Why we love it: A historic hotel that’s been updated for the “in” crowd
The Highlights:
- Mid-century modern design that highlights the hotel’s history
- A dramatic lobby with plenty of seating and a classy bar
- A bookable podcast recording room
The Review:
The site of the premier Academy Awards after-party in 1929, this historic Beaux Arts hotel on the edge of downtown was recently updated for the first time since the 1980s. Today, The Mayfair’s grand, monochromatic lobby features original stone columns, light marble accents, plenty of skylights amid lofty ceilings, and impressive arches and alcoves with gray-velvet seating scattered throughout. The chic M Bar at the back glows under a lit-up, seashell-like sculpture. Rooms and suites have panoramic views of the city skyline and feature patterned wallpaper, black-and-white photographs of the city, and striped canopies draped over the beds.
On the cultural front, the hotel hosts an impressive arts program. Artist-in-residence Kelly “RISK” Graval curated the works currently on view, bringing in street art by Shepard Fairey, Geoff Melville, Jim Evans a.k.a. TAZ, and Stephen Vanasco a.k.a. Van Styles. Other trendy details like a podcast recording studio that guests and locals can book by the hour and a yet-to-open outdoor pool with cabanas, a bar, and a fireplace ensure the crowd skews young and hip. American restaurant Eve (named after a Raymond Chandler character, because Chandler wrote his short story I’ll Be Waiting at the hotel in the 1930s) is led by seasoned chef Karo Patpatyan, while Fairgrounds, a Chicago import, offers coffee and tea from Stumptown, Toby’s, Verve, and Rishi.
