Mondrian Los Angeles Rating: 4.0 Pearls

West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

ADCB lobby bar

Morgans Hotel Group opened the 239-room Mondrian in December 1996 with an over-the-top design courtesy of Philippe Starck, who directed the styling of the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, which opened in 2009. The intention, according to the hotel, was to bring the beach to Hollywood, with blond wood floors in the lobby standing in for sand and a massive slatted pool deck playing the part of beach. The open-air Skybar, renovated in 2012, to this day is a fixture of L.A. nightlife, and recalls a surfside drink shack -- albeit one slinging cocktails for double-digit prices and bottle service for even more.

In 2008, Morgans, of the Mondrian South Beach and the Delano in Miami, unveiled an Alice-in-Wonderland-inspired refresh from designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, who also designed the Mondrian Scottsdale and the Mondrian SoHo, which opened in February 2011. While keeping many Starck elements, the lobby was refitted with banquettes, Noriega-Ortiz says, inspired by Parc Güell, one of Barcelona's most beautiful parks.

Guest rooms were warmed up with bamboo floors, oversize potted plants, and oversize mirrors that double as TV consoles. Despite the emphasis on outlandish design elements, rooms are still very comfortable, and touch-sensitive lamps and plenty of power outlets are thoughtful, useful additions. Bathrooms could use more light -- and some guests might miss having a tub -- but the dual-head rainfall shower is one of the nicest in West Hollywood.

While the staff is refreshingly attitude-free, the Mondrian is still very much a part of L.A.'s who's-your-cosmetic-surgeon scene -- which for many guests is part of its allure. (Guests are automatically on the list at Skybar.) Those looking for a more relaxed scene in the same neighborhood and price range might prefer the still-cool Standard Hollywood or the low-key-but-fashionable Sofitel Los Angeles.

From housekeeping to the concierge, service was prompt and delivered with a smile. While you won't be addressed by name -- a high-end touch available at the nearby Sunset Tower -- you'll appreciate a concierge on call 24 hours a day and swift parking valets.

• A well-staffed front desk means no lines at check-in or checkout.
• A bevy of bellmen swarm arriving vehicles, offering immediate assistance with bags and valet parking.
• An excellent concierge, on call 24 hours a day, was able to locate the ever-mobile Kogi BBQ truck, the trendy street food vendor that's often difficult to track down.
• Room service available 24 hours a day
• Restaurant and lobby bar serve food and drinks.
• Poolside drink service is available daily. Around 6 p.m., when the staff is busy moving furniture in preparation for nightly service at Skybar, food and drink service can be slow. The poolside lounge was renovated in 2012.

View on a Larger Map

Located in the heart of West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip, the hotel counts among its neighbors the Standard Hollywood, the Sunset Tower, and the Chateau Marmont. The London is a mile down the road. The signature 30-foot-tall mahogany doors marking the entrance make the otherwise nondescript exterior impossible to overlook. The Sunset Strip, which has long been known for its music clubs like the House of Blues, the Roxy, Viper Room, and Whisky a Go Go, has gotten significantly more upscale than its strip club and head shop days in the '70s and '80s -- though some seediness remains.

• Fee-per-night valet parking at the hotel
• Sunset Plaza, a walkable half-mile stretch of designer boutiques like Roberto Cavalli and Catherine Maladrino and upscale restaurants like BLT Steak, is a 10-minute walk from the hotel.
• The heart of the Hollywood Walk of Fame is two miles away, the Hollywood Bowl is a 15-minute drive, and Universal Studios is about 20 minutes by car.
• Santa Monica and L.A.'s beaches are a nine-mile, 20-minute drive.
• Rodeo Drive shopping is less than three miles from the hotel.
• Bob Hope Airport in Burbank is about 14 miles away from the hotel, which can translate to a 45 minute drive in heavy traffic, but it's still a better option than Los Angeles International Airport, as much as a 90 minute drive from the Sunset Strip.

A Standard Room

Rooms, by Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, who also designed the Mondrian Scottsdale, are some of the most impressively designed in L.A. (Only the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills can compete.) The cutting-edge style of the standard rooms doesn't interfere with comfort, while the massive windows let in plenty of light and, on the south side of the building, overlook the pool. At 325 square feet, rooms are slightly bigger than what you'll find at the Standard Hollywood or Maison 140, but smaller than those at the SLS Hotel.

• Signature vanity mirror and 42-inch-flat-panel-TV combo, with 34 channels, including pay-per-view; attached DVD player.
• Worktable with intentionally mismatched chairs
• Bose iPod dock
• Comfortable king-size beds with Egyptian cotton linens and camelback headboard are the only option in standard rooms.
• Touch sensitive reading lamps built into nightstands
• Laptop-size safe
• Extensive minibar with snacks, Mondrian-brand merchandise, various sundries, soft drinks, beer, wine, and spirits
• High-end agua by Korres shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and two types of soap, exclusive to Morgans hotels.
• Big bathrooms include dual-head rainfall showers, chrome vessel sinks, and other interesting design elements.
• Separate bathroom vanity area
• Rooms overlooking the pool are quiet thanks to sound-proofed windows.
• Fee per day for Wi-Fi

The business center

While the pool isn't as big as the one you'll find at the Hollywood Roosevelt, the Mondrian has a top-notch gym, a lobby bar that's fantastic for people-watching, and one of L.A.'s premier lounges in Skybar, something the Standard Hollywood can't offer. The spa is more modest than what you'll find at the Sunset Tower.

• Agua Spa, with three treatment rooms, nail station, steam room, and sauna. Services include skin care treatments, massage, manicures, waxing, and hair and makeup styling. Guests can use just the sauna and steam rooms for a fee.
• 24-hour room service
• Excellent fitness center overlooking Sunset Boulevard, with three treadmills, two elliptical machines, and a recumbant bike, all from Precor, as well as free weights, Star Trac strength machines, and other equipment.
• Business center with three workstations, color laser printer, and fax machine is free for guests.
• Shallow pool is better suited to lounging by than swimming in, with good views of Los Angeles.
• A full-service restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily; a lobby bar with drinks and small plates open nightly.
• All guests are on the list at Skybar, a popular lounge with a notoriously tight door, it is open during current renovations.

Preening guests, over-the-top design, and late nights at Skybar make this a poor choice for families. The nearby Le Parc Suites Hotel and the Magic Castle in Hollywood are better options for kids.

• Rollaway beds, for studio suites or larger, cost a fee to rent; standard rooms can't fit a rollaway. Cribs are free.
• One-bedroom suites have sleeper sofas.
• Adjoining rooms are available.

bedroom and Bathrooms were clean, and public spaces -- even the highly trafficked pool -- were well kept.

Asia de Cuba

For some reason, the ill-conceived and overpriced Asia de Cuba restaurant, with both indoor and outdoor seating, is wildly popular with guests and locals despite the so-called fusion menu that features a pricey lobster pad Thai and an expensive entree of rum-glazed pork served with bok choi and plantains. The lobby bar, ADCB, also serves the hit-or-miss Latin and pan-Asian fare but at comparatively lower prices, with tiny appetizers and sushi rolls. Breakfast is, thankfully, much more down to earth, with eggs, pancakes, and other morning standards all at prices similar to what you'd pay anywhere on Sunset Boulevard.

• Asia de Cuba restaurant has breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.
• Lobby bar ADCB serves drinks and light fare nightly.
• Skybar open for drinks nightly; guest list only