Pretending to be rich, famous, and beautiful in L.A.
Written: Jul 14 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Rooms are bigger than my apartment; too much great stuff to list in 15 words
Cons: Staff can be mathematically challenged. But, it is L.A., and they really try.
The Bottom Line: Sleek, sexy and so-o-o-o LA, this New Yorker contemplates a move to LA- but only at the W. Rooms are humongous, the staff is beautiful and (usually) competent.
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| kboo's Full Review: W Los Angeles Westwood |
June 7: Reasons not to like the W Westwood
1. It's in L.A. New Yorkers are supposed to hate L.A.
2. W hotels in New York are pretentious, cold, and have teeny, tiny rooms at high (around $300) prices.
3. I can be very insecure about my appearance- and I've never had plastic surgery.
4. Since December 2000, just hearing "W" makes me cringe.
5. Epicure sounded like she was apologizing for it when she told me not to be bummed out by the hotel's boring exterior.
6. Reviews of other W hotels on Epinions have tended to be less than stellar.
June 11: Reasons why I love the W Westwood
1. "Wild Weekend Wrendezvous" promotion (okay, it's a stupid name) that is actually available every day of the week- which includes breakfast for two, free valet parking, 10% off spa services, museum tickets. All at $239 (Fri-Sat) and $309 (Sun-Thurs).
2. Humongous rooms. Bigger than my apartment in New York.
3. A strong masseuse named Anushka.
4. Speedo Guy.
5. Friendly, knowledgable and competent staff. Not too bad to look at, either.
6. Did I say humongous rooms? It's an all-suite hotel.
7. A steam room so steamy I couldn't find my way out.
8. Beautiful neighborhood, Westwood.
9. A floral arrangement that looks like a bunch of giant blooming purple artichokes. (Yes, they're real.)
10. King size beds by the pool.
11. The rooms are bigger than my whole apartment in New York.
12. Windows that open.
LIKE I SAID, THE ROOMS ARE BIGGER THAN MY APARTMENT IN NEW YORK. AND MY APARTMENT IN NEW YORK IS NOT, RELATIVE TO OTHER APARTMENTS IN NEW YORK, THAT SMALL.
I had to find a place to stay in L.A., and fast. I was in a friend's wedding in 4 days, I was leaving for L.A. in two days, and she had sort of "forgotten" to find a place for her wedding night. (Note: I had already had a room for myself reserved at the Beverly Hilton for four months, but it was just a standard room.) The mission: To find a romantic, posh, non-tacky hotel in or near Beverly hills for my friend to have her first married activity, and for under $300 a night. I contacted Epicure, and together we got on the web. Multitasking at light speed (we were at work, after all), we ran through-- and discarded-- most of our options very quickly. Ultimately, it boiled down to Epicure's find: the Ritz-Carlton Pasadena at $300 a night, or the W Westwood at $300+ a night (or so the website said). We had an instant messenger conference, Epicure was on the phone with the Ritz, and I called the W. While mulling our options, I clicked around the W site:
http://www.starwood.com/whotels/index.html
and found a little button labeled "Special Offers." (The W Hotels site has recently been redesigned, so it is a little more obvious now.) "Special Offers" listed a "special rate" that included suite accommodations, 10% off spa treatments, free breakfast for two, and free parking-- but it didn't list a rate, and I couldn't book the Wild Weekend Wrendezvous online. When I called, the package rate was $239 a night - even better than the rate online. After more conference calling and instant messaging with Epicure and the Blushing Bride (in between drafting a subpoena and some other miscellaneous work), we decided on a "deluxe" suite for the BB's wedding night and a basic suite for me for the next 3 days. Buh-bye, Beverly Hilton...
Our arrival, to be sure, was inauspicious. Armed with a very detailed L.A. map, we took our exit off 405 and I felt like I was in suburbia -- Wilshire Boulevard, with more lanes than we had on the highways "back home," with cars going 50 mph between stoplights (stoplights!? what are those doing on a highway?). We passed dozens of cookie cutter high-rise "luxury apartment homes," many of which sported "NOW RENTING" signs. After a few turns off Wilshire, we ended up on a smaller street that felt like a commercial office park. We almost drove by the W because it looked like a boring office building from the 70's - until I remembered Epicure's warning about the exterior. And then I spotted the pretty boys with earpieces at the front door.
The lobby was a large, double height area made cozy by the use of floating draperies in subdued tones of browns, mustards, and deep purples. Dr. Kboo and I checked in (a quick and effortless process on a Friday afternoon) and I reminded the clerk at the desk that the Blushing Bride would be arriving in 2 nights, that it was her wedding night, and that when I had called the hotel a few days ago they had agreed to a free upgrade for her? Not a problem, I was told, and I could check in for them earlier that evening so that they could enjoy some postnuptial bliss without having to deal with the hassle of check-in at 1 am. Then I kicked Dr. Kboo in the ankle to get him to gather our bags and go up to our room: he was mesmerized by the combination of brains and beauty, but sadly it was not my brains + beauty that had him in awe.
