W Los Angeles

Frommer's Review

Design-savvy hipsters looking for cutting-edge style and familiar comforts will enjoy this 15-story, all-suite hotel near UCLA. The former Westwood Marquis underwent a transformation in 2000 under new owners, W Hotels, the "boutique" hotel brand backed by corporate giant Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Hidden behind a severe concrete exterior, this oasis-like property has always had advantages: an all-suite configuration, 2 lush acres of greenery, and eye-catching '60s architectural detailing that's been liberated from its long-standing Sheetrock walls. Rooms range in size from large two-room suites to two-bed, two-bathroom suites, featuring bold, angular furnishings in dark African wenge wood, accented with gray carpeting and soft plum textiles. Luxuries include divinely dressed beds, 27-inch TVs -- plasma screens in some rooms -- and DVD and CD players. The bathrooms are spacious but unremarkable, save for inviting waffle-weave robes and exclusive Bliss spa products. W's popular restaurant, NineThirty, serves superb American cuisine, while nightlife impresario Rande Gerber's bar, Whiskey Blue, pretty much guarantees a celebrity scene on weekend nights. The well-furnished gardenlike pool area has its own outdoor cafe called the Backyard, serving Mediterranean "swimwear fare." The 7,000-square-foot Bliss Spa offers hip services like movie-while-you-manicure nail stations, and men's and women's lounges that offer snacks to the road-weary.

Facilities:
2 restaurants; cocktail lounge; outdoor heated pool; exercise room; 7,000-sq.-ft. full-service spa, concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; DVD and CD libraries

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Back to Top