Very cultural experience, but also very disappointing
Location: The location is ok. It’s literally in the heart of Little Tokyo. I disagree with some of the comments others have posted about the area. Unless you are infatuated with Asian flair, there isn’t a great selection of places to eat within walking distance. There is a place called Mr. Pizza a few doors down, but other than that, you’re eating sushi, Ramen noodles or Korean BBQ. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but after 4 days it gets a little old. There is a “sports bar” in the area called Nirvana that serves reasonably priced sake. Pitfire Pizza is also a decent option and about a 10 minute walk just past the Kyoto hotel where some of my colleagues stayed.
Speaking of walking…we were advised not to do so at night because the area can get a little sketchy. I never saw anything to substantiate this, but we were warned.
Staff: I’m not sure if it was a cultural thing, or just the way in LA, but the service we received was cold and inhospitable. I arrived an hour earlier than check-in and was told that my room wouldn’t be ready until the official time. I can understand that, no big deal. I was directed to the bellman to check-in my luggage so that I could explore the area while I wait. The bellman basically tried to convince me not to check my luggage because the normal closet was full. He took me back to an electrical closet to show me where the overflow was being stored and said that I was better off leaving my stuff in my rental car. I’m still confused as to why I would ever do this. It literally took me 5 minutes to convince him to take my luggage and store it somewhere, anywhere, so that I could leave with nothing in tow. I walked to get something to eat and was back in 20 minutes to pickup my stuff. I sat in the lobby for the next 30 minutes waiting for my room to be ready. During this time, no less than 4 people checked in and went up to their rooms. The lady that had helped me earlier was well aware that I was in the lobby waiting for a room. So, I will give the benefit of the doubt that those that checked in had requested to do so before I did. But, I received my room key at 2:59 PM nonetheless. The valet guys were outstanding. They were very pleasant to work with and made my mother, who I flew out to spend time with me, very welcomed. They received the biggest tips by far.
Speaking of tips…don’t try to use a credit card to get a cab in downtown LA. The cab drivers will all of a sudden “get a call” and can’t help you. Very frustrating when you’re in a hurry.
Hotel: The hotel is pretty funny. It’s basically an upscale La Quinta. The lobby feels plush with comfortable couches, a snack bar and a gift shop. But the rooms themselves leave something to be desired. There were several stains on the carpet. The TV armoire wasn’t well thought out. When you open it to reveal the TV set, the doors only go straight out which makes it difficult for someone on the adjacent bed to watch TV in a 2-bed room. The beds were too firm for my tastes but the pillows were great. As others have stated, the toilet was novel, but I can’t think of a time that this was a motivation for booking a room. There is a little bit of a downtown LA view, but it’s mostly of a parking garage. Speaking of, go with the valet instead of the garage next door. It’s $18.00 for the day with in and out privileges vs. paying $10.00 every time that you leave the garage. With so few dining options, you’re going to want to leave more than once and it will pay for itself. If you are anything other than Japanese, you will be the minority at the hotel. It truly felt like I was staying in Tokyo…which was kind of cool. The breakfast was definitely not American friendly. If you want to experience a cultural thing, it’s for you. If you just want cereal and toast, you won’t find it here.
Value: I can’t really speak to the value of the hotel since I was pre-booked here for a work event. I looked online and it seems that the rooms average $150.00 for the night. That’s probably on target for the downtown area.
Overall, my stay was mostly negative. The hotel did the job, but there are plenty of other options in the same price range that are better options. The Kyoto, which is being turned into a Doubletree, was MUCH nicer. If I was spending my own money, I wouldn’t stay here again.