The Westin Bonaventure

We just returned from LA and staying at the Bonaventure. We are double plat with Starwood and were upgraded to side by side suites. Complimentary internet and winetasting in the 35th floor bar. Not sure if that's standard or because we are plat. Nice views, comfy beds, and very quiet. Actually slept VERY well, but I always travel with earplugs anyways. But was quiet enought that I didn't neede them. In definite need of a facelift...I can't stand small tubs in a nice suite! Valet parking is pricey at $42 per day. Staff was quite pleasant. Room service very prompt. Rooms were very clean. Marble in bathroom, but still in need of an overhaul. Would definitely return, but from the other reviews, only if we could get suites again.

Pros: Nice suites

Cons: Pricey valet at $42 per day

Posted 11/10/08

I had the extreme displeasure of staying at the Westin Bonaventure in not so picturesque Downtown Los Angeles. We heard that Downtown LA was going through a rebirth, and after our weekend sentance at this sty, we found it to be more like afterbirth. On the first night, we were placed in a shoebox sized room with an ajoining door on either side. As luck would have it, we were kept awake by one of the most obnoxious couples on earth who decided that 4 am was a good time to start an in depth conversation that covered an array of subjects from marine biology to the mysteries of the universe ( and yes, that's how thin the walls are). We called the concierge to complain after listening to 3 1/2 hour of their psychobabble. We were told that security was going to be notified and they would handle the situation as quickly and professionally as they could. The only hotel staff that arrived to their room quickly was room service! In an effort to make up for the unpleasantness, we were given 2 complementary breakfast buffets. Nothing hits the spot like day old danish and dried out Eggs Benedict, tres gourmet. There was no relief from the mediocrity at the restaurants inside the hotel either. LA Prime was very LA, and not so Prime. Jyokamachi Sushi Bar is outrageously priced for horrible food and terrible service. The only small beacon of hope was the Bonavista Lounge on the 35th floor. Moderately priced drinks and appetizers with a great ambiance and 360 degree view of the city (the lounge rotates even before you start drinking). The cherry on the top of this cow pie sunday,was the $42 valet parking fee. If you ever have the opportunity to stay at this farce of a hotel, just flush $500 down the toilet and stay home, it will be more enjoyable that way.

Pros: Bonavista Lounge

Cons: Bonaventure Hotel and almost everything else in it

Posted 06/28/08

I stayed for a weekend in this hotel. Definetly not a four star hotel. The staff are very nice and helpful. The rooms are small and are very dated and in need of a facelift, bedside lamps were falling apart the tub shower area was held together with caulk and veneer was peeling off the TV cabinet. Also there was no ventilation in the Bath/shower. The downstairs lobby is nice till you start exploring the floors above and discover the "mall" style food courts and restaurants. luckily there are some good restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. If you do stay here remember it will cost an additional $42 in parking on top of your room rate. I would not stay here again.

Pros: Nice staff

Cons: Rooms and food

Posted 01/07/08

Visited this hotel in November 07 .
I was very dissapointed ..This hotel was very rundown and the rooms smelled awful.
We switched rooms and the new room smelled the same.
The rooms are very small with old fixtures and air conditioning that barely works !
I would not reccomend this hotel for anything other then business

