The glitz, glamour and celebrity allure endemic to Hollywood has spread to Downtown L.A., where a renaissance has brought the once deserted neighborhood back to life with new hotels, museums, concert halls, funky bars and trendy restaurants.
Both areas know how to turn on the charm for groups with a mix of classic and sparkling new venues that range from 1920s-era grand theaters to chic rooftop bars.
The valleys, both San Gabriel and San Fernando, each has star appeal, from the myriad television studios in Burbank to Pasadena's annual Tournament of Roses Parade.
"Each area is unique and different," says Michael Krouse, senior vice president of sales for LA Inc., the city's CVB. "Hollywood tends to have cache. People still see it as where you go for entertainment. It offers an amazing high-end experience. Downtown is a larger meeting experience, with the Los Angeles Convention Center and more meeting space. The valleys have more of a business environment."
To help planners distinguish between all the areas, LA Inc. will soon be focusing on marketing its various regions with the help of added funds derived from a new 1.5 percent hotel assessment fee on top of its current 14 percent hotel tax rate. The fee is on hotel room rates only for hotels with 50 rooms or more. The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved the creation of a Tourism Marketing District (TMD), which will be funded by the rate hike and will be designed to generate money for business and leisure tourism promotion.
"We already did surveys of meeting planners, and our room rates are so much lower than the competition, and taxes are higher in so many other cities, so the assessment rate won't impact the planner," Krouse says.
Meanwhile, L.A. will have the chance to test its success next April as the host of International Pow Wow 2012, a premier travel industry marketplace.
Downtown Los Angeles
Over the past decade, downtown L.A. has received a Hollywood-style makeover. Home to the Fashion District, Little Tokyo, Chinatown and the Olvera Street Mexican marketplace, the area's cultural diversity has always been a distinguishing factor.
Today, the downtown area is a bustling hub, with stylish restaurants, hip bars, museums and a burgeoning art scene along Gallery Row, in addition to the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Much of the focus has been on the L.A. Live entertainment complex, home to the Staples Center, Grammy Museum, 7,100-seat Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Conga Room, ESPN Zone and Lucky Strike Lanes, among other attractions.
Last year, two new hotels debuted at L.A. Live: JW Marriott L.A. Live and The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles at L.A. Live. Along with the increase in hotel rooms, an uptick in the number of downtown residences has helped fuel the downtown buzz.
"We're slammed here now on weekends," Krouse says. "You used to be able to shoot a cannon through here six years ago. With the addition of L.A. Live, now all of a sudden all hotel brands want to build a hotel downtown."
Some projects in the works include a Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn Los Angeles combined in one building. The project, which is slated to open in early 2013 across from the L.A. Live hotels, will add 370 guest rooms and a small meeting space.
Meanwhile, the Wilshire Grand Hotel will be closing and the building will be torn down to build a new hotel combined with a residence. The new brand has not been announced, though Krouse says it will be a meetings hotel.
Another development was the transformation of the former Holiday Inn into The Luxe City Center, with 164 rooms and suites.
"It's critical to have a higher-end product next to L.A. Live and the convention center," Krouse says.
Other downtown hotels include the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites, the Standard Los Angeles-Downtown, the Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown, the historic Hilton Checkers Los Angeles and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles.
Downtown L.A. is home to various attractions, including L.A.'s Music Center, encompassing Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall, home to the L.A. Philharmonic; the Ahmanson Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Groups can also use the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), MOCA at the Geffen and the Japanese American National Museum for off-site events.
The California Science Center, a popular off-site venue near the convention center, will be home to the Endeavor space shuttle, with the exhibit opening by next summer.
Hollywood
As Hollywood nears its 125th birthday next February, the old gal is still charming visitors with her storied icons, including Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Walk of Fame, the famed Hollywood Sign and the Hollywood Bowl.
While Hollywood's images are larger than life, the destination tends to attract small meeting groups, according to Kaylee Kiecker, vice president of marketing and business development for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
"Small meetings are on the upswing on the corporate side," Kiecker says.
Meanwhile, the Kodak Theatre, home of the Academy Awards and located at the Hollywood & Highland shopping and entertainment development, is grabbing the spotlight.
"The big story is the new Cirque du Soleil show at the Kodak Theatre this summer," Kiecker says.
Starting this month, the Kodak Theatre will house Los Angeles' first permanent Cirque du Soleil production, IRIS, A Journey through the World of Cinema. The show combines dance, acrobatics, live video, filmed sequences and animation as it journeys through the history of cinema.
