05/18/04

A bastion of style amid giant downtown skyscrapers.

by Contributor

The Scene
One of downtown's most comfortable hotels, this property is set amidst a sea of high-rises. Its crowning jewel is the chaise-lounge-endowed rooftop sundeck and pool, which offer dazzling views of the city lights during pleasant Southern California evenings.

The Details
This stylish boutique hotel was renovated in 2003. While the rooms are not large, they are nicely appointed in California contemporary style, with furnishings such as flat-screen televisions and leather chairs. Beyond the regular amenities, which include a Jacuzzi, fitness room and spa, there is an elegant restaurant, also called Checkers, serving fine contemporary cuisine with international influences. The property is located just steps away from major downtown office buildings and within comfortable walking distance of the Music Center and Museum of Contemporary Art.

02/10/04

Very Nice Hotel

by mattrm3

I have been staying at the Hilton Checkers every week for the past two months. Overall, it has been a very good hotel experience.

On the first week at this hotel, housekeeping 'lost' 4 of my dress shirts when I asked them to be laundered. Fortunately, the director of housekeeping agreed to refund an amount that more than covered the cost of the shirts. Had he not fixed this problem, Hilton would have lost months of my business.

The hotel is very clean, with courteous staff, the workout room is small, but has several free-weights, and the outdoor patio/pool/hot tub is neat as it overlooks downtown. The only two bad things about the hotel are that a few rooms are small, but even these rooms are not bad, and the hotel is down a huge hill from several office buildings and it is quite a walk in the mornings.

• Pros: Clean Hotel, Workout facility, Not too crowded