New hotels, bigger planes: the latest from Los Angeles

Eco style: The Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles

By Mark Chesnut

From new hotel options to an airport expansion that will accommodate gigantic 21st-century aircraft, there is always something new for travelers to discover in Los Angeles. Whether you’re planning a California vacation or an important business trip, check out these fresh ideas for that next visit.

Los Angeles hotels
New hotel options in the Los Angeles area include The Hotel Wilshire, which debuted in September with 74 eco-friendly rooms set in a six-story former medical office building, and the Shore Hotel, which opened in Santa Monica in September.

Recently renovated hotels include the Amarano Burbank, formerly called the Graciela, and the Hollywood Roosevelt, which has opened new venues for food and drinks: Public Kitchen & Bar and The Spare Room gaming lounge. The Hollywood Roosevelt has also unveiled its redesigned Cabana rooms with décor evocative of 1950s-era Palm Springs.

Cottage-style accommodations at The Langham Huntington, in Pasadena, were renovated last year; the hotel also opened a new restaurant called The Royce, which specializes in “new American” cuisine, as well as a renovated bar and spa.

Airport News
Los Angeles International Airport — often called LAX — is preparing to making room for the double-decker Airbus A380 aircraft. Singapore Airlines chose LAX as the first North American destination in its network to receive the giant planes; the first landed in July. Airport management, meanwhile, is in the midst of a multi-billion-dollar development program, which will ultimately allow nine of the planes to park simultaneously at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The project also includes new gates and concourse areas and nearly 540,000 square feet of space for passenger services, retail concessions and airline lounges.Related resources

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Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on business and leisure travel to Latin America.

Tagged: California, Hotels