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Home » Reviews » Hotel Reviews » Review: Hotel Figueroa (Hyatt Unbound Collection)
Hotel ReviewsHyatt

Review: Hotel Figueroa (Hyatt Unbound Collection)

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 7, 2023November 13, 2023 13 Comments

a building with glass doors

I spent a night at night at the historic Hotel Figueroa in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and very much enjoyed it….once I was inside the property.

Review: Hotel Figueroa – Los Angeles, CA, Part Of Hyatt Unbound Collection

Built by the YWCA, this historic hotel opened in 1926 as a hotel for solo women travelers. At the time, most were not allowed to check into a hotel without a male chaperone. At this hotel, only women were allowed.

The result was a “paradise of female energy” (as the hotel now describes it) and a hub of intellectual and artistic progress  that attracted women from all over the world.

We spent a night here during our tree trial because it was cheap ($150/night) and because it was very close to the hospital where my wife works.

This is Category 5 hotel, so better to pay most nights than to use points.

a building with a green flag

a building with a balcony and plants

Common Areas

The hotel was totally overhauled in 2014 from a Moroccan theme to a Spanish Colonial Revival style. The spacious lobby and bar highlights that theme and also features a cozy fireplace (it has been a colder year here in LA) and lots of artwork.

a room with a staircase and tables and chairs

a room with a table and chairs

a room with a bar and chairs

a room with tables and chairs

a chandelier from the ceiling

a room with a fireplace and couches

a room with a fireplace and couches

a couple of people sitting on a couch in a room with a fireplace

a hallway with a glass door and chairs

a hallway with art on the wall

a large room with a large chandelier and a large statue

a girl pointing at a large sculpture

Guest Room

We were upgraded to a junior suite, room 210. We used stairs rather than an elevator to reach the room, which I love about old hotels.

a hallway with doors and a light fixture

a black sign with gold numbers on it

The room was cozy, but nicely appointed with a living room area with couch, chair, ottoman, coffee, table, and desk and a bedroom with a king sized bed. At only about 330 square feet I’ve had much bigger standard rooms, but it did the trick for us.

a room with a couch and a mirror

a bedroom with a bed and a couch

a room with a bed and couch

a desk with a large television on it

a living room with a couch and a chair

a bed with a picture above it

The bathroom was long and narrow with two sinks, a shower on the left, and water closet on the right. No bathtub. Toiletries were from Claus Porto.

a bathroom with a mirror and a door

a bathroom with a large round mirror

a toilet in a bathroom

a soap in a dish

a shower head and shower head in a bathroom

a group of white bottles with white caps

The room had no view (picture the hotel has laid out like an E on its side, so my room faced the window of another room).

two children lying on a bed

I appreciated the coffee machine in the room with pods from Vittoria, one of my favorite Australian companies.

a tray with coffee and other items on it

a group of coffee capsules

Plugs were located around the room and there was two plugs and a USB-A charger on the desk.

a black rectangular object with a couple of switches

a closet with a safe and swingers

$30 Destination Fee

The hotel tacks on a $30 destination fee per night, waived for World of Hyatt Globalist members. It includes:

  • Daily freshly brewed coffee with custom milk and syrup station at Café Fig (for two)
  • Day pass to LA’s Artha wellness experience – yoga, sound bath, cryotherapy
  • Complimentry pass to 2000sqft Wellness and Fitness Club
  • Two boxed waters per room daily
  • 10% Discount at DTLA museums (full list at front desk)
  • 10% Discount at DTLA architectural tour
  • 10% Discount to private fitness classes by Yada Yoga
  • Access to pool deck and loungers
  • Access to hotel art gallery and invitation to all artist events
  • Access to all public events at La Casita
  • Access to hotel guest exclusive events and beverage tastings

I believe these fees should be optional, full stop, but I appreciated the free barista-made coffee each day at Café Fig. I typically consume one coffee each afternoon and it was nice to have a cortado in the lobby bar.

a glass cup of coffee on a table

a receipt on a wood surface

Since the kids were with me, I did not get a chance to try the Artha wellness experience, something I would like to do again (the cryotherapy and infrared sauna at least).

