of the Year at the 1966 Emmys, and witnessed Johnny Cash and The Beatles scoop Grammys.
It’s recently reopened after a $2.5 million refurbishment, with the original 720 rooms reduced to 400 bigger, luxury guest rooms. A 14,000-square-foot spa offers a range of futuristic treatments including biohacking (which involves infrared technology, neuroscience, and meditation) and an “anti-gravity chair.” Celebrity trainers work with the hotel and Techno gym bags with weights and equipment can be delivered to rooms.
The building itself is a midcentury work from Minoru Yamaski (designer of the original World Trade Center) and has been brought up to date by studio Yabu Pushelberg whose designers wanted to add “more texture, drama, and greater comforts.” A plant- and waterfall-filed lobby adds some of those elements to the roomy space. The hotel has three EV charging stations and is adding more.
The Fairmont’s French restaurant Lumière is worth a trip even if you’re not staying. Here, a number of vintage pieces have been shipped over from France, including desks, tables, zinc bar stands, and even some church steeples, creating an unique environment to enjoy steak frites.
Jessie Beck contributed reporting.
