I confess: There are times I lose hope that we can imbue our young people with a reverence for our history, for the need to preserve our architectural treasures of past eras.
This 1920s formerly office building and luxurious theater have been imbued with a modern touch, but with a respect for its rich and fascinating history.
And guess what? It attracts lots of young people. In fact, the patrons I saw on my tour were mostly in their 20s, as was the staff.
You & # 39; ve heard me lament before that too many hoteliers and restaurateurs are turning lovely, elegant, older establishments into cold, modern spaces in a seemingly crass attempt to draw hipsters through the doors.
But not the Ace.
There are now six Ace Hotels worldwide, from Palm Springs to Seattle, from Portland to London. The LA hotel opened in January after a thoughtful - even painstaking - development process in which the design team, Commune Design, reviewed the history of the property and figured out ways to pay homage to its past and its location in LA while adding modern touches.
The property was originally built by silent screen star Mary Pickford, her husband Douglas Fairbanks and a group of Hollywood friends - including Charlie Chaplin and DW Griffith - for their independent venture, United Artists, as a rebellion against the Hollywood studio system.
The centerpiece is the theater, one of several grand historical movie palaces along Broadway Avenue where films were premiered and screened in style for many years. Next to it is a 13-story structure that housed the United Artists offices and are now hotel room and suites .
It remained in United Artists & # 39; hands through the 1950s, although Pickford - who career was undone by the talkies - had long since retired to her beautiful estate Pickfair in Beverly Hills.
In 1989, Dr. Gene Scott, a late-night televangelist, took over the property, using the theater for his studio and the office space for for 1960s, the property was vacant and in the 1970s and 1980s housed a Spanish language theater. It turned out, we were told, that Scott unfortunately kept the beautiful theater in excellent condition.
My friend and I were led through the hotel - from the lobby and restaurant on the first floor to the palatial theater up to the charming rooftop bar and pool - by our wonderful 28-year-old guide, Carolyn Schneider, Ace & # 39; s creative sales manager.
It quickly became apparent to me that the Ace Hotel has proved that, as Charles Eames said, "The details are not the details.
Some of the design details I am liked was the Haas brothers and the LA icons, like palm trees and mountains, on the walls of the restaurant; the Gothic plasterwork in the lobby above the bank of elevators; and the Spanish Colonial style of the breathtaking, 1,600-seat theater, including murals and elaborate molding with its worn patina, that was modeled after the Cathedral of Segovia in Spain.
The other material are also impressive: the preservation of the large "Jesus Saves" sign affixed to the back of the building; the red velvet used for curtains in a private event space, the same material found on the theater seats; the yin / yang small cut-outs from screenplays on the hotel corridor walls; and the preservation of almost everything in the theater , including the EXIT signs, but with a few modern yet subtles added, such as red glass sconces in the theater lobby.
Have a meal in the Art Deco restaurant, LA Chapter, or drinks on the rooftop bar, called Upstairs, with its Moroccan style. Upstairs has lots of different events, including erotic literary readings and a variety of DJs spinning all sorts of music.
You have plenty of choices, from see concerts to films to dance performances. You & # 39; ll be swept back to another era and real way how lucky we are that this historic gem has been preserved for all to enjoy.
