The London West Hollywood hotel is is spending $23 million to install 21 glamorous new suites and a gym on its ninth story, which has been a "ghost" floor since 1984, reports the LA Times. The spacious Gate Suites will range from 1,440 to 1,975 square feet and have floorplans with one and two bedrooms. Jetsetters might notice that each of the five Gate Suites are named after the rich English people whose names are on gates at London's Hyde Park; each suite will also have art, books, and tchotchkes related to the room's namesake gate. Gate Suites will also come with fancy, upgraded guest benefits, like free one-way transportation to the airport and fresh flowers. These luxury rooms are expected to cost up to $1,299 a night.
The 16 smaller Royal Vista Suites will only (only!) be about 750 square feet, but they'll have views of the Hills and custom furnishings including "metallic green rocking chairs," according to the London's site. No fresh flowers are mentioned, however. All the new suites will be designed by the hotel's interior designer, David Collins Studio.
Oh yes, about that ninth floor. It has been unoccupied for the last 30 or so years because when the hotel (then called Le Bel Age) first opened, it was taller than its permits allowed —or so said LA County, which oversaw the area then. (It was just before WeHo struck out on its own.) As a result, the county refused to allow the developer, mega-hotelier Severyn Ashkenazy, to use the ninth floor as part of the hotel. No rooms allowed. So, since the '80s, it's been used off and on as storage, but otherwise remained empty. The hotel changed names and hands since then, but it was Northwood Investors, who bought the London West Hollywood this past October, who finally got the stamp of approval to build out. The addition is expected to be complete in September.
· London West Hollywood hotel adding posh suites to unoccupied top floor [LAT]
· The London West Hollywood [Official site]