Yes, the hallways were dark, and cool, with plush fabrics and colors that in an interior decorating magazine would be called "eggplant," "slate," "plum" and "thistle." Cool lounge music pulsed, barely audible but already insinuating its beat into our brains. Some people complain about the dark hallways in all of the W hotels but I rather prefer being in a hotel that feels like a stylish hotel and less like a hospital.
The dark hallways also provided an interesting contrast to our suite when we opened the door; even with the wooden louvered blinds filtering the bright California sun, we were stunned by the brightness of the light. Unlike the hallways, our suite was decorated in neutral beiges and browns, with large picture windows in the bedroom and living room overlooking the pool and bar. To add to the brightness (an odd, flat, retro afternoon light that made me ache to put on cats' eye sunglasses and capri pants), the sliding closet door in the bedroom was mirrored. Dr. Kboo leered at me. The king bed was covered in pillows and a decadent down duvet. We just had to dive in.
After jumping on the bed un-poofing the duvet, we explored the rest of the room. The bathroom was roomy and stocked with Aveda supplies, the living room contained a large sofa, easy chair, entertainment center (27" TV and CD player, together with a W CD that I am embarrassed to admit that I bought),* and a massive work desk with high speed internet access. Sadly, the work desk faced the wall and put your back to the windows overlooking the pool and bar area. I suppose that was the only way to get work done in a room that was made for lounging.
*I am at a loss for how to answer this question without sounding like a dork: "Cool CD. Where'd you get it?/What is it?" Suggestions appreciated in the comments.
Leave it to L.A. to do the pool right. I opened the window and peered down. The multi-level patio with low bushes and landscaping enclosed a scallop-shaped pool. The expected lounge chairs surrounded the pool and mellow music wafted up at us. Lush vegetation surrounded the patio, making us feel (at least when we were actually in the pool area) as if the city were very far away. Most interesting were the aqua/blue/mint canopied cabanas, and the, for lack of a better word,** giant king bed-sized, well, beds. Big square mattresses upholstered in a mod blue and white design, with two sides of the mattress walled off with more big cushions. I only wish I'd had more time to snuggle with Dr. Kboo on one of those beds, but unfortunately I had to spend most of the weekend attending to the BB (hence the term, "bridal attendant," duh.) Dr. Kboo had to groom the groom, anyway, so we spent only a bit of time reclining on the beds and almost falling asleep.
**suggested terms also welcomed in Comments section
SPEEDO GUY AND OTHER STUFF WORTH DOING. I MEAN, LOOKING AT. AND SOME TIPS ON HOW TO GET THE MOST FRESH-SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE.
Our rate plan included breakfast every day. Given the fanciness and metrosexuality of the hotel, and our low rate I expected a little pastry and some coffee. Boy was I wrong. Our first breakfast was at the poolside cafe, W Backyard. And it was a breakfast that left me very full, indeed - we had free rein over the entire menu, which included the basic breakfast standards - eggs, pancakes, waffles, fruit - with little added touches that really made us feel pampered: fresh fruit and berries with each breakfast "entree," orchids garnishing the plates, real maple syrup... Dr. Kboo and I got fruit plates with lowfat yogurt in order to be healthy. Then we got the breakfasts - eggs, berry pancakes, salted pork product... Then our coffee and juice came. You know how diners give you unlimited coffee but those teensy-tiny little cups of juice? This cafe does it right - with a gigantic tumbler of fresh squeezed juice with free refills.
I was guzzling my juice and trying to get over jet lag when I saw the only other guest at the cafe (it was about 8am) - Speedo Guy. He was sitting by himself, in a little blue speedo and nothing else. He didn't seem insecure about his body at all; in fact he seemed to be flexing while eating, something I still don't know how to do without getting indigestion. He was blond, cute enough (though I generally don't go for blonds), and overall added to the, um, nice ambiance of the cafe.
The next day, we tried breakfast at Mojo. Unfortunately, despite the perfectly yummy Latin spin on breakfast dishes (read: huevos rancheros, liberal use of corn tortillas), the scenery was not nearly as visually appealing and (gasp!) the orange juice was small! I mean really small, like those tiny little diner cups. Also, Speedo Guy was nowhere to seen. And who wants to be inside on a beautiful Sunday morning in L.A.?
HOW TO DO A MR. MAGOO IMPRESSION IN THE LITTLE STEAM ROOM. (NOT A PARTY TRICK.)