Pros: cant think of any

Cons: small smelly rooms and expensive valet only parking

Posted 11/19/07

My GF and i stayed here on our week long LA vacation and i must say that it was a quite nice stay.
I had read some reviews ahead of time so i was a bit weary of the hotel in general but after staying there for one entire week, i feel that it was well worth it.
Frist of all, it's location is a good one. Not GREAT but good. If you want to explore downtown LA, everything is pretty close. From Olvera Street to the Amtrak station, to the jail, to China Town, it's all withing a few miles away.
The only caveat i have with our entire stay, is the Parking situation. While getting our car took no less than 5 minutes EACH AND EVERY TIME WE NEEDED IT (EVEN ON THE WEEKENDS), the price was a little steep (about 30 bucks a day). However, on the weekends they provided us with bottled water and coffee and while we waited. And the parking area was covered and had plenty of seats to wait on if neeeed.
The rooms were on the smallish side, but we weren't staying there to enjoy the hotel, we stayed there to sleep and shower in betweed sightseening.
The TV was of the older kind although they did have internet access (for a price). We stayed on the 33rd floor and the vies were specactular especially at night.
Room servec kicked major butt and was very prompt.
All the staff was nice and very cordgial offering in one instace to take our picture together in the lobby.
And for all the people that complain about this place it's because it ain't no Roosevelt Hotel. It's mainly for use by the business traveler. So yes the rooms were kinda close to one another and with no frills, but that's the type of hotel it is. The beds were great though!! I would stay here again if i had to. And the way i see it is, if Quantas Airlines uses it for their crews, it must be allright for me!

Pros: Nice Place Overall, Best for Business Travelers

Cons: Hotel Parking A Bit Steep

Posted 10/29/07

i thought the hotel was beautiful,even though its in downtown la it is a huge hotel and the staff were all nice and helpful, it was confusing getting parking...but my biggest gripe was that the room i had was so close to the room next door that only a wall with a door was between the two rroms, i had a huge suite but the people next door were noisy and i wanted to scream, i didnt sleep the whole night and was too tired to complain....so if someone that works at this hotel reads this maybe you guys could get a remodel or something or ask your guests where they would like to be so they could enjoy their stay, because mine was loud and not very pleasent....

Pros: beautiful,old hotel...good service

Cons: rooms are too close to eachother

Posted 07/19/07

I normally don't write reviews - but after staying at a Westin - and reading so many other poor reviews - I felt it's necessary to warn other potential customers who are expecting anything beyond below-average. My entire Westin experience was horrible. The staff members there all work together to make sure they treat THEIR GUESTS (who essentially pay their salaries) like second class citizens. It's entirely shameful on them. Their restaurant staff (including managers) are ill-educated in the bar/restaurant business beyond anything I've ever experienced. It makes me wonder what their hiring process consists of. Again, SHAMEFUL. As other reivews have mentioned all the employees are uneducated, rude and unsophisticated in the business of "hospitality" - I would challenge any of them to write a definition of the word. Too many bad experiences within my 4 day stay to mention but I can definately say I will NEVER stay at a Westin ever again. Their Heavenly Beds? Sure - they are nice, but nothing near worth everything else you must 'endure". in a word - DISPICABLE!!!!!!!!!!

Pros: none

Cons: many

Posted 06/07/07

Was in LA for a business trip and this hotel is located close to the convention. Room is clean and spacious, service was excellent. The breakfast was great too! For the price per night, it is worth every penny!

Posted 05/20/07

A thin veneer of classiness covers what is really a very below average, and dumpy hotel. Stayed here for two weeks of LA area govt work. First time at this hotel; last time at this hotel. Would have changed hotels after third day but could not find a room anywhere else in area for my required government rate. Room was tiny and barely fit the bed (though a nice bed); had to move an office chair around to move about space; poor payperview system; chipped paint; broken overhead lamp cover; piece of wallpaper torn off. Dumpy. Forced $35 daily valet with no system for guests to bypass sometime VERY long lines of conference attendees/day visitors waiting on valet line. Even the toiletries were cheap. You would not expect this from the looks of the mighty lobby.

Pros: nice bed

Cons: tiny dumpy rooms; long valet lines during conferences with no bypass for guests; $35 daily parking fee.

Posted 04/05/07

This is a high class do it all in the same place hotel. All in one is the term I would like to use. You have a nice comfortable room and bed, and plenty of shopping and restaurants to go with it. I recommend this hotel to anyone just wanting to get away even if it is just for the weekend.

