While the official grand opening blowout isn't scheduled to go down until later this month, the NYT had a chance to pop into the London West Hollywood and, surprisingly, christened the hotel with a sparkling review -- a good bit of positive press after the "meh" reviews its much-hyped Gordon Ramsay restaurant has been receiving.
Though the hotel is still partially under construction (the reviewer mentioned the rooftop pool was a no-go zone), yesterday's Times "Check In, Check Out" feature gave props to the hotel's location, acknowledged the "disarmingly helpful" staff and gushed over the rooms:
All rooms have a balcony or terrace, and I woke up to a sweeping view over Beverly Hills. The décor by David Collins Studio is both flamboyant and muted. A wall was covered with parquet veneer and chairs had faux-alligator upholstering, but the colors were washed out, and the open-plan suite felt serene.
Sounds like a pretty sweet night to us, especially since the reviewer got to pass out after delivery from Chin Chin. Yum.
We're sure the night would have been topped off perfectly with a drink in the lobby bar -- but it's not open yet. But the Times promises us that "by fall, when the lobby bar opens, it'll be a scene." We'll wait.
The only guest experience problems mentioned in the piece were noise-related, as the hotel faces Sunset Boulevard (where the loud drunks are stumbling in and out of Whisky a Go Go). Get a room facing South.
We've gotta acknowledge what a great feat it is for a hotel to score a great review in the early stages of its existence (especially during that yucky working-out-the-kinks period after a soft opening). We remember when Thompson Beverly Hills opened and it still had some, uh, issues.
Right now, rooms at the London West Hollywood are starting at $299.
