The Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Downtown, one of the brand’s largest outposts, is slated to debut in February, boasting 350 guestrooms in the city’s Historic Core district. Designed by HBA, the hotel is inspired by four stories ranging from the city’s late-1800s parades to the speakeasies and early Hollywood glamour of the 1920s.
The grand lobby guides visitors through the timeline, beginning with bicycles, buggies, and other moving machinery dressed in elaborate flower displays in reference to the Fiestas de las Flores parade of the late 1800s, known today as the Rose Parade. The walls of the lobby lounge are outfitted with large murals of ghosted flowers and imagery of decorated carriages and crowds, while a custom, 30-spoke chandelier hangs above reception, illuminating a floral penny-farthing bike on display.
The lobby’s Metropolis Kitchen + Bar channels the secret tunnels and underground parties of the 1920s during Prohibition. The space is divided with a seating-filled passageway, and the bar is embellished with brass and copper to reflect the 20-foot-tall wall and tin tile ceiling. A more intimate seating area is located on the opposite side of the tunnel, featuring softer tones and a jazz mural reminiscent of a speakeasy atmosphere.
The neighborhood’s theaters serve as the inspiration for the 18th Social lounge, located on the hotel’s 18th floor. Blue velvet and eclectic, modern patterns span the venue, where a variety of seating adds a unique flair to the environment, which is cast in dark blue tones, neon lighting, and multiple metal finishes. Vintage framed photography hangs on the walls, depicting the theaters lining Broadway, while a large-scale worm’s eye view of a theater is projected on the ceiling.
Guestrooms and suites nod to the emergence of old Hollywood, paying particular attention to Anna May Wong, who is considered the first Chinese American movie star. Loose furniture pieces infuse a residential quality, while murals over beds capture an imagined window view from the 1920s, opening up the space with a glimpse into the past. Tones inspired by the bougainvillea flower, a city staple, are used prominently, while a more masculine scheme in executive guestrooms features brown and maroon hues, leather, and wood.
Meeting and convention space channels formalwear patterns and textiles of the early 1900s, evident in the fabrics, upholstery, and carpeting. Giant images of precious stones shine along the glass façade long corridor and accentuate the opposite interior dark blue walls. Upholstered walls and wood veneers are also used in corridors leading to meeting spaces. Two large murals on the fourth floor showcase dancing attendees at early 20th-century galas.
