Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Downtown, Los Angeles, California

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Artwork in the lobby

Unfortunately set against the downtown backdrop of high-rise office towers, bail-bond storefronts, and a visible homeless presence, the former New Otani hotel, a well-known, Japanese-owned property that catered to Japanese travelers for decades, is breaking from tradition. In October 2007, new owners (an American real estate development company) took over the vast, 21-story skyscraper with hopes of diversifying its already solid client base. And in 2009, they plunged into a massive makeover that finished in early 2010 .

Everything changed: the furniture, light fixtures, murals, and floor coverings in the immense lobby; the 434 guest rooms; the circuitous hallways; the public spaces; the mezzanine-level fitness center; the front desk. The Asian-inspired black-and-red color scheme is a significant improvement over the former decor.

The property lacks a pool, spa, and other bells and whistles, and the renovation didn't change that. Even with refurbished furniture and decor, it still would take the addition of a pool and spa for the hotel to give nearby properties like the Omni or the Westin Bonaventure a real run for their money.

Waitstaff at Thousand Cranes

Service is efficient at best and adequate at worst; the staff certainly doesn't deliver any personal touches -- it's easy to feel anonymous in a property this big. Waitstaff at Thousand Cranes and Garden Grill are extremely attentive, but the Pangea Garden staff seemed a bit skeletal. No dedicated concierge here; front desk clerks are trained to handle requests. But when I asked for downtown restaurant recommendations, the "concierge" suggested that I peruse the L.A. listing guide in my room.

• Room service from Azalea Restaurant, 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• No concierge desk
• Food and drink service in the outdoor Pangea garden
• Free shuttle service in shared van daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. within a three-mile radius of the hotel (Staples Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Los Angeles Convention Center, for example)
• Laundry and dry cleaning services

View on a Larger Map

Spanning almost an entire city block in a somewhat bleak part of downtown -- bustling with office workers by day, eerily desolate at night, less than a mile from skid row -- the Kyoto Grand doesn't occupy a particularly enviable part of the neighborhood; and the energy inside the hotel can feel a bit lackluster. Those who prefer more ambient noise and nighttime action should check out the Standard Downtown or the Westin Bonaventure.

• Six-and-a-half blocks to Walt Disney Concert Hall and Museum of Contemporary Art
• 10-minute drive to Staples Center
• 40- to 60-minute drive to Rodeo Drive/Beverly Hills in traffic
• 40-minute drive to Universal Studios in traffic
• 35-minute drive to Hollywood Boulevard/Grauman's Chinese Theatre in traffic
• 50- to 80-minute drive to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Valet parking for $30 a night; self-parking for $24 a night, both in adjacent garage

A Standard Room

Updates in 2009 and 2010 brought Asian-inspired furnishings, red chenille throws, and drawer pulls reminiscent of Japanese pergolas. But while the rooms are comfortable, they don't quite achieve luxuriousness.

• The standard rooms are a roomy 350 square feet (one king or two double-size beds); Suites average 750 square feet.
• Comfortable beds: new Serta mattresses with two-inch pillow-tops; lightweight cotton/poly duvet; soft and comfy Chelsea Collection sheets from Baltic
• 42-inch Sharp flat-screen TV (not HD) with HBO, HBO2, HBO Family, and an all-Japanese channel; pay-per-view movies available for $10 each
• iHome iPod dock/radio/alarm clock
• Sometimes slow in-room Wi-Fi costs $10 for 24 hours.
• Mini-fridge, but no minibar; two one-liter Fiji water bottles for $5 each; disposable plastic cups only (no glasses)
• Mini-coffeemaker with CV1 Columbian Supremo coffee and Yamamotoyama green tea
• Safe big enough to hold laptop
• Danze showerhead with good water pressure

The fitness center pre-renovation

Though a hotel of this scale should be almost entirely self-sufficient, there's a lot on the wish list -- a pool, for starters. The lobby ATM comes in handy, especially at night, when walking around the neighborhood isn't the smartest idea. A full-service spa used to occupy the 4th floor, but it's gone and wasn't replaced in the renovation. The fitness center, on the other hand, was revamped. For more amenities, plus a livelier environment, head to the nearby Westin Bonaventure, a sprawling complex with a large spa and an outdoor pool.

• 500-square-foot fitness center on mezzanine level; four floor-to-ceiling windows face interior hallway, but provide natural light.
• Small business center on lobby level with free use of three desktop terminals and a printer, open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; shares space with a Sakura rental car desk
• Gift shop, galleries, and hair salon on lobby and mezzanine levels are leased out and open to the public
• ATM in lobby
• Meeting spaces and banquet halls
• Valet parking for $30 a night; self-parking for $24 a night, both in adjacent garage

The garden

The Kyoto Grand hosts a fair number of families, which is unexpected for a downtown hotel without a pool, kids' program, or child-friendly restaurant.

• Free cribs
• Rollaway beds cost $20 a night.
• 15 sets of connecting rooms

Hotel rooms received new beds, furniture, and decor in the major 2009/2010 renovation. The property is well-kept, especially for a downtown hotel of this size.

Sliders at Pangea Garden

A solid selection of restaurants (important in this isolated part of downtown), with Thousand Cranes and Garden Grill, two traditional Japanese venues, being the unquestionable standouts; lighter snacks are available at Pangea Garden and Genji Bar.

• Thousand Cranes serves sushi and sashimi lunches and dinners in a large, hushed room overlooking the garden's pond, with a sushi and tempura bar in the rear, plus several, pretty tatami rooms for private parties.
• Garden Grill is a minimalist Tokyo-style Teppan steak and seafood grill (popular with businesspeople) open for lunch and dinner with communal tables around chefs' stations.
• Pangea Garden mixes cocktails and dishes up a bar menu among trickling waterfalls, outdoor sofas, heat lamps, speakers blaring Coldplay and No Doubt, and a flat-screen TV three stories above traffic and street noise. It's an established happy-hour hangout for those who work in nearby office towers -- with live jazz on Thursday evenings.
• Genji Bar's lighting is low enough to warrant a furtive affair, or at least cocktails and sashimi. (There used to be a karaoke bar here, but it's now closed.)
• Azalea Restaurant cooks up breakfast (buffet, a la carte, and traditional Japanese), lunch, and dinner in a soaring space with lots of natural light.
• Room service from Azalea Restaurant, 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• The Rendezvous Lounge, in the center of the lobby, has bar and booth seating.