Downtown

In a Frank Gehry building just across from the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Conrad has sleek bedrooms, a pretty pool, two José Andrés restaurants, and infrared saunas and binaural beats at the spa. It’s easily the best place to stay on Bunker Hill.

Sonoratown is sensational. The meats here are charred over a mesquite grill instead of a flat-top. The carne asada is made with beef short rib instead of the traditional skirt steak. They have another location in Miracle Mile, if you happen to be coming from the Westside.

Hotel Per La is colorful and luxe without feeling too formal: The lofty lobby feels like verdant Italian garden; the rooms are chic and comfortable—some have standing tubs and courtyard patios. A rooftop with gorgeous views and a pool (and poolside bar, Bar Clara) make it the perfect downtown respite. Their ground-floor restaurant, Per L’Ora, serves excellent apertivos and agnolotti.

Whether you order the mushroom or the adobada tacos, get it “con todos”—the team applies salsa, onions, and other toppings with mixologist-level precision. Victor Delgado and Jorge “Joy” Alvarez-Tostado understand, in the same way a white-tablecloth restaurant does, that the excitement and energy a dish is served with is critical to the dining experience—their version is just way more fun.

We’re longtime fans of the Proper hotels—and interior designer Kelly Wearstler’s worked some magic with this one again. The rooms, while mostly on the snug side, are gorgeously designed. There’s a rooftop pool with views of DTLA. And then there are the three excellent restaurants: Downstairs, James Beard Award-winning team of chef Suzanne Goin and restauranteur Caroline Styne run the Portuguese-inspired Caldo Verde. Dahlia is the speakeasy bar—it’s great for intimate nights out. And don’t skip the rooftop restaurant, Cara Cara, at sundown.

It took two years to restore this hotel to its 1926 glory, or what the hotel calls its “Spanish colonial splendor.” And it was worth it: Impressively grand common areas with soaring ceilings; hundreds of rooms, each classic and modern with a few artful touches thrown in; and an unusual (very cool) coffin-shaped pool surrounded by cacti. The hotel also makes an impressive showing of places to eat and drink: Veranda for Mexico City-inspired meals and Bar Figueroa for an old-Hollywood vibe. In fact, if you don’t stay here, it’s absolutely worth to at least stay the evening.

Sharp Parmesan, salty feta, bouncy mozzarella, and white Cheddar are all now available for curbside delivery, so we grate them over pasta, add to soups, or nibble on with a wedge of apple in the afternoon. Cheese is a true kitchen hero, and to our minds, DTLA cheese is a refrigerator essential. Hop on the site to browse the selection and place an order.

One of the best things about the Hoxton’s approach to hospitality is that the hotel caters to people who just want to relax as well as bon vivants who just want to be bon vivants. Whether you post up in the lobby, which takes design cues from the building’s Beaux Arts roots, or at the mid-century-modern-meets-monstera-garden rooftop bar and pool, the whole place hums with energy.

This simple, spacious dance and barre studio is in an iconic old building downtown. There's exposed brick and huge windows that let in tons of light—and give a good view of downtown—as you work out. But the main draw is owner Audra Skaates. A dancer, boxer, and professional athlete, Skaates has been empowering clients through dance and movement for more than two decades. She’s so incredibly fun to be around. And she makes you feel confident—even when you’re mid-plank during one of her workouts. This is an inclusive, empowering place to feel your best.

A brilliant idea for the coffee lover: serve multisourced coffees, kombuchas, and teas at one place. That's what Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea, the coffee shop in the recently redone Mayfair Hotel, does. Come here and you can get a Blue Bottle latte and your friend can get a Stumptown pour-over. The same goes for its bagged teas and coffee beans. We suggest trying something from the elixir menu, like the Flower Power Milk Tea: bright-blue Thai butterfly pea tea blended with matcha, jasmine syrup, and coconut milk. Slightly sweet, it's perfect paired with the vegan breakfast sandwich and enjoyed in one of the comfy chairs next to all the leafy plants.