Reminds you of Tower of Terror at Disney
Stayed here in July of 2012 for four nights and got an special event rate of $108/night.
Frankly, this place is just plain weird. The decor is a kitschy mix of East Asian, Middle Eastern, and, yes, Mexican, and it really does remind you of a defunct 1930s Art Deco hotel (hence the Tower of Terror reference). It's dark, dated, tacky, and an odd-ball of a hotel. I can't quite bring myself to recommend it, although those looking for a fun (read: ironic) experience will definitely enjoy it (and those used to corporate Hilton/Marriott/Hyatt type hotels will be freaked out by it). Frankly, it largely divided our group between people who loved it and people who hated it.
Pros:
- Visitors to the US might actually enjoy this as pure Americana kitsch. It's incredibly tacky.
- Location. Conveniently located in downtown LA, walking distance to the Staples Center and the freeways
- Price. We were able to get a rate of $108 per night, among the cheapest in the area
- Nice pool area. It's in the middle of a downtown LA parking lot, which is a bit weird. But they've done a nice job hiding the concrete with high walls and faux tropical plants.
- Very social hotel. Pool area pretty lively late into the night (see below). When conferences or events are happening at the Staples Center, this hotel has a bit of a party vibe
- Rooms are big. Everything is clean (although, frankly, the paint job in the rooms is so dark that it would hide dirt really well)
Cons
- Front desk is slow and somewhat inept. They do everything by hand (no computers, no automatic credit card machies) and so very slow. They botched our reservation twice.
- B/C of the party vibe, I'm not sure this would be great for families (although I'm sure kids would love the bizarre theme)
- Incredibly dark rooms. We stayed on the first floor facing the inner courtyard area and had to have all the lights on our room to be able to see anything.
- Kitschy decor. Our room was some sort of medieval theme, with a wrought iron bed frame, painted concrete floors, and strange tapestries hanging about. It was just horribly garish, frankly.
- No free parking ($12 per night)
Overall, it's not a bad choice if you're on a budget and if you've got a sense of humor. But beware that this place is weird...