LAX HOTELS TAKING OFF
BY ROSEMARY MCCLURE >>> The $14 billion in improvements at LAX have stolen the show, but the airport is not the only place that’s getting a facelift. ¶ Check out the nearby hotels on Century Boulevard for a happy surprise for out-of-town guests or for you if you have an early f light. ¶ There are new hotels and several others undergoing major renovations, adding eye-catching designs inside and out, opening fun restaurants and becoming chic, happening places. ¶ Laurie Hughes, executive director of Gateway Los Angeles, the business improvement district that covers the LAX neighborhood, said, “We’ve gone from barbed wire, cargo facilities and nude bars to upscale hotels and places to eat. Sometimes I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven.” ¶ Here’s a look at some of the changes:
THE NEW HOTELS H Hotel
The H Hotel, which opened in October, is part of Hilton’s Curio collection, a group of one-of-akind lodges such as the popular Hotel del Coronado near San Diego.
The H is new and a step up stylistically from many airportadjacent facilities.
It was created from the skeleton of a 12-story office building, so the ceilings in its 168 rooms are high — more that 11 feet, adding a spacious feel.
There’s also a big fitness center and a comfortable lounge with luggage lockers, a shower and work space for guests with flight times that don’t line up with check-out/check-in times.
Guests can get to know Hannah, a robotic butler that brought me a bottle of water and a snack and is available to deliver goodies to guests (and their kids) in their rooms.
Other features include a pool and a lobby-level restaurant, Waypoint Kitchen, with wonderful comfort food such as mac ’n’ cheese ($9) and jumbo meatballs ($12).
Info: H Hotel, 6151 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 215-3000,
www.hhotellosangeles.com. Doubles
Homewood Suites
Families — or those who are staying several days — might like this new hotel, which offers rooms with kitchens.
Homewood Suites, also a Hilton Hotels brand, shares the H building, taking up the bottom six floors while the H rooms occupy floors 7-12. Like H, it opened in October.
Both hotels have check-in counters on the ground floor and share some facilities such as the pool, a business area and Waypoint Kitchen.
The decor and amenities aren’t quite as plush, but the ease and cost savings of having a kitchen are a bonus. There’s also a free breakfast, which H doesn’t offer.
Info: Homewood Suites, 6151 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 215-3300, www.home woodsuites-3.hilton.com. Doubles from $259. Free Wi-Fi. Airport shuttle. Parking packages available.
Hyatt Regency Los Angeles Airport
colorful columns of kinetic lights that mark the LAX Gateway.
Does that sound like an airport hotel?
Yes, it’s just one of the many cool features you’ll find at the Hyatt Regency LAX, the closest hotel to the airport and another new face on Century Boulevard.
The 580-room hotel, which opened earlier this year, is the only Hyatt Regency in L.A. , adding an upscale vibe to the airport area.
A highlight is the hotel’s ground-floor dining options. Unity LA features neighborhood flavors from across Los Angeles, including drunken noodles from Thai Town and carne asada from Boyle Heights.
Info: Hyatt Regency LAX, 6225 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles; (424) 702-1234, lat.ms/hyattlax. Doubles from $289. Free Wi-Fi. Airport shuttle. Parking packages available.
THE RENOVATIONS Hilton LAX
If you’ve driven along Century in the last couple of weeks, you couldn’t help but see the scaffolding that’s hiding the Hilton Los Angeles Airport from view.
Its updated look will feature exterior lighting that will change colors, thanks to 40-foot vertical light bars. The hotel’s interior also has been renovated, including new paint, carpet and light fixtures.
Info: Hilton LAX, 5711 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 410-4000,
lat.ms/hiltonlax. Doubles from $164. Free Wi-Fi. Airport shuttle. Parking packages available.
LAX Marriott
For a great panoramic view of L.A., try watching the world fly by from the new 18th-floor M Club Lounge at the top of the LAX Marriott. The hotel also is renovating more than 1,000 guest rooms and suites, plus public areas and restaurants at the lobby level.
Info: LAX Marriott, 5855 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 641-5700, lat.ms/marriottlax. Doubles from $179. Free Wi-Fi. Airport shuttle. Parking packages available.
Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel
Did it all start here? The Sheraton Gateway completed its renovations a year ago, spending $43 million to upgrade the guest rooms, lobby, public spaces and restaurants.
It pulled out all stops to transform itself into a resort, with restaurants that connect to the pool deck.
For those looking for a view, the 15th-floor Club Lounge offers a panoramic vista of the airport and the city.
Info: Sheraton Gateway, 6101 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 642-1111, www.sheratonlax
.com. Doubles from $199. Airport shuttle. Parking packages available.
Renaissance Hotel LAX
Millennials take note: Here’s a hotel that’s designed just for you. The Renaissance Hotel LAX, a block off Century at Airport Boulevard, is in the process of turning itself inside out to welcome a younger crowd, adding new decor, live music and Studio 12, a whiskey and craft beer bar.
The hotel has completed changes to its public areas and now is working on renovating rooms, hoping for completion in May.
Info: Renaissance Hotel LAX, 9620 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 337-2800, lat.ms/renaissance
lax. Doubles from $259. Free Wi-Fi. Airport shuttle. Parking packages available.