Editorial score of 8.3 of 10, the composite average of the three factors above (Rooms, Service, Location). Method at our methodology page. Affiliate disclosure: booking links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
What is The LINE LA best known for?
The LINE LA is best known for putting a serious design hotel in the middle of Koreatown rather than in the usual luxury enclaves, and for engaging its neighbourhood instead of hovering above it. The hotel occupies the former Wilshire Plaza Hotel, a mid-century tower built in 1964, and when the LINE brand took it over and opened in 2014 it kept the concrete bones and layered a contemporary, locally minded design over them. The 384 rooms sit at Wilshire and Normandie, a few minutes from Downtown, in a part of Los Angeles that runs on its own schedule: night markets, Korean barbecue on Western Avenue, twenty-four-hour spas and karaoke rooms that stay busy well past the point most hotel bars close.
That location is the whole argument. For guests whose interest in Los Angeles extends beyond the mythology of Hollywood and Beverly Hills, the LINE offers cultural access that no hotel in those neighbourhoods can approximate, and it does so from a genuinely well-designed building with a rooftop pool and a respected restaurant. It is a four-star design hotel rather than a five-star house, so the case is culture, character and value rather than butler service and marble. Set expectations for an urban, neighbourhood-first hotel and it is one of the most distinctive places to stay in the city.
What are the best rooms to request?
Request a high-floor room facing the Hollywood Hills, because the view is what the mid-century tower does best and it improves with every floor. The 384 rooms use floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, and the LINE's design leans into the concrete structure rather than hiding it: warm wood, custom furniture, quality linens and artwork from Los Angeles artists, with the specific California lightness that comes from big glass and warm tones. The higher categories and suites extend the plan into a living-room layout that works for a longer stay or for light-duty working. Because this is a large hotel in an older building, the room product is less uniform than at a small luxury house, so it pays to ask for a recently refreshed, higher-floor category by name.
One honest caveat: this is a converted 1964 tower, not a new-build, and it should be judged as a design hotel rather than a full-service five-star. Some rooms are more compact than the marketing images suggest, service is friendly and design-aware rather than formal and anticipatory, and Koreatown is dense and lively rather than hushed, so a room facing the boulevard can catch street noise. Book a high floor away from the busiest corner, treat the room as a well-styled base rather than a cocoon, and the trade is a good one for the price and the location.
Book Openaire for an early dinner and time it for sunset, when the greenhouse and the rooftop are at their best, then carry the evening into the neighbourhood. If karaoke is on the agenda, reserve a room at Break Room 86 or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang ahead of a weekend, because both fill quickly, and ask the front desk for the current Koreatown barbecue and late-night recommendations.
What is the dining and the bar scene like?
Dining is a genuine reason to book here. The signature restaurant is Openaire, a glass greenhouse dining room on the rooftop guided by Michelin-starred chef Josiah Citrin, whose Los Angeles restaurants include Melisse and Citrin. The menu is seasonal and produce-led, and the setting, an airy greenhouse with terrace and poolside seating, is one of the more distinctive rooms in the city. Down in the lobby, Alfred Coffee handles the morning, and the lobby bar covers cocktails and casual meetings through the day. The hotel also leans into Koreatown's after-dark culture with two karaoke venues: the Break Room 86 speakeasy, hidden behind the hotel, and the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang lounge. Between the rooftop and the ground floor you can move from coffee to a serious dinner to late-night singing without leaving the block.
Does it have a pool and spa?
Yes to the pool. The rooftop pool and bar share the top of the building with Openaire, and the deck delivers the elevation view that the neighbourhood otherwise hides: the Los Angeles basin from Downtown toward the Pacific, with the Hollywood Hills and the San Gabriel Mountains framing the north. It is the hotel's daytime social centre and a strong reason to book a warm-weather stay. On wellness, the LINE is a design hotel rather than a resort, so the offer is a fitness centre and the pool deck rather than a destination spa. Koreatown itself is famous for its Korean spas, and the front desk can point you to the best of them a short walk or drive away.
Signature amenities
In the heart of Koreatown
Koreatown, Wilshire and Normandie · about 15 minutes from Downtown
What's nearby
- Wilshire/Normandie Metro
Purple Line3 min walk - The Wiltern
Art Deco venue5 min walk - Koreatown Galleria
Market & food hall6 min drive - Downtown LA
Financial District15 min drive - Hollywood
Walk of Fame15 min drive
The tower, the rooms, the rooftop
Tower
Guest room
Openaire
Rooftop poolHow does The LINE LA compare with other design hotels in Los Angeles?
Against the field, The LINE LA is the neighbourhood-culture choice, the design hotel you book to experience the real Los Angeles rather than its postcard districts, and the alternatives each pull in a different direction. Hotel Figueroa is the historic Downtown option, a 1926 Spanish Colonial landmark with real character and quick access to the arts and sports district. W Hollywood puts you at Hollywood and Vine with a rooftop pool, a Metro station at the door and the Walk of Fame outside. Santa Monica Proper trades the city entirely for the coast, a Kelly Wearstler beach boutique a short walk from the sand. The LINE's own trade-off is that it is an older, four-star building without five-star polish, so you give up marble and butlers and gain a genuine sense of place.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| The LINE LA | Koreatown design hotel | Neighbourhood culture, Openaire, value | Older building; not five-star polish |
| Hotel Figueroa | 1926 Downtown landmark | Character, Downtown access | Busy Downtown surroundings |
| W Hollywood | Hollywood and Vine design hotel | Rooftop pool, Metro, nightlife | Tourist-heavy Hollywood corner |
| Santa Monica Proper | Kelly Wearstler beach boutique | Beach, design, ocean air | Away from central LA |
Frequently asked questions
Where is The LINE LA and what building is it in?
The LINE LA is at 3515 Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown, near Wilshire and Normandie. It occupies the former Wilshire Plaza Hotel, a mid-century tower built in 1964, and opened as The LINE in 2014. The location puts you in the middle of one of the most active neighbourhoods in Los Angeles, roughly fifteen minutes from Downtown.
How many rooms does The LINE LA have?
The hotel has 384 rooms and suites. The mid-century tower gives most rooms floor-to-ceiling windows, with the Hollywood Hills on one side and Wilshire Boulevard on the other, and the design uses warm wood, custom furniture and work by Los Angeles artists.
What are the restaurants and bars at The LINE LA?
The signature restaurant is Openaire, a rooftop greenhouse dining room guided by Michelin-starred chef Josiah Citrin, serving a seasonal, produce-led California menu. There is also Alfred Coffee in the lobby, a lobby bar, and two karaoke venues, the Break Room 86 speakeasy and the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang lounge.
Does The LINE LA have a pool?
Yes. There is a rooftop pool and bar with open views toward the Hollywood Hills and, on clear days, Downtown, alongside a fitness centre. The LINE is a design hotel rather than a full-service resort, so its wellness offer centres on the pool deck and gym rather than a destination spa.
Is The LINE LA a luxury hotel?
It is a four-star design hotel, not a five-star house. Its case is Koreatown culture, strong design and value: a genuine Los Angeles neighbourhood base with a rooftop pool and a serious restaurant, at rates below the Beverly Hills and West Hollywood set.
Other design stays in Los Angeles
#27 · DowntownHotel Figueroa
#22 · HollywoodW Hollywood
#24 · Santa Monica