Pros: gym, shopping, restaurants inside of the hotel

Cons: kinda pricey

Posted 11/09/06

I THOUGHT a 4 star hotel would be nice and have a helpful, pleasant, knowlegable front desk staff but that was the opposite service that I received during my 4 day stay there. For the price I had to pay to stay there, it wasn't worth a penny. The front desk staff consisted of ignorant, dumb, unhappy, and rude non educated people. They could not answer one question that I asked about the hotel and were very quick to brush me away. They did not ask if they can help... I had to come up to the desk b/c they were standing there talking to eachother, while there was a line and every answer I got was a 'yes or no'. They did not say anthing to make me feel like I had options and did not give me any alternative or suggestions. I felt as though I was a huge bother to them. What do they think they are standing there for? Not to look pretty I hope b/c they weren't! The hotel definitely needs to consider ... wait not consider but DEFINITELY replace their current front desk staff or no one else will ever want to return to that hotel EVER! I for sure will never ever stay there again. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! and wait... one top of that ... I found erroneous charges to my credit card. Unbelievable. DO NOT STAY HERE!

Pros: NOTHING, ZIPPO, NADA

Cons: FRONT DESK - which trickles down to everything else b/c they are the first point of contact at the hotel. GET RID OF THEM!

Posted 07/13/06

Located in the heart of downtown, this hotel offers the best of Los Angeles at your footstep. Wake from your dreams to the breath-taking views through the ceiling to floor windows that reveal all the beauty of the city lights, mountains, and the Pacific, beyond the towering skyscrapers of LA surrounding the hotel. The best room-service in town is only a phone call away, offering a full menu of excellent cuisine, as well as just about anything else you could need during your stay. Leave your room an enter a city within a city that offers more stores, restaurants, etc. than most tiny towns I've been in. Then make your way down to the parking garage to the very courteous and helpful valet staff to bring your car and help you and your family load in and head out onto the streets of the most exciting city in the world.

Pros: Affordable, Good parking, Excellent Staff

Posted 06/24/03

We got a package deal for the weekend. We got a suite which was nice comfortable, king-size bed, 2 bathrooms and 2 TV's. We also went for a massage and facial. They did a wondeful shiatsu massage. The facial was awesome.

Pros: comfortable, big rooms, good service

Cons: tight security parkin

Posted 02/09/03

Top 10?...Maybe if the hotel was in Hemet. This hotel is dark, depressing, confusing to get around in and many times smells from the cheap restaurants there that have bad ventilation. The only time this hotel sells out is when there is a convention in town. This would be the hotel of last possible choice, even the bus station might be better. It may be the tallest hotel but size doesn't always count, just ask the girls that seem to wander around the maze of stairs looking back at you when you walk by.

Pros: There are other hotel, Tall, easy to find, snazzy 1960 design

Cons: Uncaring staff, Expensive

Posted 11/17/02

The hotel is not at all like you see in the Clint Eastwood movie "In the Line of Fire," instead it is a dilapadated hotel with rooms that are shaped like pieces of a pie as all of the floors are round like a pie. Westin has tried to improve the image with their Heavanly Bed concept, but even that could not save this from needing a major capital overhaul.

Pros: Inexpensive, Close to Staples, Heavanly Bed

Cons: Outdated, Motel 6, Joke of a Hotel

Posted 10/27/02

I stay there a few year back. The service starting at registration was lousy. I requested a non-smoking room and was assigned a smoking room which smelled like a party of ten people have been smoking all day. When I call the front desk to complain the front desk clerk rather annoyed and only after I insisted on talking to the manager he was willing to send the valet with a key to a different room. By the way the room are way to small. Service at the restaurant was in desperate need of improvement and the food was okay.

Pros: Location, View

Cons: Service, Service, Service

Posted 09/16/02

I stay here frequently for business. They do a great job at check in for their frequent guests. They remember preferences. Rooms always clean (though the shower fixtures could use an update). And the heavenly bed they make so much noise about? -- well, it deserves its name. Enjoy going up 30 stories on the outside of the building, sitting in the huge atrium, or the rotating bar on top. Don't forget to order the french onion soup from room service. Yum. Good night.

Pros: Unique environment, Clean rooms, Heavenly bed

Posted 06/09/02