DOWNTOWN HOTEL’S RENOVATION NEARS COMPLETION
Los Angeles – August 26, 2009 – Wilshire Grand Los Angeles hotel, located in the “heart of downtown Los Angeles”, announced the finishing of phase 3 of their $25 million remodel with all construction to be finished over the next five weeks. “Our planned remodel is almost complete”, stated S. Chris Park, VP & General Manager of the behemoth property located between Wilshire and Seventh Streets, “all of the ‘systems and infrastructure’ portion of the ‘heart of the building’ has been completed, we are just finishing the cosmetic upgrades to the rooms themselves”. Adjacent to the new “LA Live” corridor (L.A. Live, a $1.7-billion tourist-oriented "sports-entertainment" hub featuring the recently completed 7,100-seat Nokia Theater, and a soon to be completed 55-story convention center hotel, ESPN broadcast facilities, 14-screen movie theater and nearly a dozen restaurants and clubs) the Wilshire Grand Los Angeles recently announced it will position itself as a “premiere property” in the coming years with a completely new structure (consisting of an office center tower and a hotel tower to be built on the same site that the current hotel occupies) to compliment the entertainment center that is part of several new downtown office and residential developments. In the mean-time, it is business as usual; including the completion of this latest remodeling effort for the hotel that was previously the headquarters for the Hilton organization.
Renovations have been on-going for over two years and, with the completion of four new ballrooms, an Executive Board Room and 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting space (each displaying the latest in state-of-the-art technology) along with a new “fire-life-safety system” and extensive renovations to upgrade the HVAC (ventilation, heating and air conditioning) systems, the hotel is completing renovations on its 900 guest rooms. This last phase of the remodeling includes new carpeting, window treatments and wall paper in both the corridors and rooms on most floors, new flat panel televisions, upgrades to the wireless internet throughout the building, upgraded finishes to the existing furnishings and the reupholstering of in-room seating options. New mattresses have already been installed and new bedding has been added, the Wilshire Grand remained in operation during the remodel.
Video, Data, Pictures, Music - this new media content makes the world go round and the Wilshire Grand Los Angeles is THE most technologically advanced hotel in the Downtown Los Angeles area. From Built-In multi Camera Video Conferencing, Seamless Video to Data Switching, lighting controls, DVD, CD (all controlled with one touch screen panel), the Wilshire Grand has done all the preparation for your next high level event. Finally, a hotel that can capture, create, manage and deliver rich media assets effectively and efficiently without disruption of service or reduced quality to their clients, the Wilshire Grand takes a dominate leadership position among their peers nationwide. High-quality real time video, and videoconferencing technology essential to e-conferences, corporate communications and distance learning is the key to successful meetings in tough economic times. From some of the brightest projection systems on the market today, to surround sound system’s that will move you, the impression your meeting or conference makes at the Wilshire Grand will be a memorable experience. “With the competitive landscape being what it is, you need an edge in the information age” states Michael Ouimet, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, “Extreme customer service, state of the art Audio Visual systems, will give you that edge and more.”
Just thirty minutes from the Los Angeles international airport, the Wilshire Grand is conveniently located adjacent to a Metro subway station (with direct links to Hollywood and Universal Studios Hollywood). The Wilshire Grand Los Angeles’ complimentary features include free high-speed wireless internet access, a 24-hour fitness center, outdoor swimming pool and spa and guests are welcome to free use of the Gold’s Gym facilities (located directly across the street) for another 35,000 square feet of workout space. The abundant, studio-sized Deluxe Rooms and Suites (most include seating areas, second bathrooms and two closets) were designed to give guests a residential feel during their stay in LA.
The imposing property (spread out over an entire city block) is located a short walk away from the Performing Arts Center, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), USC (University of Southern California), the Nokia Theater, LA LIVE!, the financial, fashion and jewelry districts. Mr. Park adds, “The Wilshire Grand continues its on-going investment, not only for the future of our business, but also for our guests and for the future of downtown Los Angeles as well.”
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WILSHIRE GRAND HOTEL IMPLEMENTS H1N1 VIRAL CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES FOR EMPLOYEES AND GUESTS
Los Angeles – May 1, 2009 – Wilshire Grand Los Angeles hotel, located in the “heart of downtown Los Angeles” announced new staff procedures and employee training to take effect immediately in order to contain the spread of viral contagions within public areas of the hotel. Spearheaded by their Director of Risk Management, Sergio Ureña, all employees have been distributed literature and standard procedures with regards to day to day interaction between guests, employees and vigilant anti-bacterial/anti-viral cleaning of all surfaces that guests and employees touch throughout the 900 room hotel.
Employees are now requested to wash their hands with soap and water more frequently and anti-viral alcohol based gel dispensers have been installed in heavy traffic areas in the back of the house. Gel dispensers are being monitored by management to ensure regular usage. Dispensers have also been provided in lobby areas for guest usage. Management has adopted wide ranging policies regarding employees that are demonstrating flu like symptoms. Every department has a staff meeting each morning. All employees that have flu like symptoms are sent home and REQUIRED to provide a doctor’s release to return to work – NO EXCEPTIONS! “We are making these extraordinary efforts because these are extraordinary times,” states Mr. Ureña “we take the health and safety of our guests and employees very seriously. Our proof of that is, as an employer of over 600 associates, we are currently surpassing 600 days without a loss-time worker’s comp accident”.
