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Categories: Hotels, Restaurants
Neighborhood: Downtown"This place is super cool. The rooms are ginormous, well designed, and comfortable. The hotel staff is very accommodating, too. We were a…" read more »
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Work sent us down for a conference and this was where it was at.
I have to say the pictures of this place online are pretty deceiving - it looks nothing like them! The place looks rather old, but it served its purpose. The room we stayed in was decent, and sadly this place does not have free wifi. It's in a good central location though; its surrounded by many restaurants, shops, and farmers markets are just around the block two days a week.
All in all, this place is ok, but wouldn't be my first choice if I were forkin over the moolah.
If I could give this place NO STARS I would.
Made a reservation in AUGUST for this hotel during a conference week. When I arrived to check in (after a 14 hour work day), they informed me they'd moved me to a hotel 10 miles away because they were sold out that evening... so my reservation got bumped because they oversold their rooms?
They gave me two free nights at the hotel 10 miles away, which saves my company money, but does nothing but add hours and inconvenience to my already stressful business trip. Oh! and to get me to that hotel, the $10 cab voucher they give me is supposed to get me 10 miles in LA traffic.
I usually LOVE the Westin, but from here on out -- I'll stay somewhere else. I'm completely disappointed in them.
For my needs (a bed to sleep and nothing more), this wasn't a bad option. I'm generally a fan of Westin beds, so this was definitely welcome. Agreed w/ previous reviews - this hotel BADLY needs an overhaul...looks like the interior (rooms included) haven't been updated since the 70's. The storefronts on floors 2-5 are generally kind of creepy. If it weren't for the steep stairs between each level, I'd say this would be perfect for a zombie invasion a la the original Dawn of the Dead.
Service was impeccable. I had to wait 15 minutes for my room to be ready. In exchange for the very short wait, I was given a $50 voucher that was later used to buy drinks for my coworkers and myself. Sweet!
During our stay, a coworker also realized that the Bonaventure was the setting for the 80's TV show, "It's a Living." I must admit that I felt like a sassy waitress getting ready for her shift every time I got on the elevator. If you don't know what I'm talking about, get your Ann Jillian on here: http://www.youtube.com...
This is, without a doubt, the worst Westin I've ever seen. I love Starwood, and I love Westins, usually, but this one is truly teh suck. The valet parking being miles from the check-in/elevators. No one is there to take your bags when you arrive. The room lacks a minibar and doesn't have staples like shower gel or shower cap which are standard at even the grungiest motel. It's really nothing like any other Westin I've ever stayed at, not sure how they use the name when the feel and vibe of the place is so not Westin. The only reason I'm giving 2 stars instead of 1 is that the bed is a good, Heavenly Westin bed.
One night at this hotel plus dinner for 2 at LA Prime set us back almost $600 and for that kind of dough, you would expect excellence all around, right? Well, look somewhere else because it's not happening here. I guess I should get the positives out of the way before I start on the negatives because it wasn't all bad. But for the money we spent, it should have been ALL good.
The lines at check-in were really, really slow but once I got up there, the man who helped me was courteous and friendly. The elevator ride to our room was pretty cool and the view from our room was spectacular with the Hollywood sign clearly visible. The heavenly bed was indeed heavenly and I loved the Westin toiletries. They even had toothpaste, toothbrush, razor and mouthwash in the bathroom. The heavenly shower was awesome and I really didn't mind the small bathroom. We had a one bedroom tower suite and it was more than roomy enough for 2 people. Room service breakfast was included with our rate and it was really, really good!
Now, the not so good. The lobby looks like it hasn't been redecorated since the 80's, especially the reception area. The hallways were musty smelling and dingy and the carpet seriously needs to be replaced. We were on the 16th floor, which is designated for Starwood Preferred guests and if this is what preferred guests get, I would hate to see what the average Joe gets.
Our package was supposed to include sparkling wine and chocolate covered strawberries on arrival and after waiting almost an hour after we checked in, we finally called room service and were told that they were out of chocolate covered berries but we could get plain ones, which was no problem at all. They arrived in less than 20 minutes and the berries were really juicy and delicious.
Like I said before, our room was pretty spacious but really needs an upgrade. The TVs are awful with terrible picture quality and I had to jiggle the cable around on the living room set to get rid of the static. The desk chair in the living area was broken and tilted so badly to one side, we couldn't use it and the microwave/mini fridge area was FILTHY. There was a 2 or 3 inch gap on the side of the refrigerator and it was covered in dust and yucky stuff, as was the baseboard below the bar area. The wood in the bar area was chipped and filthy and in such bad shape, I took pictures to send to Westin corporate. There was something reddish splattered on the wall in the bedroom and the entire room had a musty, stale odor.