Pool + Fitness Center

The fitness center was extremely basic, just a small guest room with a trio of machines.

a room with exercise equipment

a gym equipment in a room

a stack of weights on a black stand

Although my stay was only a month ago, my understanding is that the hotel very recently opened up a new and much larger (and needed) fitness center.

a pink frame with black text

Outside the fitness center was a nice patio overlooking the pool below and the nearby JW Marriott – Ritz Carlton hotel.

two children looking at a city

a bench on a rooftop with tall buildings in the background

a pool with chairs and a building in the background

a building with a mural of flowers and fire escape

The pool, being nearly 100 years old and formerly a YWCA facility, is quite deep. My daughter cannot swim yet so playing with her in the pool while having to tread water became quite a workout for me!

a swimming pool with chairs and a fireplace

a swimming pool with a building in the background

a pool with a couch and chairs

a group of lounge chairs and umbrellas on a patio

a pool with chairs and umbrellas in a hotel

a pool with a fireplace and a building in the background

The kids loved the pool so much we had to return…three times…

a pool with a couch and a cactus

Dining

The hotel has a number of on-site food and beverage options.

Bar Magnolia

The beautiful lobby bar includes dark wood and plants with not just alcohol, but coffee.

a large bar with a long table and chairs

a bar with chairs and a large counter

a coffee machine and cups on a counter

In the morning, filter coffee is free included in the destination fee until 11:00 am next to the bar:

a man behind a counter in a restaurant

Cafe Fig

The kids and I had breakfast at Cafe Fig–I love that breakfast went to 11:30 am, allowing us to have a productive morning before brunch.

Great coffee and cold-pressed juice and Claire Marie and I shared avocado toast and chilaquiles.

a room with a door and plants

a room with tables and chairs

a restaurant with tables and chairs

a hand holding a menu

a hand holding a menu

a glass of orange juice next to a glass of liquid

a bottle of juice next to a glass of green liquid

a plate of food with sauce and greens

a plate of food on a table

Augustine ordered chicken and waffles (my suggestion when he was about to order just plain waffles) and that was a big mistake…the chicken was quite spicy and he did not like it or eat.

a plate of food on a table

I got him a pain au chocolat which he liked much better.

a pastry in a black container

Great breakfast and the bill was fully covered as a Globalist.

Cafe Fig has a nice outdoor terrace as well.

a building with windows and plants

a tables and chairs outside of a building

La Casita

The focus on La Casita is cocktails and Mediterranean food, but it is closed Monday thru Thursday and so I did not get a chance to try it.

a building with a logo on it

a white building with a fence and trees

Sparrow

Sparrow is described as “a modern coastal Italian restaurant with an expansive menu by Chef AJ McCloud and Chef Joana Cruz.” Heidi got off from work late and after so we put the kids to bed (and yes, we told them exactly were we’d be downstairs) and came down here to eat.

a walkway with lights on the arch

a sign on a wall

a room with a bar and chairs

a room with tables and chairs

a room with tables and chairs

a bar with bottles of liquor

The food was very good, with the grilled branzino superb and the pasta bolognese rich and flavorful.

a menu on a table

a plate of food on a table

a fish on a cutting board

a piece of fish with parsley on top

a plate of pasta with cheese and sauce

We had Zeppole for dessert with sweet whipped ricotta and nutella ganache caramel sauce.

a plate of food with sauces and powdered sugar

It was not cheap considering we had no appetizer and only ordered one bottle of water, but it was a nice quiet time after a busy day.

a hand holding a receipt

When we got back, the kids were not sleeping…

a girl and boy on a bed

Room Service

A limited room service menu is available, which we did not take advantage of.

a card on a table

Bar Alta

On the upper level a second bar called Bar Alta appears to be permanently closed or only open for special events. It’s a very attractive bar, but was locked for the duration of my visit and there is no mention of it on the hotel website.

a door in a room

a sign on a wall

a framed picture of a man and woman
Love the tattoos…

a bar with a counter and a bar with lights

a room with chairs and a table

Hazardous Location

Let me be clear: the hotel location is pretty horrible. I’ll detail this in a separate post, but there were all sorts of drug deals going on outside the hotel. It’s not a horrible area in theory–The Pantry, the restaurant of former Mayor Richard Rioridan–is a block away and there is also a Capital Grille and Ralph’s Grocery Store (where I got dinner for the kids) very close.

a street corner with a building and a street light

But it is a seedy part of LA and not a place I felt comfortable in at night outside the hotel grounds.

I know this is a deadly indictment of the hotel, but for what’s it worth it was not a dealbreaker for me…it was just very nasty when I went out to meet Heidi when she got off work.