Guests that might possibly become ill will have a panacea of wellness support options that range from on-call doctors that will visit their hotel room to the hotel’s partnership with Good Samaritan Hospital (located 3 blocks from the hotel). A world-class academic medical center affiliated with the USC Keck School of Medicine, Good Samaritan has 408 licensed beds. The hospital offers outstanding diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic care in a state-of-the-art setting. Recognized as one of "America's Best Hospitals for Top Medical Care in 16 Specialties" in 1998 by U.S. News & World Report, Good Samaritan supports eight Centers of Excellence that focus on advancing the science of medicine while providing outstanding patient care.
The Wilshire Grand Los Angeles provides 900 of the most spacious, well-appointed guest rooms conveniently located across the street is the 7th & Metro subway station that can take you to Hollywood Boulevard in 15 minutes or Universal Studios in only 25 minutes. Walking distance to the new LA LIVE! Entertainment Complex, STAPLES Center, NOKIA Theater and the L.A. Convention Center, the vast public areas include shopping, four international themed restaurants and a high-energy nightclub set in a South Seas ambiance, all located just blocks away from the Performing Arts Center, Disney Concert Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art, University of Southern California, the financial, fashion and jewelry districts. For more information, see their website at: www.wilshiregrand.com
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Changing the Skyline
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| Architect David Martin of AC Martin Partners with a model of the proposed $1 billion replacement for the Wilshire Grand hotel. Photo by Gary Leonard. |
Architect David Martin Talks About Designing Downtown’s First New Office Tower in Nearly Two Decades
by Anna Scott
Published: Friday, May 8, 2009 4:34 PM PDT DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES -
David Martin, a principal at the Downtown-based architecture firm his grandfather founded in 1906, has his work cut out for him. Specifically, Martin, of AC Martin Partners, is designing Downtown’s first new commercial high rise in 17 years.
The $1 billion hotel/residential/office complex to replace the aging Wilshire Grand hotel at Seventh and Figueroa streets was announced last month by Wilshire Grand owner Korean Air and developer Jim Thomas. The project is slated to include a 40-story hotel and residential tower, a 60-story office building and ground-floor retail space. They will be designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification standards and, despite the economic downturn, Thomas expects to break ground by 2011.
Martin spoke with Los Angeles Downtown News about the project, sustainable design and the challenges ahead.
Los Angeles Downtown News:
Downtown’s last new office tower, Two California Plaza, opened in 1992. How has the design process changed since then?
David Martin:
The basic physical dimensions, modules and numbers haven’t really changed much. What has changed tremendously is the thinking of how we build buildings. The buildings that we built 20 years ago were in a different world.
Obviously, the whole idea of sustainability is a big thing. How do we organize these buildings so they consume much, much less energy? Once we get the basics down, we look at how to tune the shape and form of the building to be much more energy-efficient.
Q: What are some of the environmentally friendly features planned for the project?
A:
We oriented the long part of the buildings, especially the office building, to more of a true north-south orientation and that makes a tremendous difference in the energy demands. We’ve done sun studies, so we know where on the building façade we can put photovoltaics [to capture solar energy]. We proposed 60 lineal feet of open-able windows. We’re also looking at the synergy between the hotel and office buildings. For example, the air-conditioning for the office building on a real hot day might generate a lot of heat… and the hotel needs heat for the water systems, as the biggest user of energy in a hotel is hot water.
Q: How does the attention to being “green” affect the look of the towers?
A:
On the south elevation, we’ll have overhangs to protect the sun from beaming on the glass, and on top of them we’ll use photovoltaics. From below, it will look like a series of overhangs.
In some of the renderings, the model looks all glass, and that’s not the intent. It would be glass and terra cotta, a material that is extremely durable. It’s baked earth, clay.
Q: How will this project connect to the neighborhood?
A:
The first thing that is interesting about the site is that it practically sits on a subway stop. We created the open space at the bottom to not only be connected to that, but also to be on the south side of the building, so it’s not always in the shade. And learning what we’ve learned over the years about how we organize retail and restaurants, the whole ground level should be about gathering and city life. We’re trying to avoid being too monumental at the base of the building. Sidewalks, street trees, land use around the plaza, where the sun shines, places to sit down and access to the subway are all part of our thinking.
Q: What visual impact do you want these towers to have?
A:
I think not since City Hall has there been such a building. One of the excitements of cities is the skyline. That’s particularly true of Los Angeles, and the way the buildings are not uniform, but varied. This is a building that actually comes to a point instead of being squared at the top; it gives a more organic view to the skyline. It’s a more organic form than geometric.
Q: What is the biggest challenge with this project?
A:
The biggest challenge, I think everyone would say, will be to have the building meet the marketplace. We’re assuming that out of the recession will come a period of growth, and I think there’s a lot of reason for optimism. One reason is the whole stature of Downtown — L.A. Live seems to be adding a lot of drama to the situation. But the biggest challenge will be to have those two ideas come together: a building for the future and a healthy market for that building.
Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.
page 6, 05/11/2009
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