As nice as the heavenly shower was, the shower heads were covered with rust and calcium buildup. And the bottom sheet on the heavenly bed was not a fitted sheet, but a flat sheet that was probably 2 inches too short, so I kept waking up on the bare mattress!
We had a connecting door to the next room in our bedroom, right next to the bed, and we could hear the woman in that room coughing all night, as clearly as if she was in our room with us so we were a little weired out about how much she could hear from our room.
All of this is stuff you would expect in a $69 a night budget motel, not a $269 a night Westin!
I will review LA Prime separately because that is a story in itself, lol.
This was supposed to be a special anniversary weekend for my husband and I and yes, we did have a wonderful time, but it could have been so much better if our hotel and dinner had actually felt worthy of $600. Unless some major upgrades happen, I would never book this hotel again.
I gave Westin Bonaventure a second chance. Still got a small, dark room. It's still shitty. BTW the revolving bar is a rip off. It's ugly, expensive, and service is slow. Fail.
I may have just stayed here on a bad weekend. Apparently there was some massive rave happening and… Read more »
Every time I've stayed in this hotel, it was on business and on someone else's nickel. Would I spend my own money to stay here? No
The building is cool and the ride on their elevators alone is worth staying here once, or just pop in and test the elevator. The guy who sells leather goods on the second floor loves to deal, and I always walked out buying something I didn't really need, but it was fun.
The bad part is the rooms are small. The Starwood Elite rooms are dated, but some are a little better than the normal room. The restaurants aren't good, but it's walking distance to lots of really good places. The Bona Vista Lounge is worth checking out once for the view and it was nice to have a Starbuck's onsite.
Lots of negative reviews and I came expecting the worst.
First, make sure to check all available specials to avoid the unbelievably outrageous overnight parking charge. Otherwise, you'll have a huge ($47) extra fee tacked onto your bill that probably won't leave you smiling.
The glass elevators which face outward are indeed fun and space-age. The building itself is an architectural showpiece but frankly, the stone-cold, gray slab-filled interior was totalitarian architecture at its worst. It's impressive but not somewhere I'd want to hang around for any length of time.
The rooms were small but comfortable enough. And the location is perfect for jumping on freeways or getting around downtown.
I was a little disappointed that the 35th floor rotating lounge has a 1 drink minimum. Of course, if someone is heading up to have a drink, a 1 drink minimum is no big deal, but if you just want to check out the view, you are pretty much out of luck. Just keep this in mind.
It's a perfectly fine hotel so shop around for the best deal and pull the trigger if it works out for you. And for the star struck among us, many, many movies have been filmed here, including "Rain Man," "In the Line of Fire," and many others.
Lame. I was there for company business, so the company was footing the bill. If I had been paying, I would have moved after the first night. The place does have historical significance, and you SHOULD visit it. It has a dozen or so restaurants in it and the main bar is pretty nice. The staff is friendly and helpful.
Now for the pain.
The room sucked and let me explain why. They are literally the shape of a coffin. Moving around in it at night takes getting used to, especially when you are trying to get dressed. Our drapes were broken, as was the shower (it was leaking and spraying over the top of the curtain). The room was always damp regardless of how much AC you threw at it. The AC unit sounds like a train and is conveniently located directly behind the bed. We had a small tube-tv and there is a fridge with nothing in it.
The downstairs breakfast buffet will rape your wallet as well. After eating there I felt like I had been listening to Celine Dion for 5 hours. The food was sub-par (under cooked, over cooked, cold when it should have been hot, and $22). I kind of guessed I would be sorry, but I had to hit the nail with my head first to find out.
The beds are fairly comfortable, but if you can believe this, the sheets don't fit. They use a flat sheet as the bottom sheet and it tucks in about an inch, and then pulls out when you lay down. By the middle of the night it's like sleeping in a laundry basket.
The place has a "neat factor", but my guess is there are one or two other better places to stay in downtown LA.
I normally won't flame a place like this, but treat it like a mall- go visit it, eat at one of the restaurants, and then get out..
As I wait in line behind all the Japanese Toy convention delegates I let my mind wander as I take in the 80s-ness of the Westin Bonaventure. I imagine immaculately uniformed and polished flight crews checking in with the dashing silver haired Captain leading the way. David Hassellhoff comes swaggering in while the valet argues with KITT and a hoard of shoulder padded big haired women cackle merrily in the bar. This kind of exposition is easy while in the Westin Bonaventure because this place obviously hasn't received a remodel since 1985.
