13 New Venues in Los Angeles for Spring 2022 Meetings and Events

Miami Hospitality Group debuted MainRō, an elevated supper club, in February. Taking over the former Beso space, the venue was conceptualized by hospitality veteran Romain Zago with partner Michael K., who created and designed the space with Italian architect Gianni Ranaulo. The 7,500-square-foot venue features a futuristic design, with 16 triangle-shaped chandeliers outfitted with ultra 4K digital mapped screens that move independently throughout the evening. The mapping extends to the walls, which are made from reflective paneling housing ultra 4K screens; there are also screens on each step of an ornate staircase. Other decor includes blue draping and velvet booths. For food, MainRō serves locally sourced ingredients and imported meats that blend French, Japanese and Vietnamese flavors, presented in a shared-plate format.

The boutique Hotel Ziggy opened next to the Mondrian Los Angeles in March. The eclectic, casual property takes over the former Grafton on Sunset space, and features colorful, rock-and-roll-inspired decor from Dawson Design Associates. The venue—described as part cocktail lounge, part pizza joint, part music venue and part 108-room hotel—is filled with eye-catching murals, stacks of vinyl records, vintage furniture and worn area rugs, plus memorabilia displays and layers of decoupaged walls and ceilings celebrating musicians. In the lobby is a music venue called Backbeat, while the outdoor area—featuring the largest saltwater pool in West Hollywood—has a DJ booth. In a fun touch, guests can borrow acoustic or electric guitars and amps, along with records and record players, from the on-site "Shred Shed." Also on site? A retro-inspired pizza shop called B-Side Pizza. Overall, the hotel has more than 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

The buzzy new Grandmasters Recorders opened in Hollywood in December, taking over what was once a popular recording studio for the likes of David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kanye West. The 15,000-square-foot, multi-level space features an expansive studio bar, a coastal Italian- and Australian-inspired restaurant, and a rooftop space with panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills. The project is the brainchild of Botanical Hospitality Group, the team behind E.P. & L.P. A 5,600-square-foot dining room (pictured) has 150 seats and a stylish, industrial feel with red structural beams, oak and metal accents, saddle green-leather chairs and fiddle leaf fig trees. The 71 Studio Bar, meanwhile, is a sleek lounge space that juxtaposes concrete walls with a four-foot disco ball, a polished brass bar and plush gold-velvet drapery. A standout space is the 4,000-square-foot rooftop deck with green tiling and terrazzo tables.

London’s Bike Shed Moto Co debuted its first U.S. location in downtown LA’s Arts District earlier this month. The new 30,000-square-foot cultural hub is housed in a converted 1945 warehouse. The sleek, masculine space blends several event venues and art galleries with a 325-seat restaurant, a 4,000-square-foot retail emporium, a private members bar, a tattoo studio and a barbershop, all centered around “moto culture,” reflecting a passion for motorcycles and watches. The sophisticated design preserves the building’s history and character with exposed red-brick walls, ribbed glass, inlaid brass and Art Deco geometric shapes in black and gold, along with British touches like Oxblood leather booths, banquettes and chesterfield sofas. The walls are adorned with retro-modern art from LA-based British artist Conrad Leach. The 7,000-square-foot event space includes a dedicated mezzanine lounge and green room. When not booked for an event, it features a curated mix of rotating art along with custom motorcycles and vintage cars.

The Bourbon Room, a new live music venue and restaurant set along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, opened in March. Originally built to house the musical Rock of Ages in 2019, the 8,000-square-foot venue has been reimagined as an event-friendly space with a 200-seat theater and a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system. On the walls are displays of guitars and platinum records, while a zebra-print carpet pays homage to the legacy of the Sunset Strip. Also on site is a speakeasy-inspired cocktail lounge with exposed brick walls, HD TVs, Chesterfield sofas and a leopard-print stage. The lounge serves upscale comfort and bar food from chef Frankie Guerrero, along with craft cocktails and a large wine selection.

The Shay, a Destination by Hyatt hotel and the brand’s first urban property in Southern California, opened in October in Culver City. The 148-room venue features loft-like accommodations, plus a sprawling campus with 8,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor spaces for events. The relaxed interior features a property-wide art collection of 35 locally commissioned murals, textiles, installations and portraits, each with a QR code for guests to scan and learn more about the artist. Other property highlights include two on-site culinary concepts from Michelin-starred chef Danny Grant’s What If Syndicate group, a rooftop pool area, a game room (pictured), a modern boardroom that leads to an outdoor courtyard with a gazebo, several breakout rooms and a contemporary ballroom.

