A Night at the BonaVista Lounge

By Jeannine Denholm
Published: Tuesday, April 29, 2008, at 06:04PM

Looking south from the BonaVista Lounge, atop the Westin Bonaventure Hotel.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — There are so many great bars and restaurants opening Downtown it’s easy to forget the ones that have been around for awhile. That’s why I opted out of my normal Seven Grand rye Manhattan Friday routine to try something new and distinctly different. And what could be more unlike any of Cedd Moses’ swanky joints than the revolving BonaVista Lounge on top of the Westin Bonaventure hotel.

I’ll admit it wasn’t until a few months ago that I even had any idea it existed. I’ve seen the futuristic space capsule elevators zipping up and down the side of the five tower hotel but I didn’t realize the 35th floor was often the top destination. Ok – well maybe not by people who live here, but every once in awhile I like to hang out like a tourist and I figured the view must be amazing. I also was intrigued by the notion the cocktails came in collectible take-home glasses with shapes like the Hollywood sign and the state of California.

My husband and I met my neighbor, Roger, around 7:00pm, sped up the Red elevators (the only one that takes you to the top) and walked out into the entry for the non-rotating LA Prime Steak House, located one flight of stairs above the revolving cocktail lounge.

First off, as one might guess, the Bonavista’s not anywhere near as sceney as The Standard and doesn’t have the sleek interior of Takami, but it does have killer 360 degree views of Downtown.

The crowd was a mixture of tourists, business travelers and a couple in their early 20’s trying to look grown up with their sweet fruity martinis. I loved it! How fun is it that we live in a city where you literally can be transported back to the 80’s in the blink of an eye and escape just as quickly?

The revolving part was interesting. Apparently it takes a little over an hour to rotate completely. It’s so slow that you barely notice the movement, unless of course you put your purse on the outer edges like I did when we sat down. Thankfully my husband noticed before the table behind us snatched up my vintage Gucci.

The cocktail menu is full of frothy martinis, drinks you know come with big umbrellas and non alcoholic concoctions with names like Pink Flamingo and Wavebender. I figured I had to go completely girlie and ordered the Key Lime Martini, my husband seconded that by getting a virgin Pina Colada. But my neighbor, well, he bucked the trend opting for a Bombay Martini. Unfortunately, when we tried ordering one of those kitschy little glasses we were told they only had a generic take-home glass that lit up. Oh well, so much for the souvenir.

For the next hour and a half we chatted, looked at the amazing view -- which was timed perfectly for the setting sunset and blocked out the less than inspiring interior before we headed over to the Edison. I used to take my out of town guests to Yamashiro in the Hollywood Hills to see fantastic views of Los Angeles, now the BonaVista’s in the running and it’s right in my backyard.

Westin Bonaventure Hotel / BonaVista Lounge / 404 S. Figueroa St / Los Angeles, CA 90071 / (213) 624-1000

Comments

Dunne's Ghost writes:

The restaurant and lounge are the only two good experiences in visiting the Bonaventure. BlogDowntown should run a thread on the subject of what to do with the six story atrium down below. There have been so many adjustments, modifications and redos since Dec. 26th of '76. And then too, there was the infamous dismemberment homicide where the perpetrators were caught trying to haul the remains out in an extra large suitcase and the woman who decided to end it all in spectacular fashion, got herself halfway out of the floorlevel window of her room and then shot herself in the head so she wouldn't have to experience such a quick ride to the bottom, crashing into and being disected by one of the girders of the skylight. One half of her landed in one of the upper (westside) pods. The other in the Lake of the Lobby level and boy, did she make a splash.

Maybe they should rename the place as The Black Dahlia.

Anyway, my thought is they ought to hire Alexis Smith and let her have a go at all of that blank concrete. As well, downtown has always needed a good Chippendale's and the sixth level of the atrium would be the perfect place.

# on Apr.29.2008 AT 08:32 PM

Metro Local writes:

Au contraire. For starters, The Black Dahlia was surgically precise and included mutilated female organs -- nothing so exotic at the Bonnaventure unless you are unacquainted with end of life realities.

Besides that, the thai massages at the spa on the fourth floor are excellent as is the new $12.50 salad, sandwich and soup lunch buffet in the lobby. Marcello's on the sixth rocks as does the chilled tequila and beer at the brewery on 'an early' Friday.

The atrium needs more indoor plants and water works at the higher levels but its amazing how the space absorbs sound -- the concrete perhaps.

Now, if you really want to drink with some ghosts -- one popular nightspot had to cope with corpses when it went to renovate its space.

# on Apr.29.2008 AT 09:26 PM

Nano writes:

Well, at least the old dear survived Johnny Depp and Chris Walken trying to kill Marsha Mason in real time.

# on Apr.29.2008 AT 09:35 PM

Metro Local writes:

"Nick of Time" certainly kept the location authentic where other films shot in the building have 'played' it for elsewhere than it is.

# on Apr.29.2008 AT 09:51 PM

John Crandell writes:

The place is disorieting. I've been approached a number of times by first time visitors asking how in the hell they can get down to the lobby. Once I saw a homeless man who had wandered in. He was cowering against a wall near one of the ballrooms, shaking and wimpering as well. I had to lead him out to the street. One late night during the Olympics I walked thru the deserted atrium. All of the rooms above were booked solid. A fire alarm had gone off and it was behond eerie the way it whooped repeatedly with nary a human in sight. Sort of like Fritz Lang's film Metropolis, but without the human element. Previous to his design of the Bonaventure, architect John Portman had designed a marvelous hotel at the foot of Market Street in San Francisco. It remains one of the finest interior public spaces in America. Given that success, there was high expectation for the hotel in L.A. Great excitement even. The balloon quickly deflated.

They ought to hire Gehry or Morphosis to remove the fifth and sixth levels facing the pool. Then extend the skylight in a dramatic way. That would provide orientation and lots more light.

# on Apr.30.2008 AT 12:48 AM

M a r c writes:

What I love about the Bonaventure is that it is anti-human architecture at its best. Both along the streets surrounding the building and the soul-sucking concrete walls inside, it's amazing its disdain for the human race. I think the building was designed by Cylons.

I do remember a club on the upper floors that had a Star Wars-esque space ship housing the DJ booth...this was easily 20 years ago. Does anyone else remember this?

# on Apr.30.2008 AT 07:28 AM

John writes:

The architecture and decor of this place is like a different world I agree the inspiration and the feel of the place you can see from things like Metropolis.

UsDiscuss.com - Everything about Los Angeles Message Boards

# on Apr.30.2008 AT 11:15 AM

tornadoes28 writes:

It is actually fun to go to the hotel bars. I enjoy it. I love to travel and stay in hotels and so even going to local hotel bars here in the city gives me a little of that feeling of traveling.

# on Apr.30.2008 AT 04:22 PM

A Night at the BonaVista Lounge

Comments

Your Comment:

Preview