10 New Venues in Los Angeles for Spring 2024 Meetings and Events

The historic Los Angeles Athletic Club, the city’s first private club, has unveiled a multimillion-dollar renovation project. The 88,000-square-foot venue, which originally opened in 1880, now boasts a new 10,000-square-foot fitness facility, which features cardio machines, free weights, and a new indoor track surface that overlooks the historic beaux-arts indoor pool. Also new is the Famous Players restaurant, a 2,200-square-foot all-day dining experience led by Top Chef alum Marcel Vigneron. Overall, the Los Angeles Athletic Club has 17,000 square feet of meeting and event space, along with extensive co-working spaces, a spa, a nail salon and barbershop, 72 guest rooms, and a rooftop patio and deck.

Stella opened in late February inside West Hollywood’s midcentury modern Richard Dorman building. A collaboration between restaurateur Janet Zuccarini (owner of the popular Felix Trattoria in Venice) and chef Rob Gentile, Stella offers modern twists on Italian culinary traditions, including housemade pastas and locally sourced, sustainable seafood. Design-wise, designer Wendy Hayworth sought to bring the warmth and welcoming feel found in Old World Italian kitchens to life in the dining space; the resulting two-level venue includes a main entrance with a large terrace, while the downstairs area has walnut-paneled walls and terrazzo floors. There are several options for private dining: The upper level can seat 120 or hold 160 for receptions and has a 16-seat private room, while the lower level can seat 100 or hold 150 standing and has a 12-seat private room set in the wine cellar.

The Westin Los Angeles Airport—located just a few miles from SoFi Stadium and a few blocks from LAX—is wrapping up a $45 million renovation this month. The centerpiece of the revamp is the re-imagined lobby and lounge area, which aims to connect guests to nature via water elements; native Southern California plant life; and organic, natural materials. The renovation also includes more than 56,000 square feet of updated, flexible meeting space. Highlights are a 13,100-square-foot ballroom with 18-foot ceilings and natural light, as well as a state-of-the-art theater; the hotel also offers a dedicated executive meeting specialist for every event planned at the property. Other hotel amenities included a new Topgolf Swing Suite; a new dedicated surf concierge taking guests (or groups) out on a guided experience in the California waves; and the new "sunset finder," a curated list of spots near the hotel for guests to find great sunset views.

In January, Stacey Mann and Summer Phoenix opened STAY., which is billed as Los Angeles’ first and only no-alcohol cocktail lounge. The venue’s beverage director, Derek Brown, the author of Mindful Drinking, is overseeing a team of zero-proof mixologists who create handcrafted cocktails—each inspired by and named after the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, featuring ingredients like fresh herbs and premium zero-proof spirits. Vegan chef Erica Daking of Kitchen Mouse LA, meanwhile, curates a selection of plant-based bar snacks. STAY. is located in LA’s Chinatown Central Plaza in the former home of Chinese restaurant and punk rock venue Hong Kong Cafe; the stylish 2,000-square-foot space integrates vintage aesthetics and original architectural elements, including a backlit wildflower mural bar, handmade Lucite stools, and stained-glass windows. It can be rented for alcohol-free events as large as 100 people. For smaller gatherings, a private lounge holds eight with a privacy curtain and separate entrance; there’s also the Gallery Lounge, which holds up to 50, and the Arrow Lounge, which holds up to 75.

Boulevard Hospitality Group's latest restaurant, Layla, opened in Santa Monica in mid-March. The eatery is a partnership with New York-born Jordanian chef Chris Sayegh, who pays homage to his greatest culinary inspiration—his jiddeh (grandmother in Arabic) Layla. The 1,800-square-foot restaurant is an ode to kitchen-loving grandmothers who create nightly feasts for their loved ones; each dish is served family style and incorporates popular Middle Eastern flavors and ingredients prepared using French techniques. Decor-wise, Layla is also meant to evoke a jiddeh's living room, with earth-toned touches and textures, a 40-year-old marble slab hand-cut into tables, and a Roman clay finish on the walls. Custom felt chairs call back to memories of Sayegh’s childhood, directly inspired by the couch in his family’s home.

Short Stories Hotel, a boutique property in West Hollywood, has opened a new cocktail bar and lounge aptly named The Bar at Short Stories Hotel. A full-service venue with a restaurant, bar, and outdoor “secret garden”-like courtyard sanctuary, the space is complemented by an eclectic catering menu, with options like market boards, tray-passed hors d'oeuvres, and family-style service, as well as a number of options for beer, wine, spirits, and cocktail packages. For small meetings or dinners of up to 10 people, the on-site Writer’s Room is equipped with a private in-room restroom, a wall-mounted flat screen, and curtains to control privacy. For midsize events, the restaurant has an indoor dining room seating 40 people, an outdoor courtyard seating up to 50 people, and a courtyard lounge that seats up to 60 people under a canopy of trees. For larger celebrations, the hotel can expand the courtyard lounge by adding an adjacent tent to accommodate up to 450 guests.

Amour opened in late 2023, taking over the former Dominick’s space in West Hollywood. The first restaurant concept from industry veteran Thomas Fuks, founder of 111 Hospitality, Amour is a modern take on classic French dining with a tasting menu space along with sprawling outdoor dining featuring an a la carte menu. The space, designed by Fuks’ wife, Abbie, incorporates unique aspects such as floors sourced with wood from France in the 1800s; custom tapestry chairs in the private dining room; a huge library of rare, old books; and more. The menu from chef Daniel Chavez offers lighter, more approachable versions of classic French dishes. For events, there's Le Salon Privé, a private dining room with classic French decor that holds up to 10 guests. The entire restaurant can also be booked for full buyouts, with space for up 120 seated or 200 standing. Amour was recently added to the Michelin Guide for California.

The first Cipriani location in California opened in January. Cipriani Beverly Hills was designed by Florentine architect Michele Bönan, who has collaborated with Cipriani on several other locations around the world. The space has a sleek, nautical aesthetic featuring polished wood interiors with steel trim, brown leather chairs, Murano chandeliers, black-and-white fashion photography, and deep-green velvet accents. The restaurant also features the Jazz Café designed by Carlos Almada, which channels old Hollywood with zebra fabrics, arches, palm trees, and a grand piano; the cafe is available for rental as a private event space. This spring, the venue plans to open its patio for outdoor dining.

Renowned bar proprietor Jared Meisler and textile and graphic designer Tria Jensen Meisler opened their latest venture, The Moon Room, in mid-March. The chic, sophisticated bar and music venue features velvet black lacquer banquettes complemented by carved wood panels, white marble tables, and contemporary cafe chairs with brass accents. The walls highlight a collection of vintage abstracts, pop art, black-and-white nudes, and other avant-garde pieces from modern and contemporary artists. Other highlights of the space, which can hold up to 140 people for full buyouts? A large disco ball and a baby grand piano.

Hosting an event in Orange County? Hotel Zessa Santa Ana – a DoubleTree by Hilton—formerly known as the DoubleTree by Hilton Santa Ana – Orange County Airport—has unveiled an extensive renovation. The trendy 254-room property now features an upgraded fitness center with a brand-new yoga studio, plus the newly rebranded Citra Bar & Kitchen. For events, there's more than 12,000 square feet of space spread across 11 rooms, including the 7,680-square-foot Champagne Ballroom.