Now that is not necessarily a bad thing and I'm sure the four towers topped off with a rotating lounge will become a design classic in years to come. Because of it's tourist-unfriendly location a room can be had here for just over $100 if you are flexible on your dates and for that you can't beat it. It is after all a four star hotel with aspirations of glamour. There are plenty of shops within the somewhat odd mall within a hotel but they are mostly designed to relieve foreign business folk of their expense accounts to take trinkets back home.
I was fortunate to receive a suite upgrade but the 'suite' was really two rooms with adjoining doors. Bed in one room, sofa and dining table in the other. Inside the rooms is a similar story, you do get the excellent Westin Heavenly Bed but the TV is an old skool cathode ray and the in room pornography choices look like the original tapes from 1984.
In short if you are looking for a cheap full service hotel in LA then the Bonaventure could be the one for you. I'd struggle to pay more than $150 a night for a room here as there are better hotels in the area.
*a review of the lounge*
Westin is definitely an outdated looking hotel in downtown LA. Yesterday was my first time of trying the lounge of Westin that is located on the 35th floor.
The main entrance of the lounge is on 35th floor, but my friend brought me down the stairs. WOW. nice view, you can have a 360-degree-view around the Westin building. WHY? coz the floor does move. My friend counted, an hour for one round. That is kinda cool.
I do agree the lounge is VERY OUTDATED, but the drink is not bad. If you are looking for a bar with a dj or with crazy dance music, feel free to find another bar/lounge. It is a very mellow lounge with mellow music for people to chat. And I realized the people who go there are usually middle aged people, SO if you are planning to meet a random hot guy/girl, this is not a place for you too!
Oh, one cool thing I like is the elevator, SERIOUSLY. You'll know what I mean if you go there!
I liked the Bonaventure, not sure how much they charge for their rooms because i won a night through twitter. So you will have to take out the whole cost verse what I got, because i got allot for what I paid.
I love the LOBBY! The bar surrounded by fountains is awesome and relaxing! Great place to meet someone or just hang out and chat. The elevators are like a ride at Magic Mountain they are very fast, which I like but many people may not. They reminded me of Wonka's Great Glass Elevators. LOL
I am not a big fan of the parking situation. I declined the valet parking opting for the parking garage across the sctreet which I was almost positive was cheaper! I was mistaken! Valet is like $32 a night for overnight guest... I ended up paying $52. WOuld have been nice if they would have explained that but.. I am not upset about.
Only Negatives I could think of..
The room seemed a little awkward with parts of the room's roof being unnecessarily low. Made me feel a little claustrophobic. I didn't use the show because I was only there for one night but the shower room 1212 in golden tower had what seemed to be paint peeling in the tub.
Other then that if you need to be in Downtown LA... I think Bonaventure is the place to be.
I stay at the Bonaventure about 2 times a year as part of my work. I enjoy the location and the hotel itself. It's not the newest hotel in downtown, and the layout is a bit confusing sometimes - so I took off one star.
I love LA Prime at the top though - that'll probably get it's own review (I think I might have reviewed it already).
Great place to stay.
I agree with other travelers on the most part regarding their older room style. This hotel definitely is going through renovation but I did not stay in the renovated tower suite. I was put in the suite on the high floor in the green tower facing the 110 freeway. I can see how others complaining about how "date" the room is (as well as carpet and stuff). It does seems to me that their renovation are going at very slow pace due to the economy downturn and low occupancy rate. Before I start this review, people::
***** PLEASE LET THE MANAGER KNOW YOU NEED 2 BARS OF SOAP AND SHOWER GEL IN YOUR ROOM ***** Earlier this year Starwood has implemented this "Green $" policy to place only 1 bar of soap in the room. However, due to the overwhleming response, they stopped this policy but most of the Westin Chains are NOT following this policy to RESTORE 2 Soaps PER ROOM. (Westin Las Vegas, Westin Bonaventure comes into mind). So Please, If you only see ONE bar soap in the room, call housekeeping and let them know its mandatory/brand standard to have 2 bars of soap in the room.
Location: This is a downtown LA hotel. Means, Most of the LA tourists should not stay here since not many attractions nearby the walking distance and the general area in downtown LA is left to be desired (especially at night, I don't want to walk on the street at night) However during day time is adequately safe.
Parking: EXPENSIVE. One of the most outrageous Hotel Parking ever, $35/night. For the price, you can almost get a cheap motel 6 room with a free parking across the freeway. I suggest you park in the adjacent buildings for cheaper rate but again, be careful as you walk back (I was being warned by one of the parking attendant to watch out my back as I walked back to the hotel, you know know what I am talking about).
Check in: Went to check in at 5pm. (Their standard check in time is 4pm). Boy, they were sure understaffed. Only 2 people at the check in counter at the time I was there and its similar to a TSA line. However, the staff I encountered was friendly enough to accommodate my request.
