The exclusivity of the five-star Conrad Los Angeles is apparent from the minute you pull up to its nondescript entrance tucked into The Grand—a $1 billion mixed-use complex designed by Frank Gehry—and a bellman directs you to the lobby on the 10th floor. First impression: Now this is a hotel where rock stars of all kinds will stay. The welcome is sweet and consultative, as if the staff’s only mission is you.
This stylish, new hotel and The Grand are reflective of the current Renaissance taking place in downtown L.A.’s Arts District, home to a treasure trove of museums and performing arts institutions: the Disney Concert Hall, The Broad, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), The Music Center and the Colburn School, as well as Grand Park. This is the only location in the world where two Frank Gehry projects face one another; you feel like you can practically touch Disney Concert Hall from the interior and outdoor terrace of Jose Andres’ San Laurel restaurant. Simply stunning.
"Together with the Hollywood sign, Disney Hall is the icon of our city," former mayor Eric Garcetti said during ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Conrad Los Angeles in July. "The Grand LA is the completion of this place. We now have a new creative heart in the cultural capital of the world." This evolution of a downtown neighborhood into an arts mecca has taken decades, said Garcetti, with 24 years between the opening of MOCA and Disney, and another 19 to the opening of The Grand and the Conrad Los Angeles.
After exploring the museums (some of which have event space for groups), attending a concert, or dining at one of the many restaurants (including two by Andres right in the hotel), attendees can retire to one of the 305 sumptuous rooms at the Conrad, with their subtle, elegant design inspired by the West Coast Modernist movement, and touches like oak floors and natural linen walls. There’s an exquisite spa with treatments such as LED light therapy, Normatec compression therapy and Quantum harmonic therapy, and 8,800 sf of indoor meeting space, including a 4,800-sf ballroom and outdoor space with drop-dead city views.—Barbara Scofidio
hilton.com/en/hotels/laxavci-conrad-los-angeles