As with the Mark Hopkins in San Francisco, this was our third stay at this hotel. It is quite different to the Mark Hopkins in that it is much more modern and, I suppose, impersonal although that probably has negative connotations so perhaps I should say quietly efficient.
Twice we've been upgraded to a luxury suite and once to an executive suite...the luxury suites are just cavernous with balconies wrapping around the whole suite.
We had breakfast included on one of our stays but, and maybe this is just me being tight, you feel compelled to tip against an itemised bill (at full price); when it was included in the room rate I felt this got a bit expensive on top of everything else.
The valet parking is reasonably expensive at $36 (?) a night but it is a very slick operation.
I know some people feel this hotel is in the middle of nowhere but I don't think that's fair..well, assuming you have a car which everyone in LA does, right? There's Beverly Hills right around the corner (where we had breakfast at Starbucks), the Westfield shopping centre is next door too and then it's very easy to get to a vast number of the touristy spots in LA. I've stayed down in Anaheim and Long Beach before and they felt much more out on a limb.
On our last trip we also stayed at the Fairmont in Santa Monica and that was a desperately disappointing experience (despite having a gorgeous beach view which this hotel can't offer).
I think the things this hotel does really well don't perhaps seem apparent until you stay somewhere else, I guess as I said before: quietly efficient. I think the worst thing about this hotel is that you can get groups of smokers hanging around outside as you wait for your car...they'd do well to have a pit for the smokers to keep them out of sight and smell :)
hotel reviews