Los Angeles is in the midst of a major hotel boom, with no less than 283 new hotel projects thought to be underway in the area right now. So how does any existing property–even one that was once considered synonymous with a hip, posh Hollywood lifestyle–keep up? The Mondrian Los Angeles is betting a $19 million, top-to-bottom renovation debuting this month will help the 23-year-old hotel stay sexy for years to come.
When it came time to redesign the property, the team picked an imaginative source of inspiration: Alice in Wonderland. It’s not full-on Cheshire Cat vibes; rather, the whimsical book informed subtle design touches and motifs throughout the hotel, intended to evoke a sense of fantasy. Look closely at the chandeliers in the guest rooms, and you’ll notice they look a bit like bunny ears, and there’s liberal use of checkerboard patterns of varying scales. A swirling pattern in the wallpaper might even suggest tumbling through the rabbit hole if you stare at it a bit too long. Mushroom stools, teapot chairs, and labyrinth maze rugs all make appearances.
They’ve done all they can to up the luxe factor, too. A newly designed penthouse suite will make sure celebs (and well-heeled wannabes) have a swanky place to crash. The suite features a huge private balcony with views for days, specialized mirrors and lighting to make sure guests always feel ready for your close-up, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a full living room, offering plenty of space for the whole entourage.
Other guest amenities on offer include complementary chauffeur service in the hotel’s fresh fleet of Lincoln Navigators and Continentals, updated dining at on-site restaurant Ivory on Sunset, and the pool-by-day, party-by-night scene of Skybar.
The Mondrian Hotel on Sunset has been around in one form or another since 1959, when the building first opened as an apartment complex. In 1985, it converted to a hotel, then called Le Mondrian, and in 1996, was sold to hotelier Ian Schrager who rebranded the property as the Mondrian Hotel. It was purchased three years ago by powerhouse hospitality group sbe.
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