Parking

A parking lot adjacent to the hotel makes parking very easy. But the nightly parking fee is $48 plus tax and tip for valet parking and self-parking is not available (thought they let me park myself because I forgot my Tesla key and had to use my phone as the engine starter).

a city street with buildings and trees

CONCLUSION

Yes, the hotel cannot escape its location and I wish the police would shoot up the drug dealers instead of letting them shoot up freely in front of the hotel…but that’s another issue for another time. The hotel itself was quite nice, with great food and service and a very comfortable room. The pool was nice and the hotel has just opened a large new fitness center. I actually would return and look forward to do doing so. But it’s not the sort of place you want to walk around outside at night.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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13 Comments

  1. Joe Reply
    November 7, 2023 at 11:15 am

    I had a very similar experience here in July – stayed with another couple and our children. I drove up from San Diego and booked an AAA package for $5 more that included valet parking. I had booked the 1-bedroom suite as it was only marginally more than the base room.

    The room and hotel are beautiful, the pool is a very nice oasis, the breakfast was delicious – however the area around the hotel is unpleasant for sure with a lot of unstable people and drug use. We were only there 48 hours and saw several incidents during that time.

  2. ptahcha Reply
    November 7, 2023 at 12:03 pm

    There is already an update on Globalist breakfast – they now offer a smaller menu just for Globalists, with only 1 main course and coffee and juice (no bottled juices) per person, and they give you breakfast coupons at check-in, and they take off the charges there at the restaurant. Anything else would cost extra – it’s even stated on the coupon,

    Also, disagree on the drama on where the hotel is located. There are plenty more parts of downtown LA I would be more concerned about. But like any urban cities, be mindful of your surroundings.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      November 7, 2023 at 2:35 pm

      That’s sad to hear and would be a reason for me to think twice about returning. That green juice was greatly appreciated.

  3. DavidM Reply
    November 7, 2023 at 12:04 pm

    How was the noise from the 110? Hopefully good soundproofing in the room.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      November 7, 2023 at 2:36 pm

      It was not bad.

  4. Descartes Reply
    November 7, 2023 at 12:24 pm

    I am not sure extrajudicial executions by the police are a proportionate punishment to the crime of drug dealing.

  5. tjp74 Reply
    November 7, 2023 at 1:21 pm

    I’ve stayed at this hotel 2-3 times with most recent one being back in September. Booked two rooms under the corporate rate and I’ve got a call from the front desk on the day of arrival and the guy wanted to talk about the upgrade (!). That never happened to me before being a globalist for past 7 years straight. He wanted to give me a nicer room that what I was upgraded into already but wanted to know if it’s ok if two rooms are not connected. I said fine as the second room was for my sister in law. She was upgraded to a junior suite and our room was further upgraded to… a suite that’s like a presidential suite.. biggest suite in that hotel and it’s like 3 times the regular room. Plus all other globalist benefit (waved resort fee, breakfast etc) was extended to the second room and that’s not supposed to happen. Hotel definitely went above and beyond proactively. Front desk recognized the royalty and also noted my past stay yeas ago and I genuinely felt I was welcomed me back.

    As for the arrounding area, may be the early timing but I didn’t see any drug users or dealers. I actually stayed at the IHG Indigo a block away few weeks later, it was a Saturday night… 9pm and actually walked to a taco truck that was located around the corner of entrance to the Figuera and I felt just.

  6. Dougie Reply
    November 7, 2023 at 2:24 pm

    Intrigued by the “Benefits Surcharge” on each bill. Is that a charge for other benefits, Globalist or something else… or just another random surcharge?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      November 7, 2023 at 2:37 pm

      Just a bogus charge passed onto all guests.

  7. Stuart Reply
    November 7, 2023 at 4:42 pm

    Seems as if the offerings of bars, dining etc is good, but I look at these rooms and feel that they will not age well at all. This will be a tough looking property in 3-5 years. Great review, Matthew…I’ll stick to The Shay though.

  8. tja Reply
    November 7, 2023 at 11:51 pm

    Don’t you love it when you always get presented with a bill with a big fat tip field for something that’s supposedly free or included (talking about the Coffee drink)? In Europe, when it says “breakfast included ” it means you sit down, eat and leave. In the US it means “well, why don’t you sign that bill, add a big fat tip and maybe, but only maybe, we remove the cost from your bill at checkout”. What a screwed up thing. My favorite is when I am always supposed to sign the bill at Ventana Big Sur where it’s all inclusive and a 22% gratuity is already included, But no, wait for the bill please which has another big fat tip field. If something is included or free, please don’t bother me with signing checks qnd tip fields.

    • ptahcha Reply
      November 8, 2023 at 10:36 am

      With the new Globalist breakfast menu, you don’t need to sign anything at all. Problem solved!

  9. Miamiflyer Reply
    November 11, 2023 at 12:26 pm

    I stayed at the hotel in 1996 on my first trip to the USA. The Front Desk staff warned me NOT to go South outside the hotel (towards USC). I made it a point to be back in my room before it went dark as the area felt really unsafe.
    Looks like nothing has changed much

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