Review / Is the new Soho Warehouse in downtown Los Angeles worth the trek?
With its cosy and gorgeous interior, Soho Warehouse is a comfortable, homelike place to relax and socialise, but will millennials make the trip to its virtually deserted area of downtown?
The newest addition to the members-only Soho House portfolio, Soho Warehouse, is beautiful, but if you are unfamiliar with downtown Los Angeles and the neighbourhood where the house is located, you may think you've ended up in the wrong place.
LA struggles with a severe homelessness issue, and if you pick the wrong direction, you could be passing rows and rows of makeshift tents and single habitats where the homeless have chosen to live.
Soho Warehouse is an oasis amid this almost desolate concrete jungle, an area currently being gentrified, albeit very slowly. The House’s design – which is a former warehouse, as its name indicates – shares a common theme with the other Houses, and that is it offers a comfortable, homelike place to chill.
Large wooden tables and plenty of seating allow for communal togetherness. Velvet and leather upholstery perpetuates the bespoke level of the members-only club.
But there is a grittiness here that other Houses do not have. Graffiti from a time when the warehouse was abandoned and rebel artists ran amok in the empty space have been left intact. The original wall arts are integrated into the overall design, which resulted in a beautifully crafted hub for the creative collective and millennial members.
Surrounded by low-rise industrial buildings, you are treated to a panoramic view from the rooftop terrace, where there is a 50-foot swimming pool; skyscrapers can be seen in the distance and rail tracks close by.
Soho Warehouse’s downtown Los Angeles rooftop pool with an unobstructed view of LA's skyscrapers in the distance.
While staying here (for three nights and four days), many of the club’s members – upon seeing me punching the fourth floor lift button and knowing that to be the floor on which the hotel begins – asked me what the rooms were like. I stayed in one of the 48 bedrooms that span across three floors (3/F, 4/F and 5/F) with bedroom options ranging from “Cosy” to “Large”; all featured original exposed brickwork and 1970s style furnishings.
I was offered to stay in a “Cosy” room, which truthfully is enough for single occupancy, but I could imagine it would take some getting used to if you were staying as a couple for any length of time – though I must say, the king-size bed is one of the most comfortable I have slept in. In the evening, the turn-down team places a can of water with a tumbler on each nightstand next to the bed and fills the ice bucket up (for when you need that whisky on the rocks). The bathroom is beautifully tiled with a rainfall shower. All of the bathrooms are equipped with a range of full-sized Cowshed products – a definite plus.
However, I noticed some plumbing issues from time to time. On one occasion, the toilet would try to fill the water tank for over an hour, or not fill at all. The pressure from the taps in the sink was one time reduced to half its usual strength. Water coming out of the taps was milky white.
I decided to only use the canned water in my kettle. Also, on calling housekeeping to have my room cleaned – and being told they would send someone immediately – the room was still not cleaned after I returned to my room two to three hours later.
On the seventh and top floor of the House, members can enjoy a cool glass of wine on the terrace, strike up conversation at the bar or lounge at the pool with a cocktail.
There is little else to see in the vicinity beyond Soho Warehouse. My room looked out onto a gas station with a car wash service. The streets are abandoned except for a few businesses which opened up shop in the area. You may wander around and check out some awesome street art, but beyond that, there is little to see.
So what is there to do if you decide to stay at the Soho Warehouse hotel? First of all, Los Angeles is a driving city. Which means if you do not rent a car or even know how to drive, you will need to hire an Uber anytime you want to go somewhere.
The more developed side of downtown LA – where the Broad, the Last Bookstore and Grand Central Market are located – is about a 30-minute drive away.
Would I recommend staying at the Soho Warehouse hotel then? Absolutely.
Hongkongers, however, beware. If you are looking for a place close to any shopping action, this is not it. But if you’re on a business trip where you want to be surrounded by a hip crowd, definitely go there.
It may be further away from all things exciting and require a car to get around (which is true for almost anywhere you stay in Los Angeles), but if you decide to stay here it means you will mostly do work and mingle with a creative bunch. The House’s Sitting Room is fantastic for socialising, working or eating with vintage tables and soft sofas.
The Drawing Room features a metallic-glazed fireplace, a bar and lounge seating and witnesses the most spectacular sunrises at around 7am.
The House Kitchen is where hotel guests get complimentary breakfast buffet with plush wraparound banquet seating. The area conjoins the Club Bar which is anchored by a 30-foot rainbow mosaic stone bar and 20 leather stools. (Note: the Club Bar is only for eating and drinking, and there is a no-laptop policy at the counter.)
The seventh floor is home to the rooftop pool and the pool bar. The rooms may look out at a car wash, but in the afternoon, some funky Latin hip-hop blasts from its speakers as attendants do their work, so if you are into that, it definitely adds another dimension to your stay.
I did not have the chance to try out its split-level gym, Soho Active, but it offers multi-functional equipment, a unisex sauna and steam room.
And when I say “oasis”, I should point out there is a leafy retreat in the back, aptly called The Garden. This is an indoor/outdoor space with restaurant which serves Mediterranean and Italian-inspired fare.
Indoors is a 1970s architectural space that looks like a barn with exposed wooden beams and panelling, sky lights and cobblestone flooring. Outside, the space is shaded by olive trees and comfortable seating on top of the property’s original loading dock.
Already, it is a bustling hotspot for the hip and creative. If you are tired of city centre stays and looking for a more subdued area that focuses only on giving you a relaxed environment and delicious food, Soho Warehouse is the place to be.
Original article published on South China Morning Post (Nov 7 , 2019)
