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A Pillar of Chic Design
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Posted by Jason Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:14:44 PST
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0 responses 0 comments   Sophisticated. Modern. Edgy. Fresh. The Hotel Angeleno is the kind of destination that breaks down any preconceived notions one may harbor when thinking of a hotel conveniently located next to a freeway exit. Located on the West side of the 405 Freeway, specifically where Sunset Boulevard and the 405 meet, The Hotel Angeleno, which was once a Holiday Inn Select, stands bold and tall. As the former Holiday Inn, the building was in desperate need of a makeover, inside and out. Luckily, GH Capital LLC, a national real estate developer, and Joie de Vivre Hospitality, a creative collection of lifestyle businesses, stepped in and gave the building a whole new persona. The company says its businesses are differentiated not only by their compelling design but also by their ability to establish an emotional connection with guests by catering to their psychographic rather than demographic profile. This can be seen by Angeleno’s modern exterior and interior by Jofusion Inc.
  As the largest boutique hotel operator in California, Joie de Vivre currently accommodates over 600,000 room nights per year. Its portfolio includes 30 hotels, eight restaurants and bars, and three day spas.
  Angeleno is home to 209 guest rooms on 16 floors, each with a balcony overlooking Brentwood. The property is crafted in a circular, Modern Era design adding extra charm to the balcony-panoramic views. Hotel Angeleno is also the closest hotel to the Getty Center and just one-half-mile from UCLA – perfect for parents visiting their scholastic students. All rooms are non-smoking and pet-free.
 Angeleno is the kind of hotel you would expect to find in a swanky city like Los Angeles. Uniquely hip and on the cutting edge of comfort and design, this property is under a year old and has already been turning many heads. After the six-month multi-million-dollar renovation process, the property is willing to make your stay unforgettable. Angeleno has LA-ready GPS systems available for rent as well as an iPod Exchange, which allows guests to check out iPods preloaded with various music play lists and podcasts. Guests are also encouraged to be pampered at the hotel by “Angeleno Beauty,” a full-service mobile spa that offers guests in-room and poolside personal makeovers, beauty treatments and expert advice. Perhaps the most exciting perk of Hotel Angeleno is the property’s car service. A luxurious Cadillac Escalade ready to shuttle you anywhere within a three-mile-radius, perfect for visiting the Getty Center and not having to pay for parking.
  When you’re lucky enough to find a hotel that can elegantly blend striking design with a relaxed ambiance, to create a new kind of casual luxury – you’d be foolish not to want to soak up the experience.
  Lobbies say a lot about a hotel, and Angeleno’s speaks volumes. The lobby is adorned with the hotel’s striking design-color scheme of rich chocolate browns, rustic oranges, inspired natural woods and of course eclectic pieces of wall art. A hallway away, Angeleno hosts a convenient café-style store where coffee and pastries make the small room more inviting than some restaurants. Still, it’s the hotel’s outside pool and casual lounge area that really captures the ground-level show. The property’s pool is perfect for hanging out in the summer and its accompanying outdoor lounge area is complete with an inviting fireplace. The perfect place for uninhibited conversations fueled by a glass of your favorite wine, Angeleno’s charm is evident with every corner turned.
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WEST
  If you have ever visited Seattle and dined inside the Space Needle then you are familiar with the adventurous and possibly romantic feel of “sitting on top of the world.” Angeleno’s WEST restaurant and lounge captures the same excitement overlooking pieces of Los Angeles County with floor to ceiling window panels.  WEST features an Italian steakhouse menu showcasing prime aged steaks, chops and roasts with traditional pastas and small plates. The talented Executive Chef Josh Moulton offers a unique selection of in-house-made crudo (think “Italian sashimi”). The innovative wine program presents “quartinos” of a variety of Italian and California wines. With a high-rise option like this, there’s no reason to have to leave the comfort of Angeleno. WEST also features a fully stocked bar perfect for before-dinner cocktails or maybe a before-bed nightcap. Highly recommended is the Pomegranate Martini. But when it comes to preparing the best meal possible, Chef Moulton follows the mantra of “keep it simple, allow the food to sing on the plate.”
  “I want our guests to be thinking about their meal the next day,” says Chef Moulton. Popular dishes like Steak Fiorentina, Dungeness crab and Maine lobster Bolognese, and Dijon crusted rack of lamb and spicy sausage risotto combined with memorable wine pairings are certain to make your WEST experience something to tell your friends.

Fun Away From Your Room
As much as we would like to keep you inside Angeleno for the majority of your stay, we know you’d like to get out and see the sights. So here are a few cultural experiences we think you should visit:

1. The Getty Center: The J. Paul Getty Museum collects in seven distinct areas including: Greek and Roman antiquities, European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculpture, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. The Museum’s goal is to make the collection meaningful and attractive to a broad audience by presenting and interpreting the collection through educational programs, special exhibitions, publications, conservation, and research.
1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, California
(310) 440-7300, www.getty.edu

2. The Skirball Cultural Center: Hailed by The New York Times as “a lesson on how to connect the eye to heart and mind,” the Skirball Cultural Center has established itself as one of the world’s most dynamic Jewish cultural institutions, and among the most prominent cultural venues in the United States. Its mission is to explore the connections between four thousand years of Jewish heritage and the vitality of American democratic ideals.
2701 North Sepulveda Boulevard, Los Angeles, California
(310) 440-4500, www.skirball.org

3. Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Explore more than 100,000 works of art at LACMA, the largest encyclopedic museum west of Chicago. Through its far-reaching collections, the museum is both a resource to and a reflection of the many cultural communities and heritages in Southern California. Experience European masterpieces, cutting-edge contemporary art, an extensive collection of American art from the United States and Latin America, a major Islamic art collection, one of the most comprehensive Korean art collections outside of Korea, and the stunning Pavilion for Japanese art.
5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles , California
(323)857-6000, www.lacma.org

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