{"id":139,"date":"2009-02-13T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-02-13T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2009\/02\/new-los-angeles-hotels-entertainment-spice-up-a-california-vacation\/"},"modified":"2016-12-17T13:41:35","modified_gmt":"2016-12-17T19:41:35","slug":"new-los-angeles-hotels-entertainment-spice-up-a-california-vacation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2009\/02\/new-los-angeles-hotels-entertainment-spice-up-a-california-vacation\/","title":{"rendered":"New Los Angeles hotels, entertainment spice up a California vacation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Los<\/a> By Lena Katz<\/em><\/p>\n

Recession whah-huh? That isn\u2019t aword that crosses the lips of restaurateurs, nightlife impresarios and hoteliers in SoCal. No matter what else might happen, people expect the newest, best and the most out of a Southern California vacation<\/a><\/strong> — and that\u2019s what they\u2019re getting.<\/p>\n

The current \u201cbiggest, best-est thing\u201d in Los Angeles shop-dine-tainment news is L.A. Live<\/a><\/strong>, a downtown development that brings together big-name restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels and residences.<\/p>\n

If anything could truly be the heart of the sprawled-out, mysterious downtown district, this would be it.  STAPLES Center pre-dates LA Live, but it also justifies its existence: it was built to provide food, drink and fun for stadium crowdspre- and post-event. Key venues include the reinvented Conga Room<\/a><\/strong>, the GRAMMY Museum, Nokia Theater<\/a><\/strong> and Lucky Strike Lanes. Restaurants range from Fleming\u2019s to Rock \u2018n Fish<\/a><\/strong> to Trader Vic\u2019s (coming soon).<\/p>\n

Doors open at new<\/strong> Los Angeles Hotels<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The setting couldn\u2019t be more different than the Laguna original, but the new Montage Beverly Hills<\/a><\/strong> is nonetheless a fitting follow-up to its sister hotel. From the grandiose marble-outfitted lobby to the elegant hush-hushed bar to the distinctive dining venues, this hotel impresses without ever crossing into ostentatious.<\/p>\n

If you like to be in the center of the biggest splash, opt to stay at SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills<\/a><\/strong>, a new luxury Los Angeles hotel located on one of Beverly Hills\u2019 most trafficked thoroughfares. It\u2019s owned by nightlife impresario Sam Nazarian. Famed for his tough velvet ropes and celeb-packed night spots, Nazarian seems to be going for a similar vibe at his first-ever hotel.<\/p>\n

Over on Sunset, a former \u201880s rocker hangout has turned into the artsy-chic Andaz<\/a><\/strong>. Don\u2019t ask what the name means — just know it\u2019s under the Hyatt umbrella, and still a Hyatt hotel underneath the glass walls and art installations.<\/p>\n

There are new players on the L.A. restaurant and bar scene, too. Check back next week for that story.<\/p>\n

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