What is it? With its Philippe Starck-designed interior and the acclaimed Bazaar restaurant, SLS Hotel is an exciting addition to Los Angeles' hotel landscape. The SLS is minutes away from celebrity-infested West Hollywood.
What's it like inside? Starck has produced a fairytale palace of whimsy and fancy. Expect to find lamps fashioned out of machine guns, head-shaped side-tables and, in the reception, a life-size horse wearing a lampshade.
What about the rooms? There are 297 rooms, including 61 luxury suites. Seven of the suites are dedicated to fitness, each containing a Technogym Kinesis Personal, a system that allows you to perform more than 200 exercises.
What about dining? Headed by Spanish chef Jose Andres, Bazaar (right) recently received a four-star review in the Los Angeles Times. The menu has a molecular gastronomy influence; after starting with a liquid-nitrogen caipirinha, you can try a Caprese salad with liquidised mozzarella balls, king crab with fresh raspberries and a Philly cheesesteak topped with Wagyu beef. Options in the Patisserie range from a creamy chocolate heart to tiny tart apples in a red wine reduction.
And wellness? SLS has six private spa treatment rooms and a state-of-the-art fitness centre, but it's the pool, surrounded by cabanas and huge gilt-framed mirrors, that is the talking point. Beautiful young things with long legs, high heels and bikinis gyrate to dance music in what is one of LA's hottest party spots.
What's the bottom line? A studio suite (booked in December) starts at US$335.