Related Companies yesterday celebrated the grand opening of The Grand LA’s marquee hospitality and residential towers, Conrad Los Angeles and The Grand by Gehry, marking a historic moment for the Grand Avenue redevelopment project and the city of Los Angeles. Designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, The Grand LA’s 28-story, 305-room Conrad Los Angeles, Conrad Hotels & Resorts’ first location in California, and 45-story, 436-unit The Grand by Gehry introduce entirely new categories of luxury hotel accommodations and rental apartments to the downtown market, supporting the city’s tourism industry and adding much-needed residential inventory. The Grand LA’s 164,000 square feet of retail space, anchored by chef driven restaurants, shopping and entertainment venues, will open Spring 2023.
Located steps from LA’s largest collection of cultural institutions, including Walt Disney Concert Hall, MOCA, The Broad, The Music Center and DTLA’s 12-acre urban green space, Grand Park, The Grand LA has transformed the downtown skyline and is quickly becoming the city’s most sought-after lifestyle destination.
The Grand LA developer Related Companies was joined by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis; Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti; City Councilman Kevin de León; Fesia Davenport, CEO of Los Angeles County; DTLA President & CEO Suzanne Holley; and key collaborators including architect Frank Gehry; Tara Bernerd, founder, Tara Bernerd & Partners; Dino Michael, SVP and global category head, luxury brands, Hilton; Pascal Duchauffour, AVP luxury operations, Hilton; Greg Hartmann, SVP development luxury & lifestyle, Hilton; ThinkFoodGroup President Sam Bakhshandehpour; and representatives from neighboring cultural institutions, at a ribbon cutting to commemorate the opening of Los Angeles’ newest hospitality, dining and residential destination. Conrad Los Angeles General Manager Adam Heffron served as master of ceremonies for the ribbon cutting event.
“The Grand LA has transformed downtown, creating jobs and economic opportunity for Angelenos,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, First District. “I commend Related for ensuring this landmark was built by a diverse local workforce and Conrad for furthering that commitment to inclusive hiring through partnerships with organizations like Homeboy Industries and the Los Angeles Mission Center to provide permanent jobs for dozens of hardworking residents with employment barriers. This is a project that everyone in Los Angeles can take pride in.”
"Los Angeles is an international city, a true gem that keeps getting better. We are visited by people from all over the world who come admire our city's ever-expanding landscape," said Mayor Eric Garcetti. "This is why I'm excited to welcome this long awaited complement to Bunker Hill and Grand Avenue. Conrad Hotel guests and visitors can now gaze across Grand Avenue to Disney Hall and experience both buildings in context as their architect intended. We are forever grateful to Frank Gehry and Eli Broad for their vision and commitment to our city."
Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León said, “The Grand is both stepping into history while simultaneously making history. There’s no question that this project has delivered Los Angeles its newest work-of-art to showcase to the world as an architectural triumph as well as a mixed-use complex with affordability to lead an economic resurgence in downtown Los Angeles.”
The Grand LA is the result of a collaborative public-private partnership, comprised of the County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles and the former Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). The Grand LA is generating broad community benefits, including an estimated 10,000 new jobs, new affordable housing, $1.3 billion in one-time total economic output for Los Angeles County and attracting new residents and visitors to downtown’s local businesses and world-class cultural institutions. During construction, The Grand LA’s workforce development program set a new construction industry standard for hiring women and individuals with barriers to employment.
Stephen M. Ross, chairman and founder of Related Companies, said, “Today’s milestone is the realization of a bold vision to enhance downtown LA, championed by so many Angelenos from Eli Broad and Frank Gehry, to the numerous civic leaders who supported this transformational project over the years. The site of a demolished parking structure has become The Grand LA, a destination attracting visitors from around the world and residents from across the region supporting our neighboring cultural institutions, and generating millions in revenue to the city and county.”
“The Grand LA brings together a collection of creative masters in every discipline from architecture and design to hospitality, creating an entirely new way to experience Los Angeles’ cultural center,” said Kenneth A. Himmel, president and CEO of Related Urban. "We are proud to celebrate this landmark achievement and look forward to much more to come with the opening of the retail center next year.”
Architect Frank Gehry said, “It’s been a long journey, and I am delighted with the result. It is the result of a very fruitful and positive collaboration with Steve Ross and his team at Related. I am enormously proud of the project.”
Downtown’s New Way to Stay
As part of Conrad Hotels & Resorts, one of Hilton’s three distinct luxury brands, Conrad Los Angeles is designed to capture the dynamic energy that fuels the city’s cultural corridor. With interiors designed by Tara Bernerd & Partners, the contemporary Conrad Los Angeles features a range of accommodations from standard guest rooms to presidential suites designed to feel like the guest’s own personal LA penthouse apartment.
The hotel is home to five original food and beverage concepts from chef José Andrés and ThinkFoodGroup, including: San Laurel, which takes you on a tour of flavors that find their roots in Spain but take their cues from California by highlighting the fresh, local ingredients from the Golden State; Agua Viva, a rooftop restaurant with sweeping city views where Andrés makes Latin and Asian flavors mingle; Airlight, located on the pool deck and offering a vibrant menu of handheld bites and creative cocktails; and SED, an intimate respite for culinary and cocktail aficionados showcasing popular spirits and flavors inspired by José's travels around the world.
