Years in from its last refurb, this place is still fabulous. Despite becoming somewhat of an LA landmark, it retains so much of the minimalist, sophisticated and yet theatrical feel of the original hotel it set out to be. Some older LA-ers will tell you that it used to be a dull old apartment building, but the dynamic duo of Schrager and Starck used the Mondrian’s location and jaw-dropping views to turn the mundane into something heavenly. We mean this both metaphorically and physically. From an elevated perspective, looking back down onto the twinkling Los Angeles down the hill below from the hotel’s poolside, you’d be excused for thinking that you’re sharing ambrosia with the deities. But all this is classic Schrager design philosophy – the lighting, clean lines, plenty of white, juxtaposed with subtle textures; creating the perfect canvas for you to rock your Cavalli with the made-its and wannabes in the hotel’s Skybar. `
The staff are beautiful, we assume that they’re all actors or models on their own road to stardom. At times they seem more concerned about whether you’re a famous film director or casting agent than the job at hand, but hey, what do you expect? This is LA LA land.
