There is no shortage of luxury hotels in Los Angeles, especially in the newly revitalized downtown and glitzy Beverly Hills. These two areas are connected by the Miracle Mile Mid-Wilshire Corridor, famous for its world-class museums, but surprisingly bereft of classy hotels — until now, with the opening of The Hotel Wilshire, a new luxury boutique hotel from Kimpton that is making its mark on a much overlooked part of the city.
Just shy of its first anniversary when we visited, The Hotel Wilshire had already garnered impressive credentials — including AAA four-diamond honors. Affiliated with both Kimpton Hotels and Luxe Worldwide Hotels, The Hotel Wilshire is also earning LEEDS certification for its use of sustainable resources and green building materials.
Cleverly converted from a former medical suites building, The Hotel Wilshire now comprises 74 rooms and suites of various sizes. Families will appreciate the availability of connecting rooms, while those looking to splash out can luxuriate in the sumptuous penthouse suite. Regardless of choice of accommodation, guests will enjoy amenities such as robes and slippers, fully stocked mini-bar refrigerators, laptop-compatible in-room safes, coffee/tea makers with complimentary gourmet teas and coffees — and probably the most popular of all: free wireless internet access throughout the hotel.
Other technological features include iPod docking stations; flat-Screen HD-LCD TV’s with expanded channels; media ports, TV connectivity With cellphones, laptops and music devices; and cordless phones.
The hotel offers a business center, as well as a boardroom for meetings. And even though it does not have an on-site exercise room, guests have complimentary access to the nearby L.A. Fitness Center; nor is there any need to leave the premises to go swimming, since the pool is one the hotel’s top attractions: located on the roof, it boasts extraordinary 360-degree views of the Los Angeles skyline and the famed Hollywood Hills (all the more the remarkable since The Hotel Wilshire is no high-rise).
The pool also shares its space with one of the hottest new restaurants in a city known for its love of the trendy: The Roof on Wilshire, the second L.A. restaurant opened by celebrity chef Eric Greenspan, who defeated renowned Chef Bobby Flay on television’s Iron Chef. The Roof on Wilshire, informal sister eatery to Greenspan’s fine dining establishment The Foundry on Melrose, features award-winning dishes and signature cocktails at the al fresco restaurant and bar. Poolside tables fill up at Sunset Menu time, while the Late Night specials are frequently enjoyed around the cozy outdoor fire pit.
Prefer to eat in the privacy of your own room? No problem: room service prepared by Greenspan’s staff is on call from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. The superb food is enhanced by a unique Hotel Wilshire touch: wheeled, marble-topped side tables, ideal for in-room dining.
See the official website for The Hotel Wilshire.
Rack rates: $315-$900. Special packages are frequently on offer. Rooms can also be booked on a number of booking sites like the Kimpton IHG site or at Hotels.com
Text by Buzzy Gordon, who was a guest of The Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles for purposes of review. Photos courtesy of The Hotel Wilshire.
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