The Kimpton Hotel Wilshire is located in the heart of Los Angeles, near Beverly Hills. I’m staying at this property not because I’m traveling, but because I like trying out new locations and I’m taking advantage of a recent “double stay credit” promotion.
In This Post
The Hotel Wilshire, a Kimpton Hotel
The property is located along Wilshire Blvd, a main thoroughfare in Los Angeles that connects Downtown LA with “the West Side”. It is located at 6317 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90048.
The Hotel Wilshire‘s rooftop bar was recently promoted on the Kimpton.com home page.
The hotel is a 6 story building, with a rooftop pool and restaurant/bar. If you’re lucky (or rich) enough, there’s also a Penthouse unit available, with access right off the rooftop. The rooftop offers great views of the Hollywood Hills, and you can see both the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory on a clear day.
I arrived just after 6pm, which is when the normal “Wine Hour” ends. I asked the front desk if it was too late to get a glass, and they said no problem… they could either bring the glass up to my room or have it waiting for me at the front desk after I got settled in. After dropping off my bags, I went for a short walk and a nice, full glass of Pinot was waiting for me.
My Santa Monica Suite
I made my reservation for a base level room during the promotion offering “double stay credits” a month or two ago. This stay is my 10th unique Kimpton property this year, and that will earn me 2 free nights at any Kimpton property across their portfolio. So many awesome properties to choose from… where will we stay?!?! Additionally, this stay also allowed me to qualifying for Kimpton Karma Inner Circle for 2016 by earning 14 stay credits… AND I am two stays closer to earning another free night, which you earn after every 7 stays. #winning!
Rates vary by season and day of the week. During a quick search, I found the Santa Monica Suite ranging from $334 to almost $500 per night. I paid far less than that for my standard room. Getting upgraded due to my Inner Circle status has some serious value!
Check out what other people are saying about the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire, or any other property, using my affiliate link below to get the best rates through TripAdvisor. And if you’d like to know which credit card is the best one to use for your travel expenses, click here to receive my free travel advice.
The Kimpton website describes the Santa Monica suite as “Perfect for: Families or groups who want a little privacy between the sleeping areas. Why You’ll Love it: Waking up and soaking in partial views of the Hollywood Hills”. The website lists normal features then continues to describe the room as “Stretch out and relax in our spacious 540 sq. ft. Santa Monica One Bedroom Suite with king bed. The Living room has a sofa sleeper and the dining table for six is perfect for entertaining.”
I can certainly say that I am beyond impressed with this room. If I didn’t have two big dogs and wanted to live in the city, I could imagine this is what my condo/apartment would look like.
When you walk in, to the right is a wet bar where all the usual goodies are located. Don’t forget your “$10 raid the mini bar” credit. I grabbed a bottle of Maker’s Mark for later.
As you continue into the room, there is a large dining table and modern lamp for eating meals or doing work. I wish there was an ability to increase the light in the room, because it was a little too dark for my liking while working on a computer. The window above the dining table offered a great view of the Hollywood Hills, even though I was only on the 3rd floor. Beyond the table is a pullout couch and a flat screen TV.
On the table was a great welcome amenity with fresh fruit, chocolate covered pretzels, gummie bears, Reese’s, and three Firestone Brewing 805 beers. Kimpton loves to spoil their loyal guests!
The bedroom was very comfortable, as usual. Every property has little quirks, and the closet had a little built-in nightstand for additional storage of clothes. Great idea if this was your home… not sure how functional it is for a hotel? I know I’m paranoid enough as it is about leaving something behind. I can definitely see forgetting something if I used those drawers!
Another personal touch by Kimpton Hotel Wilshire was an email a few days in advance of my stay asking for a personal photo. I emailed back with a family portrait we had done in June by David Esquire of Esquire Photography. (He’s amazing by the way… so if you need a family or wedding photographer, he’s your guy. Just tell them that Bald Thoughts sent you!) When I arrived, there was a nicely framed photo of our family sitting on the nightstand. This nice touch made me feel so much more at home!
Although there is a great view of the mountains, don’t bother looking outside the other windows. They face the parking lot of the building next door and the alleyway behind the hotel. Both are views that detract from the awesomeness of the room… so just keep your drapes shut.
The bathroom was spacious and the shower was big enough to easily fit 4 people. Seeing the large rainfall shower head made me anticipate an awesome shower experience. Unfortunately, when I took a shower, the water pressure was not that great. <<sad face>> The water pressure couldn’t make it beyond the halfway mark of the shower floor. Hopefully the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire’s maintenance staff can address this issue for future guests.
Rooftop dining at “The Roof On Wilshire”
To get to the roof, you take the elevator to the 6th floor, then take another elevator to the roof. This 2nd elevator also serves as access to the Penthouse I mentioned earlier. On the roof of this hotel, there is a pool and dining area. The pool is a wading/lounging pool, and not a swimming pool, since it is only 3 feet deep. I was informed by the hostess (in typical “I’m so bothered talking to you” LA style) that the pool closes at 6pm, so I wasn’t able to use it during my stay. Only in LA can there a pool that you can look at, but can’t use. hahaha
The restaurant/bar/lounge known as The Roof On Wilshire was definitely a trend spot. The menu offered many “fushion” options and prices that matched. I’m more of a basic and frugal eater, so the menu wasn’t my style.
It would have been nice to lounge up there with friends in one of the many seating options – near the fire pit, under a cabana, or one of the tables for two.
The view of the Hollywood Hills is great, and I can imagine sunsets are pretty epic to witness up on the roof.
No Gym on-site
Unfortunately, there is not a gym on premises. At the front desk, they offer passes to the nearby LA Fitness, which is about a ½ mile away. Although I’m motivated to work out when traveling, the thought of leaving the building to find a gym deflates my enthusiasm faster than the Patriots deflate footballs in an AFC Championship game. Hahaha So, needless to say, I didn’t take them up on the offer of free passes to the gym.
You’ll have to pay for Parking
Valet parking is $35, plus a city tax of 10%. Some Kimpton properties offer a discount when you have a hybrid or electric vehicle, but this located doesn’t. I was told that they haven’t offered this discount in a couple of years, but that wasn’t the case in San Diego a couple of months ago when the Hotel La Jolla and Solamar properties definitely gave me a discount for parking my Tahoe Hybrid and Volt on different occasions.
In cities like Los Angeles, parking is always a premium, so don’t expect to find anything free. Use an app like BestParking to find cheaper alternatives! I found options as low as $16 relatively close.
Conclusion
The Kimpton Hotel Wilshire is a very nice property located in the heart of Los Angeles. It offers amazing rooms and a rooftop pool and bar to soak in the LA scene. If you’re looking to stay in Los Angeles on your next trip, it is worthy of your consideration.
That is a pretty unique experience. Kimpton really goes out of their way to make inner circle members feel welcome.
The fact that they framed that picture for you is amazing. I’ve never seen that before.
Nice review.
I stayed at two or three Kimptons in the past and think I might have received two or three cans of coke. No beer or snacks like you got! But the wine reception is a nice touch. Are they serving appetizers now with the wine?
Thanks John! The Kimpton Karma program is pretty great, especially once you reach Inner Circle status. The more I stay with Kimpton, the more impressed I am with their service. The wine reception is a great way to enjoy the evening. Most of the time there are no appetizers served, but it’s hard to complain with an hour’s worth of free wine. The Embassy Suites happy hour is my favorite in terms of food and drinks, but this is a close second given how much nicer the Kimpton’s properties are compared to Embassy Suites.