The iconic Downtown Los Angeles Hotel Figueroa has re-emerged on the scene, meticulously restored to its Jazz Age roots by award-winning design firm Studio Collective
1. A room with a... secret door?
Each of Hotel Figueroa‘s standard rooms have tasteful touches like carefully curated art and book collections, but the signature suites really up the ante. Opt for the Casablanca Suite, a bohemian paradise filled with vintage items and a bookcase that hides a secret entrance to Casbah, Bar Alta’s private room. Hint: push the martini glass.
2. Carefully tailored amenities
Guests are welcomed to the hotel with a cup of the Figueroa’s signature tea, a fig-based herbal infusion crafted by L.A.’s own August UnCommon. Products by the women-run Roam pepper the bathrooms in a nod to the hotel’s feminist beginnings (the hotel was originally conceived as a haven for women), while an in-room iPad for guest services and complimentary local Tesla shuttle service keep the hotel distinctly in the modern era.
3. A restful poolside experience
Hotel Figueroa’s outdoor area embraces the hotel’s breezy Mediterranean vibe, with the Veranda restaurant serving crisp flatbreads and cocktails with a focus on Italian bitters. But the pool, while lined with bright-blue floral tiling, remains in the shape of a coffin – a detail added in the 1940s and preserved during the renovation in honour of Downtown LA’s edgy roots.
4. A rotating art collection
The sprawling lobby showcases a rotating collection of works by prominent LA creatives like Wes Lang, while the hallway to the pool area currently displays a striking photographic series by Estevan Oriol, which juxtaposes the grit and glamour of LA culture.
5. Food from a family-run farm
James Beard-nominated chef Casey Lane has a penchant for highlighting local farms in his cooking, but at the hotel’s signature restaurant Breva, he takes things a step further. Partnering with local family farm Huntington Meats, the restaurant offers robust dry-aged steaks and burgers that pair well with their lighter Basque-inspired cuisine.
6. Reservations-only cocktails
The hotel has several diverse offerings by New York City’s cocktail guru Dushan Zaric – from the lobby Bar Figueroa, where dry ice makes a smoky Gin Tonico really shine; to Rick’s, a tiki-inspired concept with an outdoor fireplace and upstairs lounge area. Be sure to reserve a space at Bar Alta, an intimate 26-seat lounge, where bartenders serve tailor-made cocktails from a golden bar cart.
Singapore Airlines flies to Los Angeles two to three times daily, with direct flights on selected days. To book a flight, visit singaporeair.com
SEE ALSO: A local’s guide to Los Angeles, USA
This article was originally published in the May 2018 issue of SilverKris magazine.
