Per L'Ora restaurant (photo credit: The Ingalls).
The iconic property is officially complete, with 241 rooms & suites and grand public spaces, including the opening of Per L’Ora, a new neighborhood restaurant, and Café Ora, a daytime cafe and market.
LOS ANGELES, CA – Hotel Per La Los Angeles, a new lifestyle property at 649 South Olive Street in Downtown Los Angeles, has officially opened its doors. The grand opening of the hotel includes the opening of the main restaurant, Per L’Ora, and daytime cafe and market, Café Ora.
Housed in the former Giannini Building built in 1922, which was originally the headquarters of the Bank of Italy, the opening follows a reimagining by HN Capital Partners, and Sage Hospitality Group. It features 241 rooms & suites as well as grand public spaces, including 10,000 square feet of event space, a main restaurant & bar, a daytime café, and a rooftop bar offering poolside drinks and dramatic views of the LA skyline.
A nod to the building’s storied beginning as a bank for the people, the “Per La” name translates to “for the” in Italian. Its founder, Amadeo Pietro Giannini, believed in the dignity and abilities of those commonly overlooked, signifying the hotel’s inclusive spirit and name, essentially meaning “for Los Angeles, and people like you.” The 12-story property retains the building’s signature architectural features, while enhancing the guest experience through grand, yet playful public spaces, and new food & drink concepts designed to encourage communal environment in the midst of the city's bustling downtown.
“While this hotel represents our first foray into Los Angeles as owners, it is a city we know and admire, and as always, our work is inspired by place, history, context and bringing together a team that is rooted in service and community. That is our goal at this beautiful hotel,” said Vipin Nambiar, Founder and Managing Partner of HN Capital Partners.
“We conceived of Hotel Per La quite literally for the people of DTLA and their guests,” said Jeremy Selman, Operating Partner at HN Capital Partners. “We wanted to create a place that truly represented the cultural and creative richness of this part of town where our neighbors and travelers could feel both at home and also immersed in all that makes Downtown LA special, while still celebrating the unbelievable canvas that the building and its history afforded us.”
“Our goal is to cultivate new and exciting experiences within the walls of all our properties, and to have an impact within the communities where they reside,” said Walter Isenberg, president and CEO of Sage Hospitality Group. “This property is no different in that we will cultivate a guest experience reflective of Downtown LA, true to the depth of hospitality inspiration that the city provides, and we will apply our nearly 40 years of operational excellence to enliven the overall guest experience. We are thrilled to officially open the doors to this iconic property.”
Per L’Ora, the hotel’s neighborhood restaurant, introduces Italian cuisine through a lens of Los Angeles culture and flavors. With spirited, easy-going Italian light bites and dishes, Per L’Ora offers an inviting space, evoking the comforting familiarity of feeling at home, while anchored in restaurant traditions of an old-school lobby rendered with a modern twist.
The main dining area features a light color palate, with early-aughts inspired design elements favored by organic, elegant forms, such as airy linens and botanical patterns, with relaxed slipcovered seating and a racetrack-shaped communal dining table in punchy marigold balancing function and glamour. Reupholstered furniture was given a new life in shades of cream and white, alongside a number of dramatic accent pieces: tables are covered by light marble; wallpaper with abstract shapes has given new energy to the space’s bookcases layered with California-inspired and sourced terracotta and pottery; and dramatic light fixtures with curved lines create a warm glow in the evening. The bar of the restaurant acts as a dramatic centerpiece, with a custom-made marble top in shades of green, grey, and white, and globe-shaped light fixtures, while custom white plasterwork on the front of the bar offers a new sense of texture.
The opening of Per L’Ora also coincides with a new welcoming coffee shop and market, Café Ora, modeled after a famous Venice coffeehouse, complete with a Gio Ponti Italian Murano Chandelier and a hand painted ceiling by New York based Dean Barger. Café Ora features a rotating selection of local roasters, breakfast pastries, grab and go items, and homemade gelato, along with retail products including a selection of locally made goods, like CBD products and dog treats, in addition to an approachable wine shelf and ready-to-drink cocktails.
The hotel is also home to Bar Clara, a more casual rooftop bar with sweeping cityscape views, offering poolside drinks, from vibrant cocktails to a carefully curated wine list, along with Mediterranean-inspired fare, all inspired by the herbal and citrus surroundings in the rooftop’s foliage. Paying homage to its namesake Claire Giannini, the first woman to serve on the bank’s board who broke barriers in social class and gender, the rooftop celebrates both the building’s history and Downtown Los Angeles today, offering a versatile environment for poolside lounging, afterwork drinks, and live collaborations with local musicians and culture makers.
A member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Per La also features a variety of indoor and outdoor public spaces for hosting events from 12 to 850 people, from a lush courtyard on the second floor to various intimate and larger settings throughout the ground floor, mezzanine, and rooftop.
Much of the building’s Neoclassical style, such as its Doric columns, ornate golden & blue ceiling, and marble floors, have been preserved in Hotel Per La’s public spaces and incorporated alongside a new playful and approachable design reflective of the city’s diversity of cultures and characters. Reimagined by local Los Angeles interior designer Jaqui Seerman, contemporary furnishings, airy linens, amorphic lighting, and pops of bright colors that feel distinctively LA are woven throughout the open public spaces and flooded by California sunshine. The space features commissioned art, while many of the furnishings and décor were sourced from local LA artisans, including decorative wall lighting from Downtown LA’s Edition Modern, hand-painted pots by Pasadena-based artist Jill Spector, and hand-thrown ceiling lights created by LA-based ceramist and lighting designer Neptune Glass.
Designed by French architect and designer Jacques Garcia, each of Per La’s 241 rooms & suites look to Italy for inspiration. The guest rooms’ color palette is drawn from the property’s fully restored gold and blue Italianate ceiling located in the lobby. Each room is appointed with custom designed furnishings such as antique Persian rugs in saturated, vibrant colors, and artwork from Paris / New York-based design studio Saint Lazare, sourcing vintage art pieces from antique stores throughout the globe, combined with various collections from Portraits de Villes, as well as original photographs and illustrations from commissioned artists.
Locally sourced private bars are curated to showcase the ingenuity and sensibilities of LA culture, with options to satisfy every craving from savory snacks such as Root Foods Co. potato chips, to sweeter offerings like CA Gummy Bears and toffee almond bars by Valerie Confections, along with CBD-infused products including chocolate truffles from Calivolve and Rose Delight’s Turkish Delight Boxes. Drink options include Drnxmyth ready to shake cocktails and watermelon-chili seltzers from Flying Embers Brewery.
The rooms also feature a marble writing desk with settee, Tivoli Bluetooth radio clocks, and large flat screen televisions, while the European-style bathrooms are complete with Terrazzo floored walk-in showers with luxury bath amenities from Argan Perfume d’arganier, with many rooms also featuring freestanding pedestal bathtubs.
The spirit of Hotel Per La offers a welcoming, new, community-driven experience for Downtown Los Angeles, which is in the midst of a cultural renaissance. Set in the most walkable district of the city, Per La provides guests with a unique, car free way to experience Downtown Los Angeles, nearby to some of the city’s most notable dining, shopping, and entertainment. Conveniently situated and providing easy access to other desirable neighborhoods, like Hollywood and Santa Monica, the hotel is a short drive to both Los Angeles International Airport and Bob Hope Airport.
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She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
