We recently stayed at the Los Angeles Athletic Club (a private membership only club but with hotel rooms available to the general public – the first private club in Los Angeles, founded 1880). We stay in a fair amount of National mid to higher end chain hotels and it is very refreshing to find a hotel such as this one with its uniqueness, elegance and history.
As soon as we arrived we shot up to the rooftop for some relaxation with a cold one in hand. This is about as downtown as you can get in Los Angeles – there are great views of the US Bank Building (the tallest building west of the Mississippi River) and one of the identifier buildings you see in every panorama of Los Angeles.
The location is fantastic – only a few minutes walking to the heart of downtown, next to the jewelry and fashion districts as well as Pershing Square and Angel’s Flight (one of the shortest trains in the world). Don’t want to fight the 110 and the 101 to Hollywood – LAAC is only about a block to the nearest metro stop (the red line).
This year the LAAC celebrated their 130th year – names such as John Wooden, Vince Scully and other sports celebrities grace their walls or plaques. Some of the finest Athletic facilities in the city are here. Two floors boast a sauna and spa – separated by sexes, there is a large lap pool, basketball court and more exercise facilities. The club and hotel underwent a major renovation which was completed in late 2009. Each of the 72 rooms are spacious, well appointed and include an exercise bike, free Wifi and a complementary breakfast. Use of the sports facilities are also included in the cost of a stay here. Parking is next door in the garage.
History, elegance, value and location define this beautiful club and hotel. http://www.laac.com
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- A cold San Francisco like day in downtown
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- Bar
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- The “Wizard of Westwood’s” Basketball Court
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- Plush Bed
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- Club Logo
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- Main basketball court
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- Interior
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- Rooftop view
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- Pools
I am 1st time here.. You got some much nice pictures there.. 🙂
Nice site..
That’s a pretty fancy place in LA. I used to live in Southern California, but never got there. Thanks for following my blog about float cabin living in Coastal BC. If you ever have a question, leave a comment or shoot me an email with the link in my profile. – Margy
Looks like a great place to stay. Haven’t been to L.A. in a long time, but I like your tips, especially taking the metro since L.A. traffic is horrible.
Today, I passed on to you the “I’m a Literacy Builder Award.” Yeah, I know, your blog is not about writing, but you use some fun words here, too.
Helen
Helen – yea and the metro in LA is slowly building out to service more areas. However, I have noticed less traffic during the bad economic times compared to even just a few years ago.
Thanks for the award – thats very cool!