Over the years, I've stayed at Sofitels in London, Paris, Philadelphia and Chicago. This was my first time at the Sofitel Los Angeles. While I'd have to rate the locations in London and Paris as better (in part, just because they're in London and Paris), the service and hotel itselfin Los Angeles were top-notch - and I'd say better than any of the other Sofitel hotels I've visited.
From the parking attendants (professional and courteous) to the doormen (always there - I never opened the door) to the front desk clerk at check-in (gracious, welcoming, smiling and friendly) to the concierge (funny, outgoing, made several great suggestions) to the front desk clerk at check-out (gracious, smiling, sincerely interested as to whether our stay was satisfactory), I cannot compliment the staff enough. Even the gym attendant, with whom we only shared a couple of words, greeted us with a smile and asked how he could help us. In short, unlike many luxury hotels where staff is professional, but they don't seem happy to see you, the staff at the Sofitel in Los Angeles was exceptional.
We were upgraded to a slightly larger room. It was still on the small side, but plenty large enough for the little amounts of time we spent in the room. We had a room on the quiet back of the hotel, with a view of the Hollywood Hills and the famous Hollywood sign. The bed was extremely comofrtable. One of the most comfortable beds I've ever encountered, in fact.
I like the rainfall shower that most Sofitels seem to favor, including the Sofitel Los Angeles. The bath amenities (L'Occitane) were nice, the towels were thick and absorbant, and the mirror never fogged up in the slightest.
For those who want to work out, the gym is large - purportedly, the largest hotel gym in Los Angeles. I believe that, as it put most other hotel gyms to shame.
There's an outdoor pool, too. The pool is large, the furniture is nice, but you are surrounded by streets and you're only on the second floor. It is Los Angeles, so nothing surprising about the traffic.
Locationwise, it is across from the Beverly Center (great if you forgot to bring something, or just wanted the convenience of having a mall across the street). You can walk to places like Kitson's and even to West Hollywood. Since we're from the East Coast, we even walked to dinner one night near the intersection of Melrose and La Cienega. We were, of course, the only ones using the sidewalks, but there are places to which you can walk.
All in all, this is a wonderful luxurious hotel (I say luxurious rather than luxury because I didn't see any butler floors, etc., and some who might stay in 5 star hotels with over-the-top amenities might find some things missing - but for the vast majority, this is a nice, indulgent getaway hotel).
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