I needed a place to stay in town for a night while my apartment was dealing with construction, and…read moresince I've considered becoming a member of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, I figured this was a pretty good way to test-drive the place.
The best part of staying at the hotel is that you get full access to the club, including the gym, pool, locker rooms, spa, sauna, and Jacuzzi. I used the locker room, sauna, and Jacuzzi and really enjoyed all of it. Very nice facilities and definitely the part of the experience that makes staying here different from a normal hotel.
The locker room was a little confusing as a first-timer. I had no idea where I was supposed to get a locker or exactly how everything worked, and I happened to arrive at a very busy time. There seemed to be some assumed etiquette that everyone else already understood. A 30-second explanation at hotel check-in would go a long way.
The hotel room itself was incredibly clean. Like, noticeably clean. Honestly cleaner than a lot of Marriott properties I've stayed at recently.
Beyond that, though, the room is pretty no-frills. Mine was right near the elevator, so it was noisy, and despite being inside this grand historic athletic club, the actual hotel room experience somehow gives a little bit of motel energy. Clean motel energy, but still.
Both the hotel staff and restaurant staff were very nice throughout my stay.
For dinner I went to Invention, the club's lounge-style restaurant. Really nice atmosphere and a good place to hang out without having to leave the building.
I ordered the steak frites and asparagus, plus a cocktail called Respect Your Elders, made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, St-Germain, Amaro Montenegro, and Angostura. Pretty good. Basically what would happen if an Old Fashioned developed a sweeter, slightly more herbal personality.
I also had a Sangiovese, which really hit the spot after my recent trip to Italy.
And then pecan pie for dessert. Yum. No notes.
The steak came out a little more cooked than I would have preferred, but everything was very flavorful.
For dinner entertainment, I happened to be sitting next to a couple on what appeared to be an exceptionally awkward first date. No reservation required for that show.
The next morning I went to Famous Players coffee shop for breakfast. I had the California breakfast with eggs, avocado, and bacon, plus a latte. Solid breakfast, and more importantly, it was a nice place to wake up, open the laptop, and get some work done over coffee.
I also appreciated the photos of USC football players on the walls. Fight On!
Overall, I'm glad I stayed here. As a pure hotel, I probably wouldn't go out of my way for the rooms alone. But as a hotel attached to a historic athletic club where you can work out, swim, sauna, soak in the Jacuzzi, eat, drink, get breakfast, and basically spend your entire stay without leaving the building, it's a pretty unique experience.
And as someone who had been considering membership, staying overnight was actually a great way to see what the club is really like.
