AS CALIFORNIA FULLY REOPENS, LOS ANGELES’ COMEBACK IS UNDERWAY WITH NEW HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS AND MORE MAKING THEIR DEBUT
LOS ANGELES (June 15, 2021) – Today marks a major milestone for California and Los Angeles, with Government and Public Health officials at all levels officially announcing that both the State and City have safely and fully reopened.
LOS ANGELES (June 15, 2021) – Today marks a major milestone for California and Los Angeles, with Government and Public Health officials at all levels officially announcing that both the State and City have safely and fully reopened. The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is inviting visitors to start their comeback and experience the seemingly endless new attractions, hotels, restaurants and more that are opening around the City. A sampling of these openings follows.
New & Upcoming Hotels
Los Angeles-area hotel development is heating up with the weather, as summertime makes way for the beginning of a “post-pandemic, boutique hotel boom.” A shortlist includes:
Venice V Hotel – June 18
Venice Beach’s only beachfront hotel, from Proper Hospitality, opens this Friday, June 18th with 30 rooms and six suites. The hotel, redeveloped from a 106-year-old building, will include a rooftop bungalow and is about five blocks from Abbot Kinney Boulevard.
Downtown L.A. Proper – July
Proper Hotels will open a second Southern California hotel at the downtown Los Angeles site of the former Case Hotel in July. The 13-story property, which was built in 1924, will have 148 rooms as well as a rooftop pool and two restaurants overseen by James Beard Award-winning local chef Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne (Lucques, a.o.c., Tavern).
Godfrey Hotel Hollywood – July
The Godfrey Hotel lifestyle chainlet, which has properties in Chicago and Boston, will open a property on Hollywood’s Cahuenga Corridor near Sunset Boulevard in July. The hotel will have 220 rooms as well as four bars and a gastropub/steakhouse called About Last Knife.
CitizenM – Late Summer
Amsterdam-based micro-room hotel specialist CitizenM will make its West Coast debut in late summer with its Los Angeles property. The Downtown site, located at Fourth and Spring Street, will have 315 rooms.
Thompson Hollywood – Summer
The Thompson Hotels debuts a new-build property on Wilcox Avenue between Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards. The 200-room hotel, to be built by Dream Hollywood developer Relevant Group, will have a rooftop deck with a pool.
Fairmont Century Plaza – September
AccorHotels’ Fairmont badge will take over the landmark Century Plaza hotel in Century City when the property completes its $2.5 billion redevelopment. Scheduled to open this September, the Fairmont Century Plaza will have 400 rooms and 63 luxury residences; a 14,000-square-foot spa; 24,000 square feet of private-event space; and four food and beverage options.
The Shay – September
The Shay, a boutique hotel which is part of the 500,000-square-foot Ivy Station mixed-use project in Culver City, is slated to open this fall. The 148-room hotel, which will be operated by Hyatt as part of its Destination Hotels group, will feature a 5,000-square-foot rooftop space with a pool, restaurant and lounge. The hotel will also include the restaurant etta, helmed by Chicago chef Danny Grant.
Restaurants
L.A.’s chefs continued to innovate and create throughout the pandemic, launching exciting concepts that visitors can now experience during their next trip to L.A.
Citizen Public Market, Culver City – November 2020, with new restaurant additions ongoing
L.A.’s newest food hall opened during the pandemic with airy rooftop patio space and a slew of exciting restaurants including the June 17th, 2021 debut of Louella’s Cali Soul from Alta Adams’ chef Keith Corbin and Pizette, the casual pizza-sandwich joint from chef Nancy Silverton (Mozza).
Garden at Manuela – April 2021
The SoCal-inspired restaurant nestled inside Hauser + Wirth gallery in the Art District launched a garden patio experience bearing its own menu and revolving themes.
The VTree Silverlake – May 2021
A popular pandemic pop-up, VTree has made things permanent with a brand-new location for its plant-based comfort food.
Juicy Pizza – June 2021
Hip Hop royalty lives on…through pizza. The daughter of Jam Master Jay, Tyra Myricks, and the daughter of the late Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G), Tyanna Wallace, opened Juicy Pizza this month to give L.A. some of the New York City-style pizza they felt was missing.
ALMA Cocina de Mexico – Late Summer
The first U.S. restaurant from Mexico’s Grupo Hunan will open at The Grove and highlight the best flavors of Mexico.
Mes Amis – Late Summer/Early Fall
Chef Lincoln Carson, formerly of beloved Bon Temps, returns with a new project called Mes Amis. Located in the forthcoming Thompson Hollywood, the restaurant aims to put a California reinterpretation on French classics.
Museum Exhibitions
Closed for one year, L.A.’s museums have reopened, nearly all with new exhibits.
California African American Museum (CAAM)
California African American Museum in Exposition Park reopened with five exhibitions on view. New exhibitions include: "Nikita Gale: Private Dancer," "Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth.," "Enunciated Life," and "Sanctuary: Recent Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection." See the museum's website for more information.