Lobby: Very Impressive public area with a Bonaventure Malls thats filled with local workers during business hours.
Gym: Located on the 3rd floor of the hotel, various equipments and there's actually a running track in the center of the hotel. Pool is located on the 4th floor.
Elevator: Need to mention this one, its the glass elevator so you get very nice view of the LA as you go up.
Room: Received a Tower Suite. View is nice and the part of seeing LA Freeway didn't bothers me. Soundproof is good as I had a really good night sleep (Thanks to the Westin Heavenly Bed). The tower suite has separated living and bed room . 1.5 bath. The room decor is certainly dated. I was so surprised based on other review's photo even the renovated rooms don't have a LCD tv yet. I am sure surprised! I have to said the room is dated and somewhat functional. My chair was not even allow me to sit upright! so saggy!!! Plus having a Mirror behind the bed's headboard is a weird idea... I don't know what they were thinking when they built this place.
Bathroom: Oddly triangle shaped and boy, their heavenly shower head is rusted already!! Pressures were good but rusty shower head plus the bottom part of the tub cracked already! That's the sign for immediately DESPERATE repair/renovate.
I went down to ask for an extra soap but the counter didn't have it..crap they have to send it up to my room. So much trouble for a bar of soap.
Lounge: Bona Vista Lounge is nice, I will cover in another thread.
I guess this place is good for the convention people, not really for the tourist that wants to experience the real LA.
Let me start by saying that the view from the Bonaventure its amazing!!Service is good...about the food nothing extraordinary i'll say decent ,a litle pricey but what do you expect this is a well known place and im a sucker for great views so its worth it but i wouldnt go back not because of the place itself but because since it revolves around, even tho it goes real slow i got dizzy i felt awfull and couldnt wait to get out! but thats one of the places you take someone on a first date to impress them.
This is like a 2.51 star review that I decided to round up out of affection for the fame of the building.
The property is nice for its age, and the public spaces have a futuristic-in-1979 look (one reason it was used as location and an exterior in "Buck Rogers," among many others). The downstairs amenities are fairly lacking -- their restaurants are completely mediocre -- but the revolving lounge at the top is worth a look and maybe a quick drink as the sun sets.
The rooms, however, have seen better days. Since every lodging tower is circular, every room is a rounded wedge, which leads to awkward sitting and entertaining configurations. The bright spot is that your view will probably face other rooms, and you can be entertained by the shenanigans of your fellow travelers.
Hey Starwood,
Someone is ripping of your "Westin" trademark. Your name is plastered all over the place at the Bonaventure and they've outfitted their rooms with Heavenly Beds, but with cramped rooms, decor that would befit Patrick Nagel paintings, and just an overall feeling of scrimping with the service, this can't be a Westin can it?
Your concerned and loyal Westin customer,
EC
I've stayed at this hotel twice and I could say that both times were great. The staff is extremely friendly and courteous.
The location of the hotel is in downtown LA. There aren't many attractions in downtown LA, but you are centralized and getting around LA does require a car. The downtown area isn't really that bad...of course the Beverly Hills/Santa Monica/West LA areas would be better, but also pricier.
My only complaint is the parking, which is $32.00/night. Seriously, I could rent another car with that price. The only advantage of the $32.00/night is the unlimited in and out privileges.
The fitness center was okay. I had worked out even though I was on my vacation. The equipment is up to date, so no complaints.
Since it was a little chilly when I went, I wasn't able to experience the pool.
I love love love the elevators. You get to see the city as you ride up since it's a glass elevator. Great view of downtown LA.
The rooms were very clean and everything in the room worked properly. The only thing I don't really understand is why they would only give one bar of soap. Aren't you suppose to get two???
Other than that, it was a good experience.
I'm going to give the cats a five star review even though they had me pretty angry at first. I told them when I made the reservation that it was my girlfriend's birthday and that it was very special and that I would like them to recognize her. I worked for the Ritz.... I know how easy it is to make a note and then have the idiot at the desk read it upon check-in. Nothing. I called like twenty minutes before we got there to remind them!! She was in the john at the restaurant and I decided to make certain!!! BUT............
Once we got to the room I saw that my note was taken to heart by someone. We were at the top of this mama and the view was spectacular. Every time we rode the elevator we watched suits drop like flies as we went past there weak little teen floors. We also hit the rotating bar, which was cool. The drinks were ridiculously expensive, but that is pretty obvious when YOU ARE AT A ROOFTOP ROTATING BAR, but the food was actually not that bad. The pizza appetizer thing we had seemed like something I would microwave at 3 in the morning and then burn the crap out of my drunken mouth with, but the salmon dinner we split was surprisingly good. The lobby bar was also nice and the gentleman working there was very helpful in telling us how to walk to our destinations in the early evening. The room itself was great. If you've been to Westin then you know about the Heavenly bed and if you haven't then you must go. Overall, a great experience just like every other Westin I've been to, mainly the St. Francis in S.F. (multiple stays) and one in downtown Boston that was so lovely we extended our stay on the east coast for four days.
