[pesto]

I found Hawthorne a bit arch and catty (like maybe he really wants to be a NY critic talking to a NY audience).

Just from the pictures, I am very impressed.

It looks like the usual W dark minimalism is mixed in with a lot of light and some glitz. Sort of NY cool meets Miami heat, which in some ways describes LA. A very LA/SoCal element is the disregard for ostentation or decoration for its own sake which is often present in upscale hotels. It seems that you would be comfortable walking in in street clothes, where many hotels make you feel like you should be wearing a suit or black hipster gear.