I am not able to attend the launch this week where The Los Angeles Historic Theater Foundation will provide a very informative look at the space then and now, or be able to see the final reveal of the property, but I was able to connect with the ACE Downtown Los Angeles team to get all the last minute details going into the opening. Ace says it best when they describe their company by saying, “Ace Hotel reinvents hospitality to make something fresh, energized and human. We embrace and re-imagine classic buildings and interesting opportunities, creating a sense of history and place that pairs the pragmatic with the romantic. Our hotels are inspired by an affinity for the soulful and fueled by localized and handmade culture.”

It’s located at 929 S. Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles, site of the historic United Artists building and theater – a Broadway landmark built in 1927. What an amazing sight it would have been then, when it was infamous for being the flagship for United Artists, the maverick film studio founded by Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith. Careful to preserve this legacy, Ace Hotel has reactivated a 1,600-seat performance space in the Spanish Gothic, original marquis theater of United Artists, which will also house a screening room. Several favorites for me when looking at this property are the Rooftop lounge and La Chapter Restaurant. The rooftop space was transformed into an indoor/outdoor lounge and pool inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House and the legendary Hollywood night spot Les Deux Café, and aptly named Upstairs. La Chapter has been developed with partner, Restauranter Jud Mongell, and eager to get to know the locals and guests while serving up locally sourced, home style provisions in a friendly atmosphere.

For the hotel and theater’s interiors, Los Angeles-based design collective Commune has worked collaboratively with Atelier Ace on the design of public spaces and guest rooms that reflect the rich architectural heritage of its surroundings. This transformation promises to resurrect the original, ornate Spanish Gothic details and the iconic theater marquee above the main doors. This monumental movement by Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles looks to bring the magic back to going to the theater – only now you can book a room and spend a few days in this national treasure.