Came here to pre-party last weekend for a friend's b-day and grabbed a bite to eat at the restaurant in the lobby. I ordered the chicken sandwich which sounded great on paper with cheese, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and maybe bacon on a toasted ciabatta roll and ended up being even better than expected. Seriously, if I was gonna make a chicken sandwich this is exactly how I'd do it. Great flavor, good portion, awesome toppings, and the ciabatta was simultaneously chewy and soft but with a slight crust on the outside. Plain and simple it was perfect. The accompanying fries were ok but nothing spectacular.
Most importantly and notably, the iced tea was perhaps the finest I've had to date. I was quite pleased and taunted its excellence in the faces of my friends and their $4 lemonades. Best iced tea ever and for only $2.25 & unlimited refills = total win. I need to call down here and find out where they get it from, and if they don't readily volunteer the info I may have to take hostages and bust out some guerrilla war tactics until they cave to my demands. Yes, it's that serious, that tea was ridiculous.
I can't really speak on the rooms or other aspects of the hotel since all I did was eat here. But even if I did ever book a room I doubt I'd be anywhere other than the lobby demolishing countless glasses of bottomless iced teas and gorging on chicken sandwiches.
One of my most relaxing vacations-while-still-in-LA was here at the Bonaventure. From the second I got there, I was treated like absolute royalty. The staff was amazing and really helpful without being like a shadow.
The room was plush and hotel-like. The best thing about these rooms, however, is the view. A full wall of windows. My view was overlooking Central Library & the hotel pool. Going to sleep and looking at the star-like office window lights of the financial district was pretty awesome.
And those beds. Don't get me started. I think they call them their "heavenly" beds? No lie. I wanted to perhaps take that king-sized bed and steal it but I think they would notice.
It really is like a little city. Which is nice when you're a born & raised Angeleno and have no need to sight see. The lobby reminds me of something you'd see in Star Wars. "Futuristic" for the 70s but dated by our standards now. I'm not talking crap, I found it charming.
We ordered a room service breakfast. Pretty amazing. Just the continental breakfast but it was delish. They hooked us up with tons of extra pastry. A hotel after my own heart.
At other times I tried a couple of the restaurants and went up to the revolving lounge as well but I'll review those separately.
All in all, a great little gettaway. Thumbs up.
It was just that, not horrid, not fabulous it was just......
Read on, and see how I got the 2, really 2 and 1/2 but not 3....
I stayed here with the fam. for the LA Marathon, we were givin a discounted rate because we came with a big group of runners, but even still it was a little expensive.... I did read my trusty yelp reviews b4 going and was so confused, it seemed like a total love or total hate for this place..... This is how I felt....
-The entrance nice, parking, was a little inconvenient, oh well...
-The concierge-last place he wanted to be was at work, it showed and he was awfully rude, so that was unpleasant....
-They have all these really weird shops inside the hotel, most of them were closed (Sunday) and the little restaurants were a bit scary, no customers (on a very busy weekend) uncovered food, it was like a ghost town...So I steered clear...
-The elevators were fun, I felt like I was going to shoot right out of the roof like in willy wonka, (all glass elevators) a bit much prob. if you have a problem with heights, oh, and the bugs, there are these HUGE moth like bugs in ALL of the elevators, some dead some alive, but they were in all of them, a little gross, yep.....
-The rooms were ridiculously small, so take note, and the oh so fabulous beds, were not to fabulous, (I love hard beds) but if you like soft beds, like you are sleeping on a fluffy pillow that is on top of a cloud, then you might think you have died and gone to heaven... The other room amenity that people seemed to go crazy about was the dual shower head, pff, no big deal.. If that means $100 less will get me a regular shower and a hard bed count me IN!
-I am not a crazy coffee drinker but my mama is.... The Starbucks that is located in the hotel is more like one of those little stems, the Starbucks menu is like 1/4 of the regular menu and it is at the same counter as the bar, the little older asain lady at night had more attitude then a 13 year girl who just got dissed... But on the morning of the race my mom and I went down, and were greeted by much nicer baristas...
-Ok, I think that is it, I asked everyone in the family for their own yelp star rateing (Yep I was already thinking about yelp half way threw the stay...)
