Los Angeles at 30 Years (1)

Los Angeles: 30 Years On (Part 1)

It’s been 30 years since I first visited Los Angeles. I spent about six days there in mid-January for a commercial shoot. I don’t usually take many photos, but this time, the hotel in downtown was so interesting that I decided to report on it for OPENERS.

photo by SHIMAZU Yoshiyuki

I chose this photo as the main image, deliberately...

The Standard in Downtown LA

For shoots, I usually stay in hotels or motels around Melrose or La Brea, but this time I stayed at a hotel in downtown called “The Standard in Downtown LA,” about a 30-minute drive from Los Angeles International Airport. It was conveniently located just a five-minute walk from the shooting location, and the interior was like an LA boutique hotel (laughs). It’s not often I encounter a foreign hotel that provides condoms. The packaging was so kitschy and cute, I couldn’t resist taking a photo.

The guest room

The rooftop pool & bar

The hotel itself is a stylish and clean space, a renovation of a building constructed in the 1920s with a 1960s-inspired interior. The lobby features a billiard table, and upon entering, the interior design made me feel like I was in a Tom Ford-era Gucci store for a moment (laughs). The main restaurant is on the first floor, and I liked that the waitresses were wearing very short costumes.

The lobby

Looking up at the night view

The highlight of this hotel is the beautiful night view from the rooftop. There’s a pool on the roof with a bar on the side, and the chair designs are also quite nice. Being downtown, some areas can be a bit sketchy at night, but this spot seems to have become a tourist attraction.

Three capsule-shaped waterbeds are placed by the poolside, with the cheerful hair and makeup artist, Futa Sato.

Next time, I’ll introduce some of my favorite vintage clothing stores in LA.

Los Angeles: 30 Years On (Part 2)to be continued