As I said above, our room rate also included 10% off spa services. Since Dr. Kboo and I are always up to a little pampering, we made a little time in between attending and grooming the BB and her fiance to get some massages. With 10% off, the massages were relatively affordable (around $85) for a hotel spa. Considering that most upscale hotel spa prices start around $100 for a 50-minute massage, and many hotel spas now charge a daily use fee even for their guests, $85 was a decent price. The W does not charge hotel guests a use fee for the fitness center/sauna/steam.
We arrived at the spa about 30 minutes early so we could change into our robes and take a look around. The fitness center was adequate in the sense that it had every maching that one needed to get a workout, but the room was small, long and narrow. So anyone on their way into the spa gets to see everyone working out, grunting and sweating away. We got an eyeful, at eye level, of various butts in full treadmill and stair climbing jiggle. (Why on earth does one run on a treadmill when it is sunny and 70 degrees outside? That's like choosing an indoor pool when you have a beach available.) Kind of a reverse gauntlet, and not necessarily the most relaxing. So I decided to have myself a good steam. Since I didn't want my contacts melting into my eyes during the steam, or drying out during the massage, I wore my glasses. My coke-bottle glasses. Into the steam room.
The steam was great - periodically great clouds of eucalyptus-scented steam burst from the ceiling, making it impossible to see my hand in front of my face. (Or maybe that was because I'd taken off my glasses and left them in the pocket of my robe?) It's great because if you really want to be completely nekkid in the steam room no one can see you from outside the room with its glass door (which is good since the room is so small that there is no place in the room that is not technically visible from the door). After a few minutes I was ready for a cooling shower before my massage. So I got up, and another big gout of steam came down. I stuck my hands in front of me and waved them around, looking for the door. I found the door unexpectedly, by walking into it. I guess the room was smaller than I had remembered.
The massage was spectacular. I really don't remember how I made it back up to my room. I think Dr. Kboo and I leaned against each other and oozed our way around. Endorphins are a powerful thing.
PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO NICE THINGS JUST TO BE NICE. SOME VERY GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVE A CLUE.
Oh, right. We were supposed to be attending and grooming the BB and the Grinning Groom. As we were leaving the hotel for out duties, I checked into the hotel for our friends. Amazingly, it all went without a hitch - not only did they have our friends' reservation in the system, the note that I would be checking in for them and getting their room keys actually made it onto the reservation. We put the room charge on our credit card and picked up two keys for their room.
Fast forward 12 hours...
We came back to the hotel with BB and GG, exhausted and in that post-drinking (but sober!), mellow, boy-we-had-a-great-party glow, and went up to BB and GG's room. The keys worked, and they walked into their 3-room suite. There were two living rooms, and two bathrooms in addition to their spacious bedroom. The bags that BB&GG had dropped off earlier in the day were in the bedroom. The bathroom off the large living room was as big as the bedroom in my apartment. I really didn't want to dwell on that.
Party Part II continued as the rest of the wedding party arrived, and we toasted the W Westwood staff for going above and beyond.
KBOO TRIES "NEW MATH."
Ultimately, the only wrinkle came at checkout. Dr. Kboo and I checked out first, and paid only for our (standard, sniff!) 1-bedroom suite. For the first time ever, our bill, with all the charges on it, was right the first time. BB&GG came down and checked out a few minutes later, and they tried to switch the charges for their room to their credit card. 30 minutes later we figured out the desk clerk was very confused: since Dr. Kboo and I had checked out already, somehow our friends' room was showing as "checked out" as well, even though our card hadn't been charged. Then, when they switched the charges to our friends, the reservation showed an extra night charge.
The clerk was very nice and really tried to understand, but we ended up with all 4 of us at the desk, and the clerk calling the woman who had checked us in, before the matter seemed cleared up. (Ultimately I think our friends' credit card still got an extra night's charge that had to be resolved after they got back from their honeymoon.) All was very polite, but just a little confusing.
Overall, though, the billing mistake was a very minor and forgivable issue given all the extra effort the hotel had made in upgrading our friends, letting us check in for them, and storing their baggage in their room.
Final notes: There is also a nightclub/bar, Whiskey Blue, on site. It's a scene on Saturday nights, with a line out the door and pretty boys outside deciding who is pretty enough to go in. I have never understood that dynamic, since I tend to agree with Groucho Marx - I would not want to be a part of a club that would have me. That being said, after the valet parked our rental Hyundai and we walked past the line, I still felt a need to suck in my gut and my sore feet wondered whether I should have worn stilettos. Maybe I am more suited to NYC.
Great Hotel Write-Off 2004 - sponsored by jdhauer and quasar
For more details, and to join: http://www.angelfire.com/trek/greathotel2004/
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kboo
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 130
Trusted by: 283 members
About Me:
De-fezzed in two topics. Ask me if I care. Hey, what happened to my picture?
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