Dad-3, Mom-3, Sis-1, so that = 2 1/2, but not a 3... I would not go again....
people really seem to dig the 'Westin Heavenly" beds .... way too soft and saggy for my liking...... small but very nicely modernised room with flat screen TV but no ipod docking station.
totally lucked out on PL for about $100 all in ... luckily didn't have to park a car. This is a very cool hotel, classic design from the 1980's ...(that was my era!) ... James Bond style elevators are a must ride.
This is my preferred hotel in downtown LA. The location is essential if you need to be downtown for business. I LOVE the Westin Heavenly Beds. I have a tough time sleeping in hotels, so comfort is really important to me. The gym is one of the better hotel gyms I've seen. Also, I always get comp'ed free breakfast as an SPG member.
Parking is overly expensive (close to $50, only option is valet), so keep that in mind when you make your reservation. The rooms are unusually shaped because the building consists of four cylindrical towers, and the bathroom is a little tight. However, it's a small price to pay for those beds and pillows.
I've never stayed in a motel but I imagine this is what it would be like. The rooms are ugly and outdated. I thought Westin's are suppose to be nice? Hotels are not suppose to look like they got lost in the 80's and never found their way out.
This hotel should be called The Best Westin because there is no way that this is a Westin hotel. We went there this past weekend and stayed for free through a promotional deal. The hotel looked like something the Jetsons had lived in forty years ago.
The hotel was just so strange. There was a mall inside the hotel? But it was luggage shops, a "Panda Hut," and a run down pizza joint. The room we stayed in had an amazing view so that was a major plus. But the room itself was very dated and small. If we had actually paid for this room I would have been pretty upset. And there is no way that the bed in our room was one of the Westin heavenly beds.
We started our night by having drinks upstairs at the Bonaventure Lounge, and although the view was pretty, and it was a great place to watch the sunset the prices of the drinks were insane!! There was not one drink under $11.00. They also served us a bowl of goldfish crackers as a snack. Don't get me wrong I like goldfish, but it seemed a little out of place.
Later we were planning on eating at the Bonaventure Brewing Company. Since it was a Saturday night we called in advance to get a table. The guy literally laughed at us when we arrived because hes like "no one has ever called to make a reservation." That should have been a sign right there not to eat there. What place on a Saturday night in LA laughs at people for making a reservation? Anyways, we sat down, opened the menu and realized that we were basically at an Applebees. The only difference was that at least at Applebees you know exactly what you are paying for. We chose not to stay and eat the artichoke dip and chicken fingers and find somewhere else downtown. This was the best decision we made all night.
Also the elevators go outside the building are made of all glass. If you are afraid of heights you will be scared out of your mind. Not to mention that they bounce on each floor. When we went to leave the next AM, our elevator shaft was actually broken and would not stop on our floor so we had to wait 5-10 min. When we finally got on, it slammed to a stop in between two floors for no reason. We immediately got out on the next floor and walked our way down.
So even though our hotel was free, and it was something different to do on a Saturday night I would NOT recommend staying at this hotel. Save your money and treat yourself to a nice hotel where there is decent food and a nice pool.
Stayed here over the weekend and had a very nice time here. The rooms are slight need of a remodel but it is fine regardless.. The hotel is in the center of all the action and quickly accessible from freeway/subway etc.. The rooms view is amazing! Park across the street however as it is $47 A DAY for parking!!!
Used this hotel when i came to anime expo with 3 other people.
I had orderd online, 2 beds and paid through credit card already. When i got there they said all the 2 bed rooms are not available and that i'll have to stay in the one bed with my friends.
The manager was arguing with my mom saying, oh no you just put the room on hold so if it was available you'd get it,but its not!
Then after about 15 minutes with my mom arguing with him [she likes to fight -.- ] i got on my e-mail there and showed them the recipt.
The guy wouln't amit he was wrong, but then whispers to my mom that it was his mess up and that he'll give her parking free, but she wasn't even gonna stay to use the parking, she was dropping us off so it was so worthless!! he said he couldn't say it was his mistake out loud or els he'll get in trouble. YOU SHOULD!
When we walked in this 1bed room, it was soo small, the bed filled the whole room.Me and my ex slept on this tiny cramped spot on the floor because he preferd hardness to soft beds so we let my other two friends get the bed.
Not only did we waste money by buying one type of room then having to settle for this crappy one, but the manager is such a freaking PUSSY that can't even say his mistake.
I think I could live at the Westin Bonaventure.
Seriously. I would go back right now. If only I had invented teleportation already!!
I stayed here for my 21st birthday. Very convenient for a post-Lakers game stay since it is just down the street from the Staples Center.