Conrad Los Angeles offers guests a variety of wellness and experiential opportunities, including the cutting-edge, 7,000+ square foot Conrad Spa Los Angeles, 16,000-square-foot rooftop terrace with an expansive pool deck, 12,000 square feet of contemporary events and meeting spaces for up to 300 guests, including a 4,800-square-foot ballroom with pre-function space and a connecting terrace to accommodate any occasion and much more.
Dino Michael, senior vice president and global category head, Hilton luxury brands, said, “We’re delighted to expand Conrad Hotels & Resorts’ global portfolio with the debut of our west coast flagship, Conrad Los Angeles at The Grand LA. The opening of this history-making and impressively-designed hotel marks a momentous occasion to welcome guests from around the world in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Together with our incredible hotel partners, we look forward to offering unrivaled hospitality delivering bold and impactful luxury experiences, which our Conrad Hotels & Resorts guests have come to know and love.”
"We are thrilled to be in Los Angeles at the stunning new The Grand LA development working with our incredible partners and friends at Related, Hilton and Conrad Los Angeles," says Sam Bakhshandehpour, president of José Andrés Restaurants. He adds, “From food & beverage to design & décor, we’re immensely proud of these beautiful and bespoke restaurant and bar concepts created just for L.A., a city that José and everyone on our team loves so much."
A Paradigm Shifting Place to Live
The Grand by Gehry features spacious studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom luxury rental apartments and an expansive 22,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities, which have been thoughtfully designed to offer residents unparalleled views and vantages of the neighboring cultural landmarks, including Frank Gehry’s masterpiece, the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The residence features interiors by designer Tony Ingrao, and public spaces designed by David Rockwell and Rockwell Group.
Interiors offer warm wood tones and rich natural materials throughout, providing an inviting aesthetic and atmosphere. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the living areas and bedrooms with natural light, creating an oasis with views that span across downtown, the San Gabriel Mountains and out to the Pacific Ocean. Gourmet kitchens feature custom oak-style cabinetry, Bianco Neve quartzite countertops and Bosch stainless steel smart appliances with Home Connect technology.
An unrivaled suite of indoor and outdoor amenities include a 24/7 attended lobby and porte-cochère with around-the-clock valet, outdoor pool deck overlooking Walt Disney Concert Hall, state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor fitness center with a yoga studio, entertaining suite with catering kitchen, coworking space with private conference rooms and more.
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About Related Companies: Related Companies is a global real estate and lifestyle company defined by innovation and the most prominent privately-owned real estate firm in the United States. Formed 50 years ago, Related is one of the largest private owners and preservationists of affordable housing in the U.S. and a fully integrated, highly diversified industry leader with experience in virtually every aspect of development, acquisition, management, finance, marketing, and sales. Headquartered in New York City, Related has offices and major developments in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, West Palm Beach, Miami, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi and London, and boasts a team of approximately 4,000 professionals. With over $60 billion in assets owned or under development including the 28-acre Hudson Yards neighborhood on Manhattan’s West Side, The Square in Downtown West Palm Beach, The Grand LA and Related Santa Clara in California and The 78 in Chicago. Related was named to Fast Company Magazine’s list of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World. For more information about Related, please visit www.related.com.
About The Grand LA: Located at the cultural epicenter of Los Angeles comprised of the Music Center (including the Walt Disney Concert Hall), The Broad museum, The Colburn School of Music and the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Grand LA is designed to become a 24-7 destination for shopping, dining, entertainment and hospitality, as well as a paradigm-shifting place to live. Developed by Related Companies, The Grand LA will include 164,000 square feet of retail space anchored by chef driven restaurants; a collection of shops; a 305 room Conrad Los Angeles luxury hotel and more than 436 residences including affordable housing. The development will also include a large, vibrant public plaza with a series of landscaped, open terraces. The Grand Avenue Project is a visionary public-private partnership with the Los Angeles Grand Avenue Authority to revitalize downtown LA's cultural and civic core with a mix of commercial, retail, cultural and residential uses stitched together with great public spaces and world class architecture. This multi-phased master planned development is re-envisioning and re-developing underutilized government-owned parcels directly adjacent to the Civic Center and key cultural institutions.
About Conrad Hotels & Resorts: Spanning five continents with more than 40 properties, Conrad Hotels & Resorts has created a seamless connection between contemporary design, leading innovation and curated art to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit of the globally connected traveler. Conrad is a place where guests can experience service and style on their own terms — all while connecting with local and global culture. Experience a positive stay at Conrad Hotels & Resorts by booking at conradhotels.com or through the industry-leading Hilton Honors app. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits. Learn more about Conrad Hotels & Resorts at newsroom.hilton.com/conradhotels, and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About José Andrés | ThinkFoodGroup : Founded by Chef José Andrés and his partner Rob Wilder, ThinkFoodGroup is the creative team responsible for renowned dining concepts in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Miami, the Bahamas, Orlando, New York City, and Chicago. The nearly three dozen restaurants share a variety of culinary experiences that span from food trucks to world-class tasting menus, including the two Michelin starred minibar by José Andrés in Washington, D.C. Twice named one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People,” and awarded “Outstanding Chef” and “Humanitarian of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation as well as the inaugural “American Express Icon Award” by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, José Andrés is an internationally recognized culinary innovator, New York Times bestselling author, educator, television personality, humanitarian, and chef and owner of ThinkFoodGroup. Thinkfoodgroup.com
