When Francis Ford Coppola purchased the building in 1955 — for a mere $700,000 — he envisioned it as a private club for the stars, but eight years later the Great Depression sent luxury-loving moviegoers scurrying for bargains, and so the club was converted into a boozer. Today, however, the 43-year-old building has seen better days, but it has been slowly upgraded in recent years. (Three years ago, the Sunset Boulevard club closed and has been undergoing major renovations.) Now, El Camino Real is getting a major facelift — at an elegant cost of $9 million. The 11-story, 141-room hotel, which is also home to several condos, has been turned into a boutique property, with elegant touches like beige marble floors and ultramodern furnishings.
The lobby of El Camino Real. (Photo: from the website )
Luxury beyond stylist dressing: Print your own stylish selfie mirror. Guests can also connect to the “luxury concierge” service, available 24 hours a day, on-site at http://elcaminorajopolitan.com . Kicked Up: During reno time, Kicked Up makes a special effort to include restaurant fans in the renovations. This week, for example, El Camino Real is hosting a pop-up of Jazzwerks, a contemporary jazz bar in Culver City, CA, during a “restoration week.” Saturday and Sunday evening, Dec. 8 and 9, seating will begin at 5 p.m. “Jazzwerks and El Camino Real are joined at the hip, and we are thrilled to bring together some of the city’s most talented musicians to celebrate the design and architecture,” said Andrew Stolz, general manager. “There is a new nightlife in Los Angeles, and the restaurant offers a thrilling respite from work and night life, located next to hotels and technology companies.”
Kicked Up: Decorated with abstract artwork by Michael Carrier and art by Tiana Bondareff, the design features sleek floors, decorative tile and stone walls. Maintaining the new aesthetic, the hotel has refurnished the reception area with natural tones, including mixing sunflower yellow and warm moss brown with a calming teal “after dark” hue.
As for the new lobby, guests will encounter a forest of brown with fixtures and walls covered in aluminum work, helping create an ambient atmosphere. Similarly, at the bar, the expansive marble seating is a fantastic backdrop for cutting-edge cocktails, including the recently-launched and award-winning whiskey and soda mixer, the Amargo Tapas-e Keg.
Jazzwerks pop-up will be at El Camino Real through Dec. 10. Jazzwerks is a menu of four versions of wood-fired dinners, grilled and bar-cut meats and seafood, which are only available on the weekends (except for the French Toast Day Celebration, on Dec. 8 and 9) and Sundays at The Quarters + Lounge.
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