Marriott’s New Downtown Project Is Two Hotels in One

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Despite the development boom underway in Downtown Los Angeles, tourism officials regularly complain that the city suffers from a shortage of hotel rooms.

The formal debut this week of a 23-story, 393-room Marriott hotel tower won’t quell those concerns, but area boosters do see it as a small but significant step toward fulfilling the demand.

A grand opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday, July 1, for a $172 million project that holds both a Courtyard by Marriott hotel and a Residence Inn in a single building. It is the first ground-up hotel project to open in Downtown since the 2010 arrival of the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels at L.A. Live.

The dual approach is evident throughout the building at 901 W. Olympic Blvd. (where guests actually started checking in this month). Although the hotels share a lobby, the hallways leading to the guest rooms are visually split in two: The Courtyard half of the floor features a lively orange design theme, while the Residence Inn side holds a purple palette. Each side has distinct lighting fixtures, art, carpet and other touches.