The new year may barely be two weeks old, but already a trio of notable new hotels in Los Angeles and New York suggest 2014 will be a travel industry triumph.
Los Angeles
On the West Coast, New York-based Sydell Group — the folks behind the swanky NoMad Hotel — opened The Line on Jan. 1, with 388 rooms tucked into an iconic, modernist building in the heart of buzzy Koreatown. The hotel’s retro-cool aesthetic comes courtesy of Venice-based Knibb Design, while local food-truck maverick Roy Choi is responsible for much of the property’s eclectic, international culinary offerings.
Also in LA is the Ace Hotel Downtown, which opened last week in the city’s skyscraper-filled downtown close to the Staples Center. Oozing with atmosphere, the Ace inhabits the iconic, Spanish Gothic-styled United Artists Building which dates back to 1927 — updated and upgraded by ultra-groovy LA interiors group Commune Design. The 180 guest rooms — which include artsy elements such as custom-designed Pendleton wool blankets — are set in its main tower, while next door is the building’s original, cavernous 1,600-seat theater which will be used for screenings, parties and events. The Ace also includes a signature restaurant by Brooklyn-based chef Jud Mongell (of Greenpoint’s Five Leaves-fame) and a series of luxe bar spaces.
New York
Meanwhile, in Midtown Manhattan, the venerable Loews Regency re-opens this Thursday after a meticulous $100 million make-over. The property now houses 379 rooms and suites with fresh, light-filled interiors mostly designed by Rottet Studio (who worked on the Beverly Hills Hotel’s new Presidential Bungalows). Along with its impressively large-sized rooms, the Regency will include a hair salon — and in-room amenities — by Julien Farel, as well as a range of restaurants and bars helmed by former Standard Grill top toque Dan Silverman and the minds behind haute Italian eateries Sant Ambroeus. Already folks are lining up for the return of The Regency’s iconic power breakfasts.