Getting there
The Downtown LA Proper Hotel was about a 30-minute car ride from LAX. I tried a new ride sharing service called Alto to get there and will post a full review of that experience soon. Downtown LA is going through some gentrification and there are a lot of hotels, restaurants and coffee shops opening in the area. I was excited to stay in a neighborhood I haven’t spent much time in at one of my newest favorite hotel brands, Proper Hotels.
Check-in
Checking in was friendly and quick. The team was clearly excited the hotel was finally open since it was originally scheduled to open back in 2018.
I booked the base room, which is a deluxe queen. At check-in, I politely asked if they would offer me a complimentary upgrade to a suite since I saw online they still had availability. The manager said they could offer a reduced rate, but not a complimentary upgrade to a suite. Since I was only staying for one night, I didn’t think the cash upgrade was worth it, and he ended up giving me a complimentary upgrade to a deluxe king room. It never hurts to ask! 😉
The lobby was small but it had some really eccentric local touches. The ceiling is hand-painted by a local artist à la Michelangelo-style, and the ceramic front desk was made by a local ceramist. I thought it was really cool!
Deluxe King
The room felt compact, which was fine as a solo traveler, but I think it would have felt cramped for a couple. The room offered a king-size bed, small table with chairs, walk-in shower and single vanity. The mini-bar was stocked with interesting snacks that came with a charge. The boxed water on the nightstand was complimentary, which I appreciated.
I also loved that the bathroom amenities were Aesop. Such great scents!
My room had a downtown view that overlooked the neighboring Hoxton Hotel.
I think it’s important to point out that the walls felt especially thin. I heard my neighbor’s toilet seat drop every time they used the bathroom and could also hear if they were fumbling around in their room.
Main Property
The highlight of the property is the rooftop and it’s stunning. One of the properties two restaurants, Cara Cara, is open all day and offers great views of downtown LA. There were plenty of casual spots with sofas and heaters, which were popular at sunset. The hotel has a small heated pool on the roof as well. They had towels, water and sunscreen available for hotel guests, which were thoughtful touches.
The 2nd floor has a gym with a decent selection of weights, 3 Peloton bikes and a tonal workout bench. I love it when hotel gyms stay up-to-date with fitness trends, so I was happy that they had Peloton bikes.
On the main floor was another restaurant and bar, which looked incredible from a design perspective. This is also where breakfast is served, which I found odd that, in light of COVID, the hotel wasn’t using the rooftop instead.
Food
I only had one meal on the property, which was lunch shortly after checking in. The cocktail and food I had was just okay.
Service
Given the hotel had only been open for a week, I was pleasantly surprised I didn’t experience any service blips. The hotel sent me a welcome text the day before my arrival, which was a convenient way to interact and make requests during my stay.
When I called for toothpaste, it was delivered to my room quickly. Turn-down service was by request only, so I requested it via the aforementioned text thread while I was out to dinner and it was done by the time I returned to my room. I also requested a late check out at 2pm, which was granted.
Considerations
This is a great new hotel option if you’re looking to stay in Downtown Los Angeles. Very friendly staff, a striking interior design and well-appointed but small rooms. Food and beverage could have been better.
