The Hotel Wilshire: Oasis in the Miracle Mile

The thing about trying to find a place to stay in Los Angeles is it’s easy to get seduced by the sexiness of the hotels. You might think you want to stay in that trendy boutique hotspot with its hip interiors and penthouse nightclub, only to find yourself really irritated by the $25 bottle of water on the nightstand and unable to sleep with the bass-line of ‘Party Rock Anthem’ vibrating through the walls at 4am.

Which is why the Hotel Wilshire is such a find. While still having a cool, trendy vibe and being centrally located for someone craving the L.A. nightlife, this brand-new hotel seems to avoid being obnoxious or pretentious and there’s no blaring music or a lobby full of poseurs to contend with. And that bottle of water on the nightstand? Totally free.

Some people do walk in L.A.

Located in the famous Miracle Mile district on Wilshire Boulevard, the hotel is minutes away from Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood and Century City. My favorite perk is it’s less than a ten-minute walk from the LA County Museum Of Art and the La Brea Tar Pits, and a two-minute drive (or a 15-minute walk) to L.A.’s famed Restaurant Row with iconic restaurants like Morton’s Steakhouse and Lawry’s Prime Rib. So for a carnivore like me with a fondness for Picassos, it’s a dream come true.

Hey, Good Lookin’

As a former art director I’m a sucker for pretty things, and the Hotel Wilshire with its contemporary architecture and sleek furnishings is a designer’s dream. From the industrial façade to the clean, modern interiors it definitely is pleasing to the eye – but the hotel has substance as well as style. My king double room felt larger than its 280 square feet and well worth its moderate (by L.A. Standards) $195 a night price tag. The calming neutral color scheme made the room airy and light. It reminded me of hotels I’d visited in Tokyo – every space is designed so efficiently that you never feel cramped or claustrophobic.

Looks aren't everything but they sure help

This roof was made for watchin’

There is a fabulous rooftop pool and bar/dining area, the Roof On Wilshire. The open-air restaurant looks out onto the pool, and you can take your drinks and relax in one of their cabana booths or next to their gorgeous firepit, where you can gaze at the beautiful views of the city or get a glimpse of the famous Hollywood sign.

I'll take my coffee with a view, please

Best of all, unlike most hotels the food prices are remarkably affordable: My Cue Southside martini was only $9 (you’ll easily pay twice that at most hotel bars) and I had a delicious appetizer, the Nori Nachos – homemade rice crackers, tuna tartare, spicy salmon roe with a light Japanese mayonnaise sauce – that only set me back $14 and easily served two people. Breakfast the next morning was equally inexpensive – my breakfast with its generous helping of eggs, sausage, hash browns and toast was only $9 (and was the same price if ordered through room service). If I didn’t have to race across town to pick up my kids, I could have lingered there for hours, gazing out over the pool and sipping my coffee.

You'll still have cash leftover for cocktails tonight.

Sometimes it’s easy bein’ green

One of the things that makes the Hotel Wilshire unique is its LEED certification, meaning it was constructed incorporating sustainable resources and green building materials and also implements green methods in its operations and maintenance practices. Even their toiletries are packaged in environmentally conscious materials, using 85% recycled paper products and plastic that is fully biodegradable. To prove their point there’s even an electric vehicle charging station and all of their coffees and teas are organic.

Extra, Extras

In addition to standard hotel offerings Hotel Wilshire amenities include a 24-hour business center and while there is no fitness center on the premises, guests have access to the gym located directly across the street. There is also free in-room Wifi although I found, in my room at least, that it was frustratingly slow and sometimes didn’t work at all – most of the time I resorted to using the 3G connection on my iPhone instead. But who wants to be on the computer, anyway, when there’s a killer view and drinks by the fire pit calling your name.

The Hotel Wilshire
6317 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035
323-852-6000
Email: reservations@hotelwilshire.com

Also find me at: Sweatpantsmom.com

Article written by and photos courtesy of Marsha Takeda-Morrison.

I was a guest of the Wilshire Hotel.