One group trend is utilizing unique meeting space, according to Kiecker.
"Nightclubs like The Kress, with outdoor function space, are popular," Kiecker says.
Other unique hot spots include Madame
Tussauds Hollywood's rooftop area and Drai's on the rooftop of the W Hollywood.
Hollywood is also seeing new restaurants and a plethora of celebrity chefs. A new group magnet is Rolling Stone LA, the magazine's first concept restaurant, located at Hollywood & Highland. The venue offers event space.
Meetings hotels include the W Hollywood and the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa, located at Hollywood & Highland Center. Another meetings favorite, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, is undergoing renovations that include a new group venue, Spare Room, with a bowling alley and bar. The space lends itself to VIP groups, as does the hotel's Tropicana Bar by the pool.
Meanwhile, the SBE group recently introduced the 57-room Redbury Hotel at Hollywood and Vine. The boutique hotel is home to one of L.A.'s trendiest restaurants, Cleo, which welcomes groups, as well as the event-ready Library Bar.
The Valleys
East of Los Angeles and south of the San Gabriel Mountains, the San Gabriel Valley consists of over 30 cities and a handful of unincorporated communities. Chief among the cities is Pasadena, whose annual Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day projects it into the limelight.
"'Simply More' is the tagline for Pasadena," says Christine Carchia, director of sales and client services for the Pasadena CVB. "Pasadena is a very sophisticated small town. When groups come here, they own the town. They can come and enjoy Pasadena and get the benefits of a world-class city but none of the pitfalls."
The Pasadena Convention Center, which opened in 2009, received its LEED Gold certification this year. It offers 55,000 square feet of new exhibit space and a 25,000-square-foot ballroom.
"We're very popular with groups who are outgrowing their convention hotels and are ready for their first convention center," Carchia says.
Pasadena's biggest challenge is general awareness, according to Carchia.
"People are surprised how much there is to do here and how walkable the city is."
Groups are also surprised how close Pasadena is to downtown L.A., only 11 miles away and accessible on the Metro Gold Line. Old Pasadena, with all its shops and restaurants, is within walking distance of the convention center.
"Pasadena is a food town," Carchia says. "We have some wonderful restaurants and there is a terrific walking historical food tour of Old Pasadena from Melting Pot Food Tours. We take our food very seriously. Julia Child was born in Pasadena."
Outside of the downtown area, the Norton Simon Museum of Art, the Pacific Asian Museum and the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens are all open for groups. Other venues include the Wrigley Mansion and the Descanso Gardens. Groups can also host events at the Rose Bowl.
In September, Pasadena will open a new ice-skating facility to replace its current rink, which is home to the oldest hockey league in Southern California. Groups will be able to host events at the new space.
Meeting-friendly hotels include the Hilton Pasadena, Westin Pasadena, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa, Pasadena and Old Pasadena Courtyard by Marriott.
The San Fernando Valley takes pride in its own celebrity status as home to all the major television studios as well as Universal Studios. Dubbed Valley of the Stars, the valley consists of Burbank, Glendale, Woodland Hills, Studio City and Universal City.
Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City features a theme park and Universal CityWalk, a shopping and entertainment center with an IMAX theater, among other attractions.
"Universal Studios is a big attraction, but the fact that television studios are based here, and Disney and Warner studios, with much of the movie production based here in the valley—those are the major drivers of the business segments using hotels for conventions and activities," says Ron Wood, president and CEO of the Valley Economic Alliance, which works with the Valley Bureau of Tourism.
Planners can organize group tickets to various television shows such as the Tonight Show and Dancing With the Stars. Additionally, most of the major studios, such as CBS and NBC, will do backstage tours and some are open to hosting dinners and receptions on the lot.
NoHo, or North Hollywood, is also part of the San Fernando Valley and has blossomed in recent years with community theaters and restaurants. The area also benefits from its link to the Metro Red Line, connecting it to downtown L.A.
New to the scene is the 1,700-seat Valley Performing Arts Center on the campus of California State University, Northridge. The facility hosts dance, opera, theater and symphony performances.
The Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley offers rooms and outdoor venues capable of hosting up to 1,500 guests.
The Valley's main meetings properties include the Sheraton Universal Hotel, the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City, the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn, the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel and the Hilton Los Angeles North/Glendale Hotel & Executive Meeting Center.
