The second largest city in the U.S. constantly recreates itself, always adding to its list of exciting attractions. The following is a brief synopsis of upcoming sites to see. (Contact names and numbers are for media use only.)
2013
Accommodations
The Moment (Hollywood) – Newport Beach-based Broughton Hotels is scheduled to open a new boutique hotel called, The Moment, in March 2013, with 39 rooms and one suite. The hotel will include the Moment Deck & Bar, a 2,000-square-foot deck with views of the Hollywood Hills. Rooms will be painted with "accent walls" in orange, green or purple, and start at $199 a night. www.themomenthotel.com Media contact: Kris Ferraro, Jeff Wagner Agency, 323.461.1011, kris@jeffwagneragency.com.
The L.A. Hotel (Downtown) — As The L.A. Hotel Downtown undergoes its $20-million renovation, it will join the Hyatt family as a Hyatt Regency, debuting in spring 2013. Renovations will bring an all-new modern look to the hotel, including an elegant and contemporary design, service upgrades to each of its 400 guest rooms and 69 suites, public spaces, meeting and event areas, business and fitness centers, restaurants and grand lobby. The more than 25,000-square-feet of meeting and event space, including its 23 versatile meeting rooms, two ballrooms, and nearly 4,000-square-feet of pre-function space, will receive exquisite new design upgrades as well as new floor plans. The L.A. Hotel Downtown is close to L.A. LIVE, STAPLES Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall and many major businesses. 213.617.1133; www.thelahotel.com. Media contact: Libby Zarrahy, 213.617.6036; libby.zarrahy@hyatt.com.
Air Service
New Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX (LAX) — The $1.7-billion new Tom Bradley International Terminal will create a world-class terminal that offers better passenger convenience, amenities and services and solidifies LA’s role as an international gateway. Opening Summer 2013. Contact: Nancy Castles, 310.646.5260, ncastles@lawa.org; www.lawa.org
Arts & Culture
Natural History Museum (Downtown) — July 2013 will bring the opening of "Becoming Los Angeles," a permanent exhibit at the Natural History Museum focusing on environmental and cultural history in Southern California. The museum also celebrates its centennial in 2013. Contact: Rachel Bauch, 310.882.4013, bauchr@ruderfinn.com; www.nhm.org
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (Westside) — A new, $50-million venue for the performing arts is planned to open in fall 2013. In addition to transforming and preserving the historic 1930s Beverly Hills post office into a 150-seat theater, the center will also include a 500-seat contemporary theater. Contact: Lou Moore, 310.246.3800; www.annenbergbh.com.
Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (Downtown) – The first museum in Southern California dedicated entirely to the Italian-American experience is being built in the historic Italian Hall adjacent to Olvera Street. The interactive museum will document the history and continuing contributions of Italian-Americans and highlight the once-vibrant Italian community in early Los Angeles. Contact: Marianna Gatto, 213.485.8432, mariann.gatto@lacity.org; www.italianhall.org.
Attractions
New Attractions Added to Hollywood CityPASS (Hollywood) – Beginning March 1, 2013, Hollywood CityPASS will expand its discounted attraction offerings to include:
Starline Movie Star’s Homes Tour or CitySightseeing Hop-on, Hop-off Multilingual City Tour, Madame Tussauds Hollywood, Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes Tour, Dolby Theatre Guided Tour or The Hollywood Museum. The new program will run through Feb. 28, 2014. Contact: Kathleen Plourde, 208.787.4300, x 107, kat@citypass.com; www.citypass.com/hollywood.
2014
Accommodations
Residence Inn and Courtyard by Marriott (Downtown) — In June 2012, developers broke ground on the $172-million, 373,000-square-foot hotel project in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. The new hotel development -- comprising a 23-story high-rise housing a 174-room Courtyard by Marriott and a 218-room Residence Inn by Marriott, including 11,754 square feet of meeting facilities and 5,100 square feet of restaurant space -- is slated to open in summer 2014. The hotels represent the first dual construction of a Residence Inn and Courtyard by Marriott on the West Coast. The Residence Inn by Marriott® will feature spacious suites equipped with full kitchens and separate living and sleeping areas. The hotel project will be managed by Marriott International. www.LALIVE.com, www.news.marriott.com. Media contact: Laurie Goldstein, 301.380.5296, laurie.goldstein@marriott.com
Arts & Culture
The Broad Los Angeles (Downtown) — Located across the street from Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Museum of Contemporary Art, a new contemporary art museum will open in early 2014 o display Eli and Edythe Broad's extensive collection of contemporary art. A stunning honeycombed “veil” will wrap the three-story, 120,000-square-foot museum. Other highlights of the $100 million project include almost an acre of column-free gallery space, a lecture hall for up to 200 people, a ground-floor multimedia gallery, and a public lobby with display space and a museum shop. Contact: Karen Denne, 310.954.5058, kdenne@broadfoundation.org; www.broadartfoundation.com
Museum of Neon Art (San Fernando Valley) — The new, 10,000-square-foot museum site, opening in early 2014 in Glendale, will include permanent and rotating exhibition spaces and a neon fabricating facility, as well as a café and gift shop. MONA will feature a permanent collection of more than 50 vintage neon signs and change exhibitions of contemporary neon art and kinetic art every six months. Contact: Kim Koga, Executive Director, 213.489.9918, info@neonmona.org; www.neonmona.org.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (Hollywood) – The much-anticipated Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (AMMP) is heading to the historic May Co. department store building at Wilshire Blvd and Fairfax Ave, currently known as LACMA West. The museum will celebrate and explore how film has reflected and shaped world culture and will feature permanent and rotating exhibits in the facility’s 300,000 square feet. Contact: Leslie Unger, 310.247.3090, lunger@oscars.org; www.moviemuseum.org
Wende Museum (Westside) – The Wende Museum will open its collection in a newer, larger location, near Culver Boulevard and Overland Avenue in Culver City. The move will allow the museum to be open to the public more days of the week and display more of its collection, including 10 pieces of the Berlin Wall. The collections of the Wende Museum concentrate on preservation of cultural, political artifacts and documentary materials that are at-risk or are critical to scholarly investigation, and personal artifacts and histories of the Cold War. Contact: Justin Jampol, 310.216.1600, ext. 302, jjampol@wendemuseum.org; www.wendemuseum.org.
ABOUT LOS ANGELES TOURISM & CONVENTION BOARD
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is a private, nonprofit business association whose primary mission is to market and promote Los Angeles as the premier site for leisure travel, meetings and conventions. Though not part of City government, LA Tourism is recognized as the City’s official tourism marketing organization. For more information, visit the official visitor information website of Los Angeles at www.discoverLosAngeles.com, www.facebook.com/LosAngelesFan or go to Twitter @discoverLA.
CONTACT US
Susan Lomax
Vice President
Communications
Phone: 213.236.2397
Fax: 213.624.9746
slomax@latourism.org