This has been a year of enchanting serendipity. I recently reconnected – by chance, on Facebook – with high school classmate Linas Kojelis, who became my Prince Charming and now my husband. Fortuitous circumstances, I am sure, led me to my recently purchased Storybook home in Wilshire Vista. And it was pure serendipity that led us to our choice of wedding venue earlier this month: the beguiling Hotel Figueroa, taken from the pages of “Arabian Nights” and a design enthusiast’s dream.
But beware, my friends. Figueroa has reportedly been sold recently, and we all know what can happen to beautiful hotels in the wrong hands.
Our wedding plans were whirlwind. We had considered several sites but we decided to do a Google search on Los Angeles wedding venues. Hotel Figueroa – which we had never heard of – popped up first on my search list.
It was love at first sight on the Internet. Hotel Figueroa, located across from the ultra-modern L.A. Live Complex in downtown L.A., is an homage to beautiful Moroccan, Egyptian, Spanish and Mexican interiors. With its deep, rich colors and gorgeous tile work and other details throughout – from the lobby to the rooms, from the hallways to the elevators – Figueroa was the perfect choice for our untraditional nuptials.
But, as I mentioned previously, the word on the street is that Figueroa is for sale, or has already been sold, and the new owner plans changes. I don’t know what those changes might be, but I get nervous when I hear such talk. We’ve seen too many examples of lovely, classic hotels in L.A. being turned into modern, soulless buildings that cater to the young and, supposedly, the hip. (Example: The W, which had been the elegant Westwood Marquis for 30 years before renovation in 1999.)
I will keep my ears and eyes open – and please, you do the same. We must be ever vigilant in preserving the architectural gems of this great city.
And just in case: Go visit the hotel soon. Enjoy a cocktail in the graceful lobby or the charming outdoor patio and soak up the sumptuous interiors while they still exist.
Warm regards,
Eleanor