A Los Angeles Hotel with a Theatrical Flair
“Hotel” is an understatement. What used to be a humble bed and breakfast is now a swanky oasis in a modern-day mecca.
Its new location and name alone, a short drive from the Staples Center and LAX, can make you believe that you’re in any of 30 other metropolitan areas — or in any other city for that matter. The rooms and suites are sleek, comfortable, but just out of the box in a way you can’t quite define. With three on-site restaurants, the hotel is like a little slice of modern glamour in the midst of a modern day hub.
The hotel has been in the process of transforming for more than a decade, from a traditional B&B to a sleek, modern hotel offering guests a range of amenities throughout the hotel, its restaurants, bars, and lounges. The $6.3 million transformation is on par with other high end hotels today, and was completed last year with a $500,000 donation from The Jack and Jill Foundation.
Inside the hotel, the lobby is a work of art, with a unique chandelier, marble floor, and exposed beams. “The space was a very important design element. It’s what allowed the team to really make the hotel more than a hotel,” said Rick Williams, president of the hotel.
Williams began his hotel career in 1978, when he joined the hotel industry as a sales agent with the Jack and Jill Foundation. He went on to work in various positions at the hotel, first as an agent, and then as an executive.
Williams said he first came to UCLA because of his family, and the school offered opportunities that he wasn’t able to find anywhere else. The hotel is now an opportunity at a place that’s a perfect match for him.
“It’s an extraordinary place, a