Our room had an incredible view of LA (better at night since that's the only time LA looks pretty) and the most comfortable bed I've every slept on.
Some people try to steal the towels or the bathrobes but I tried to stuff the bed in my purse.
Also, the bathroom is pretty great. Nice counters. The infamous double shower head. Also, it looks clean enough to walk around barefoot. It probably wasn't but at least it looked like it.
And...the best part. It was only $100!
Thank you, William Shatner.
Becoming decrepit, after a steady fall from heady halycon days.
Still, I got a free breakfast at the bistro because of a clogged sink that I never noticed. (The coupon was on my beureau when I got home...)
I stayed here with a friend while I was visiting LA. It's a very lovely hotel. The beds were comfy and my overall stay was pleasant.
Like other reviewers have expressed in different sentiments, the janky food court totally devalues the hotel altogether. I still got the "heavenly" bed but the entire hotel needs a lot of remodeling to compete with the rest of LA. If you are thinking of staying here, ask about hotel + parking packages. I got one for $125 a night - deal since parking can be $30+!!! This includes in and out privileges!
this is the review for only the restaurant located on the 35th floor, it is cozy and the panoramic view of downtown is real cool. the not so cool part is the parking around the are, which charges minimum of $15 an hour
great location in downtown near everywhere you need to get to in downtown. The Bona Vista and LA Prime are housed here. If you want dinner or drinks with a sky-high view, The Bonaventure has two options for you. Suede bar and lounge is pretty good though small and the small plate menu was really limited when i went. The Bonaventure Brewing Company might be good for happy hour, but they're way too slow for lunch. There are many other take-out options throughout the maze which is what the hotel is.
Besides the confusing layout of the place and the high probability of getting lost around here, the other bad thing is the lack of valets on a Saturday night. $7 for 3 hours with validation. I talked our $15 four-hour park down to the $7 because we spent good money at both LA Prime and Bona Vista (come on, now).
They also don't have a clear sign directing eating/drinking patrons to the entrance on Flower Street. Only hotel guests can leave their cars on Figueroa. Also, the floor plan of the rooms are not rectangular or regular-shaped. I think they were kind of like chunks from a donut if I remember correctly...like rounded trapezoid. If you are a feng shui nut, maybe you'll have problems with this place (write me, i want to learn more about that stuff)
see review and pics of LA Prime: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
see review and pics of the Bona Vista: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Great hotel. Very clean and the staff was super friendly and overly accommodating. This place is so huge, you could literally spend a day roaming around it. Couches and seats are placed all over the hotel so you can lounge around and people watch.
Free Wi-fi downstairs. Cute overpriced tourist shops to browse around in. A food court with Subway, pizza shop and Asian foods if you want something to eat. Outdoor seating is available also with a great view of downtown.
Fancier restaurants are located throughout also. The gym is really cool , it's located in the center of the hotel, in between the elevators, sounds weird right, BUT it's pretty cool!
Big convention area if your looking to hold one, this is the place to do it!
Coolest thing ever is the red and blue elevators, I could ride up and down those all day!! Worth the price and an excellent location downtown.
Although beware , it's eerily isolated during the weekends in that area of town.
Stayed here last Saturday night, since I had a birthday to attend downtown and didn't want to attempt the drive home after. I have stayed here a bunch of times in the past and it is consistently a good stay.
By all means hit up Priceline to book your room here and be aggressive. My buddy was all happy about grabbing a room for $113 on some other site, but we managed $75 for the Saturday night stay (choose a 4 star downtown hotel).
We got a standard room - well appointed with a queen sized bed, tv, fridge, and a coffee maker. The shower had a double shower head, which was great. The bed was comfy, but the mattress was larger than the box spring which made it weird to sit on. It wasn't a suite, but we didn't need that...and besides these are tough times...
Visited the rotating bar on the 35th floor. Nice views after the rains cleared out the skies. Drinks were about $14 a pop there, and at the bar in the lobby.
Wish I had read some of the earlier reviews about the $10 parking across the street, but oh well there's nothing I can do about it now...
I was so bewildered by all the negative posts on here, I felt it my duty to get to the bottom of it!
The hubster and I only stay at Westins when we are not "roughin' it" in old B&Bs. That is, when we aren't feelin' the whole striking up conversations with strangers over breakfast thing, we head straight to the land of the Heavenly Bed and sleek furniture...ooh LALA! Take me away!
I admit, The Bonaventure is a little tattered and seemed a bit ghost-towny, but really, why would either of those things matter when all we wanted to get from our over-nighter was to hole up in our comfy heavenly bed watching bad movies, and go to the gym to work off all the room service (and shower off with those dual shower heads). All of THAT stuff was in place with no problems/hassle.
