The Ritz-Carlton Finally Coming to Los Angeles in 2010

’Ritzy’ Los Angeles will finally get a half-way decent hotel now that world-class hotel The Ritz-Carlton has announced a Downtown location, their first proper LA city location, scheduled to open in less than three years in 2010. In other news, the year 2010 is less than three years away.

The timing of the Ritz annoucement can only be interpreted as a shot fired right across the the bow of Frank Gehry’s Grand Avenue project which released supercool CGI renderings of that competing mixed use development on the same day. Oh, it’s on. L.A. Live vs. Grand Avenue–choose your sides now.

From the press release:

The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, a 123-room “all club” hotel will be situated on the upper floors of a 54-story tower which will also include 224 private condominiums, The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live.

Current Ritz-Carlton Guest Room Features & Amenities we can surely expect at the upcoming Ritz-Carlton:

  • Feather beds 400-thread count fine linens
  • Upscale mini-bar with Opus One wine
  • State-of-the-art flat screen television and DVD player
  • High-speed Internet access

One can only imagine what “state of the art” will mean for TVs and DVD players in the year 2010. Probably some crazy 3-D IMAX shit beamed from your iPhone directly into your retinas.

While none of those supercool CGI artist renderings are yet available, this description was given:

The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles will feature a metal and glass curtain wall exterior, and will consist of both vision and non-vision glass units in colors of blue and green and patterns to create a distinctive profile in the downtown skyline.

Metal and glass curtain wall exteriors are so 2009, so let’s hope that they improve on this by the time they start to pour the cement.

Asked to comment on the news of the forthcoming hotel, which features $1000 a night suites, due to open in his neighborhood, current Downtown open-air resident, Jerry James “J.J.” Washington said, “Who put what (in the) whatnow where?”