California Science Center
New exhibitions include "Covid-19: All in This Together" and "Life! Beginnings." Check the museum's website for more information.
LACMA
LACMA has reopened with six new exhibitions. "Yoshitomo Nara," a retrospective of the popular Japanese artist that had been scheduled to open last year, will be on view through July 5. Also now open are "Bill Viola: Slowly Turning Narrative," "Cauleen Smith: Give It or Leave It," Not I: Throwing Voices (1500 BCE-2020 CE)," "Vera Lutter: Museum in the Camera" and "View From Here: Recent Acquisitions." See the museum's website for more information.
Natural History Museum
Visitors have the chance to check out "Rise Up L.A.: A Century of Votes for Women," which opened last year, but was only on view digitally. The museum is also introducing audiences to "Spiky, Hairy, Shiny: Insects of L.A.," an exhibition of insect macrographs from their Biodiversity Science: City and Nature. More information available at their website.
Hammer Museum
The reopening coincides with the launch of "Made in L.A. 2020: a version." The exhibition includes 30 L.A.-based artists and is presented jointly with The Huntington. Visitors at the Hammer will receive free passes to check out The Huntington's half of this exhibition. See Hammer Museum's website for more information on visiting.
GRAMMY Museum
The Grammy Museum reopened with three new exhibitions. "Dave Matthews Band: Inside and Out" will be on view through this fall. "Y Para Siempre," spotlighting five-time Latin Grammy winner Marco Antonio Solís, is slated to run through next spring. Rounding out the trio of new exhibitions is "Motown: The Sound of Young America." More information available at their site.
The Broad
The Broad is welcoming visitors with new, single-artist presentations in the skylit third floor galleries and a free, special group exhibition in the first-floor galleries. These single artist presentations include Jean-Michel Basquiat with all 13 works by the artist in The Broad’s collection, three on view for the first time; a mini-survey of Roy Lichtenstein with nearly half the 22 works on view for the first time at the museum; ten artworks by Kara Walker including video, works on paper, and two new acquisitions; and a mini-survey of Andy Warhol that features 26 works including a major new acquisition. The special exhibition Invisible Sun in the first floor galleries – developed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing movement for racial justice and equity – features works in The Broad collection that resonate with our unprecedented period of rupture and collective desire for healing and recovery. For tickets and more information, please visit their sitehttps://www.thebroad.org/.
Attractions
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood – June 26
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood (WBSTH) welcomes back guests on June 26, revealing new experiences that get fans closer to the entertainment they love. Upon arrival, guests will be greeted at the new Welcome Center, their gateway to Hollywood, with all-new ways to go behind the lens of movie-making magic including the “Storytelling Showcase,” and a new interactive grand finale, “Action and Magic Made Here.” The incredible new Studio Store provides fans access to exclusive merchandise from their favorite film and TV titles. Tickets are available online for $69 for adults (ages 11 and up) and $59 for children ages 5 to 10 at wbstudiotour.com (advanced reservations will be required).
SoFi Stadium Tours
The home of the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams launched SoFi Stadium Tours – an immersive, behind-the-scenes experience that takes guests on a journey through the creation of SoFi Stadium, the largest stadium in the NFL and one of the most technologically advanced buildings in the world. The tour also puts attendees in the heat of the action, showcasing what it feels like to be a player on game day.
Guests on a SoFi Stadium tour will be able to run through a player tunnel onto the field, check out Rams and Chargers locker rooms and even test their football skills on the field. Inspired by the NFL Scouting Combine, some of the on-field tour challenges include running the 40-yard dash, attempting a field goal kick and testing passing prowess. Once an attendee completes an on-field challenge, they will be able to compare their statistics to those of professional football players. Additional information about available tour dates and ticket packages can be found on www.sofistadium.com/tours.
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – September 30
The Academy Museum will be the world’s premier institution dedicated to the art and science of movies. Opening on September 30, 2021, the dynamic film center will offer unparalleled experiences and insights into movies and moviemaking across six floors, including a 288-seat Ted Mann Theater; the Shirley Temple Education Studio; a spherical, 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater; and the rooftop Dolby Family Terrace with sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills. To receive press updates, visit www.academymuseum.org/press.
Cinespia at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery – July 3
L.A.’s favorite cinematic experience is finally reopening at the iconic Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Fourth of July weekend with back-to-back screenings complete with an epic fireworks display. This year marks the 20th season, and the calendar is jam-packed with programming this summer. More information and tickets available at www.cinespia.org.
To learn more, visit @discoverla on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Visitors are encouraged to #TravelResponsibly and follow all guidance from Los Angeles County Public Health.
MEDIA CONTACT
Jamie Simpson
jsimpson@latourism.org
ABOUT LOS ANGELES & LOS ANGELES TOURISM
os Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (Los Angeles Tourism) is the non-profit destination marketing and sales organization for the Los Angeles tourism industry and the ultimate resource for where to stay and play in the L.A. area.
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