LA Plaza Cocina calls itself the first museum dedicated to Mexican food. The unique space, located in downtown Los Angeles, opened in January with an inaugural exhibit called Maize: Past Present and Future, which uses photos, tools, artifacts and cookbooks to recount the story of the grain and its essential role as a global food source. The museum will host a new exhibition every six months; it’s also available for cooking demos and private events. The new museum is part of the larger LA Plaza de Cultura y Arts, a 2.2-acre facility with a variety of indoor spaces that can be rented for events along with 30,000 square feet of outdoor gardens and lawns, plus a patio and an outdoor stage.

Prism Hotels & Resorts opened the new dual-branded Hyatt Place LAX and Hyatt House LAX in November, located directly adjacent to the bustling Los Angeles International Airport. Together, the 272-room Hyatt Place and 129-room Hyatt House boast a mid-century modern design and the only outdoor rooftop in the airport district. The combined properties offer more than 3,100 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space that holds as many as 180 people, including adjacent meeting rooms that can be combined to offer 2,275 square feet. Private space is also available in the two on-site restaurants: ShoresLAX, located on the 15th-floor rooftop, can hold 100, while the 2,000-square-foot Greenleaf Kitchen & Cocktails in the lobby can host semi-private receptions for 150. There’s also a 1,800-square-foot fitness center.

Tao Group Hospitality opened LAVO Ristorante in West Hollywood in March. Although this is the fourth LAVO location—the first in California—it's the first LAVO Ristorante, meant to be a more refined, culinary-focused evolution of the brand. The airy, 250-seat restaurant was a design collaboration with Studio Collective; it features an indoor-outdoor dining room with high ceilings, a retractable roof and accordion windows, plus decor meant to juxtapose the Sunset Strip with the Mediterranean glamour of a villa in Southern Italy. For events, there’s a 48-seat private dining room (pictured) boasting a dramatic barrel-vaulted brick ceiling.

Venue development firm Skylight, the team behind ROW DTLA, launched two new venues in February: Skylight Culver City as well as Skylight Main & Naud in Chinatown. The raw, open spaces offer blank slates for large events, brand activations, photo or film shoots and more. The Culver City location (pictured) is a 30,000-square-foot, column-free indoor space with an adjacent 10,000-square-foot outdoor space; there’s also a landscaped outdoor garden, a screened patio, office and production space, and vaulted 20-foot-high ceilings. The larger Chinatown space offers two separate warehouse spaces connected by an outdoor lot; they offer a combined 130,000 square feet of semi-column free space with two large loading bays.

Camphor is a modern French bistro that opened in the downtown Arts District in February. Helmed by chefs Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George, the restaurant’s menu features nods to the duo’s South Asian background and classical French training with a menu of small plates, classic cocktails and French and European wines. The venue has a modern, industrial vibe with white-brick walls, marble tabletops, blue-velvet booths and an open kitchen. It seats 65, including eight outdoor seats.

The 66-room Short Stories Hotel opened in March, taking over the former Farmer’s Daughter Hotel space across from The Grove. Each room features unique decor and local artwork by Kenton Nelson. For events, the interior restaurant seats 30, while the exterior restaurant courtyard (pictured) seats 51 or holds 120 for standing receptions. A courtyard lounge seats 60 or holds as many as 172 for receptions, or the three spaces can be combined for larger events. There’s also an intimate “writer’s room” that seats 10 for small meetings, plus a 7,000-square-foot open lot for large gatherings.

Planning ahead? Reservations are now open for the highly anticipated Conrad Los Angeles, a 305-room luxury hotel designed by architect Frank Gehry that opens in June. Part of the new The Grand LA shopping and entertainment district, the property features a bold, contemporary design from Tara Bernerd & Partners, plus two original culinary concepts led by chef José Andrés and ThinkFoodGroup. The 28-story hotel offers sweeping city views from a 16,000-square-foot rooftop terrace. For indoor events, there’s a total of 8,800 square feet, including an expansive 4,800-square-foot ballroom.