I read over these reviews again after our jaunt and have a theory-- we booked our room as a "Starwood Preferred Guest"...thus, there was no huge percentage off the room rate thru sites like Hotwire, etc... Our room was on a floor that actually greeted you (upon elevator doors opening) with "Starwood Preferred Guest LEVEL".
Hmmm...
Our room was clean, in tact, everything working the way it's supposed to with a couple of awesome black and white prints of an old downtown LA garnishing the walls...service perfectly professional whenever we had to call for something, etc, etc.
Me thinks there is a particular caste system at this particular Westin. If you are not a SPG, you may be experiencing something else. It was a typical Westin to me (on the inside anyway). I've seen a whole range of exterior quality, but again...not so much hanging out outside of our room.
We did try the restaurant with the kick arse view up top. Waaay too pricey for the OK fare, but I'll save that for another review.
I was terribly underwhelmed by this property.
I ended up in L.A. recently on a Saturday night and didn't have a place to crash. Being a constant bargain hunter, I looked to Hotwire for a last minute booking.
Search results: 4 Star Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles!
"ooh!" I thought, nice!
I proceeded with the booking and at checkout, found out it was the Westin Boniventure.
WOW!
I was so excited to have booked a room easily and affordably and it was at a Starwood property, I'd have nothing else to worry about!
Little did I know I'd also be sentenced to the Green Tower. The room was just awful...for a Starwood/Westin. I couldn't even really believe my eyes when I got in, I've stayed in Motor Lodges that were better kept up.
The first thing I noticed was hair from the previous guest on the bathroom floor and inside the tub. UNEXCUSEABLE. They're skimping on quality and obviously service as well. I mean what room attendant at a "4 star hotel" leaves hair in bathroom!!? The next thing I saw panning left from the bathroom door was a huge iron-burn mark in the carpet. Uh, so ghetto and trashy, I mean let's get it together. After I got somewhat settled, I noticed many other little things like a dozen huge gouges out of the walls with wallpaper peeling off, singe marks on the bedside lampshades, the ceiling isn't finished at the window so if you look up you can see the filthy insulation on the building frame and the years of dirt, the armoire that was so beat up you wouldn't have even found it in a Goodwill, and housed inside was the cheapest crappiest tv. I think the last Westin I stayed in had a big beautiful flat screen (not that it really matters since I don't really go to a hotel to watch tv, but it's the anticipation that you might want to watch tv and be able to do so with a nice current tv)
One of the absolute worst things about this room was the shower. Hilariously labeled as "The Heavenly" Shower or whatever that crap was, well most of us will remember that was top of the line back in what, 1985? It totally looked like it was, and definitely worked like it was. The shower would not stay one temperature, it would go from hot to cold constantly throughout the shower.
I also noticed some things about the property that are just old and dilapidated. The Elevators made weird clunking noises when going up and down, their call-button plates were loose and coming off the wall.
I just can't believe this is a Westin/Starwood property. Fortunately for them I've had far too many fantastic experiences for this one property to completely tarnish my opinion of them, but they REALLY need to get it together here, and FAST!
Parking at $32 nightly for hotel guests was outrageous, however the going rate for hotels downtown. It's still total robbery.
Their pool is Meh...
If you want to sleep in the most comfortable bed in your life, sleep at a Westin Hotel. Better yet, if you want to go shopping, have a bite to eat, see where some part of an Arrrrnold Swaztytshgjhgbnaager (I'm not going to try and spell that!!) movie was filmed AND sleep in the most comfortable bed in your life, then stay at the Westin Bonaventure.
The bath towels, bath itself (TWO showerheads, that's right!) and the robes are pretty awesome too.
I have to admit that I got to stay there for a steal of $50 a night because my friend worked for the Starwood Resorts at the time. But it was fun, and comfy and one of the best times I've ever had in LA.
Parking is ridiculous though, so watch out. A lot of hotels do this now, which I find to be ridiculous. Then again, it is LA.
You know, The Westin is fine, but I was expecting more, since the
facility itself is so grand. The towels were old and scratchy, no hot
tub near the pool, fan didn't work in the bathroom and most
restaurants inside the building were out of bizness with paper over
the windows. The one good restaurant inside was Bonaventure Brewing with good hot wings and beer taster / platter thing. Great views in the
rooms, though, and fun Charlie-and-the-Chocolate-Factory elevators
(you will know what I mean when you get there).
The best part was the price - $99 per night on Hotwire.
Oh, the other good part was the Grand Central Market near
there....kind of a flea market with lots of ethnic food choices.
Holiday Party @ Yatai !
West Hollywood, CA
3 for the price of 2
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Hotels
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