Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel

In recent years L.A.’s once-overlooked downtown district has come roaring back, and its renaissance continues with the advent of the Proper Hotel Downtown L.A., a 148-room luxury boutique hotel by the team that includes star designer Kelly Wearstler among its creative minds. Like the original Proper Hotel in San Francisco, it begins with the rehabilitation of a classic building, in this case a 1926-vintage Renaissance Revival building at the corner of 11th and Broadway.

As with all of the Proper hotels — and all of Ms. Wearstler’s previous interior work — the design is singular and unmistakable, a riot of patterns and colors that nevertheless feels cool and composed, never busy. The combination of Southern California sunshine and near-full-length windows makes for light-filled spaces, and the comforts are luxurious, especially the spa-like tiled showers.

The rooms, of course, are only half the story. The Proper’s common spaces are equally inviting, from the ornate double-height lobby to the restaurant, the work of a pair of James Beard Award winners, Caroline Styne and Suzanne Goin. The most impressive, however, might be the rooftop lounge, complete with its own restaurant and bar, spanning some 5,000 square feet with views over the Los Angeles skyline in every direction.