Yesterday marked the ribbon cutting of the beautiful new Wilshire Grand Center in downtown Los Angeles, home to the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
Although I was not a guest at the hotel, I spent most of the day there and had a chance to check out the new hotel.
A few observations:
It is a stunning hotel
Put simply, the hotel is an architectural masterpiece with exquisite attention to detail. Like many high rise hotels in Asia, you enter on the ground floor but proceed up to the 70th floor lobby for check-in. The Wilshire Grand is 73 floors and the InterContinental will utilize the 31st to the 68th floor for its 889 guest rooms plus 70-73 for its restaurants and bars.
I love looking down at helipads
You’d never know it looking at the Los Angeles skyline, but stand on the 70th floor of LA’s new tallest building and you can look at all the familiar skyscrapers and see their helipads on top.
Great rooftop bar
The rooftop bar offers sweeping views of the city and is sure to be an immediate hotspot for both locals and visitors.
The party was over the top
It’s not often a new high rise hotel opens in Los Angeles and the gala last night must have featured over 1,000 guests. The hotel went all out with great food and entertainment, including Cirque du Soleil.
CONCLUSION
Chris McGinnis (TravelSkills) was a hotel guest so look for a full hotel review from him in the coming days. For now, here are two stock photos of a standard guest room–
And here’s an actual photo from Chris–
As an Angeleno, I am proud of this LA landmark. The building brings beauty and functionality to a downtown that has transformed itself over the last decade from seedy to sightly. I don’t know whether I will ever use the hotel, but I could see myself taking my wife here for a date one night. The hotel opens next month. Rates start at around $250/night.
That’s going to be one awesome IHG annual free night 🙂
Wow, just $250 a night? That seems quite reasonable for the location and apparent quality of the hotel. I should make up an excuse why I can’t stay with my in-laws and take my wife there the next time we’re in LA. 🙂
I was in Hollywood last night and you could see the Kleig lights from the freeway.
It’s a beautiful building to be sure! I was just online booking a one night stay in mid-July for a birthday treat for myself. Midweek even King Club rooms are $335, while a King Club Bedroom Suite is around $660. That’s a very decent price. With floor to ceiling windows it looks stunning. I also read the outside bar is the highest lounge with outdoor seating in the Western Hemisphere. That place will clean up! It’s only 4 blocks from the Staples Center and LA Live too.
Can’t wait for my free voucher…..gotta try it out now.
I worked at EY across the street from 2007-2014, and probably walked into the Wilshire Grand a total of 2 times. I would have given anything for something this cool to be right there. What a great addition for LA. It looks fantastic!