5 New and Refreshed L.A. Meeting Hotels

In advance of its 10th anniversary this November, the SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills, has completed a $22 million makeover encompassing each of its 234 guest rooms and 63 suites, parent company Marriott International announced last week.

Opened in 2008, SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills is the flagship location for SLS Hotels. Originally designed by noted designer Philippe Starck, the hotel's rooms have retained the signature design elements for which they are known -- including oversized mirror panels and quirky accents -- but have been updated with a new, lighter color palette and aesthetic. New design features, for instance, include white oak, Carrara marble and textural neutral fabrics, while other highlights include vibrant carpet, oversized abstract prints, mirror-lined walls, handmade needlepoint pillows with classic Picasso prints, and colorful illustrations inside spacious new armoires.

New technological elements also have been added to guest rooms and suites -- including strategically located USB ports and outlets, high-speed Wi-Fi routers and 55-inch high-definition SMART TVs -- as have updated bathrooms with enhanced ambient lighting and either rainfall showers or oversized soaking tubs.

Finally, the hotel -- which has over 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space -- also has added two new suite categories, as well as three new curated guest experiences: "Destination Discoveries," a bi-weekly tour that includes a brief history of the hotel followed by a walking excursion of L.A.'s West 3rd Street neighborhood; "SLS Salute at Altitude Pool," a daily toasting ritual beside the hotel's pool; and "Bazaar Signature Cocktail Tasting at Bar Centro," a weekly introduction to the mixology program at The Bazaar, the hotel's signature restaurant.

"The next chapter of SLS Beverly Hills reflects the hotel's unique location at the crossroads of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills: the epicenter of modern luxury, the entertainment industry and Southern California's relaxed-yet-effervescent personality," said General Manager Christophe Thomas. "Coupled with our immersive guest programming and destination-worthy fine dining, we're excited to provide visitors with the quintessential L.A. experience and accommodations that foster comfort and relaxation, while inspiring adventure and creativity."

Future Los Angeles Icons

Even as they breathe new life into existing gems like SLS Beverly Hills, hoteliers are opening new properties across Los Angeles that are destined to become future icons. Here are four of them that opened earlier this year:

• Westdrift Manhattan Beach: Westdrift Manhattan Beach opened in March as part of Marriott International's Autograph Collection -- making it the first Autograph Collection hotel in Los Angeles. Located four miles from Los Angeles International Airport, the hotel occupies 26 acres in the South Bay region of Los Angeles, where it offers 393 coastal-inspired guest rooms and suites, 112 of which boast private balconies. The hotel also has an indoor-outdoor restaurant that specializes in communal dining, custom rental bikes for beach cruising, a nine-hole golf course, an outdoor pool with cabanas, a CrossFit-inspired fitness center and over 35,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor function space, including 18 meeting rooms, a traditional ballroom and three "industrial-chic" venues.

• NoMad Los Angeles: The West Coast's first NoMad hotel opened in downtown Los Angeles in January. Located in the historic Giannini Place, which was built in 1923 as the headquarters for Bank of Italy -- which became Bank of America -- the 12-story NoMad Los Angeles features 241 guest rooms, a rooftop pool, over 10,000 square feet of meeting space and the first non-New York restaurant operated by Chef Daniel Humm and Will Guidara of Eleven Madison Park. The hotel's highlight: the large, 100,000-pound vault door that remains from the building's early days as a bank.

• Hotel Figueroa: Hotel Figueroa opened in February and is the only luxury, independently owned hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Located across the street from the L.A. LIVE sports and entertainment complex, the hotel occupies a historic building that originally was built in 1926 as a women's hostel. Today, the structure houses 268 guest rooms, two restaurants and four bars, not to mention its own art collection and artist-in-residence program, a quirky coffin-shaped swimming pool and 10,000 square feet of event space.

• Sheraton Los Angeles San Gabriel: The Sheraton Los Angeles San Gabriel also opened in February. Located west of downtown, in San Gabriel, Calif., the hotel has 288 guest rooms and suites, two restaurants -- a steakhouse and a Chinese restaurant -- a 24-hour fitness center with yoga space, a Sheraton Club Lounge, a full-service spa, a heated outdoor pool and 11,336 square feet of meeting space.