Los Angeles

Los Angeles
The W Hollywood Hotel & Residences opened in January 2010 with 305 guest rooms and 143 W-branded residences. The property features a 6,075-square-foot spa, a 25-yard lap pool and the Delphine Brasserie, which offers French bistro-style fare. The $360 million development has 25,000 square feet of function space.

The 123-room Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, opened in April and includes an 8,000-square-foot spa, a 3,400-square-foot lounge and Wolfgang Puck's WP24 on the 24th floor, which serves a modern take on traditional Chinese cuisine. A rooftop swimming pool and terrace can be found on the 26th floor. The Ritz-Carlton property and the JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles at L.A. Live are in the same tower and share function space measuring more than 77,000 square feet.

The JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles at L.A. Live opened last February with 878 guest rooms. The property includes a 4,000-square-foot fitness center and a fourth-floor rooftop pool. The hotel shares more than 77,000 square feet of function space with the Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Convention Center earned LEED gold certification last November. Origi­nally opened in 1971, the 4.1 million-square-foot facility now features enough solar panels to power some 100 homes, along with recycling, energy and water conservation programs.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County currently is undergoing a three-year, $84 million renovation set to finish in 2013, during the museum's centennial year. The facility will remain open throughout the work; a new fossil hall is expected to debut in 2011.

Meeting Hotels
Properties include the 1,352-room Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites, 1,234-room Hilton Los Angeles Airport, 1,004-room Los Angeles Airport Marriott, 878-room JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles, 802-room Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles, 740-room Westin Los Angeles Airport, 726-room Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, 683-room Millenium Biltmore Los Angeles, 569-room Beverly Hilton, 485-room Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel, 482-room Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City, 469-room Los Angeles Marriott Downtown and 295-room Sofitel Los Angeles.

Convention CenterLos Angeles Convention Center; exhibit space, 770,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 64; (213) 741-1151

Airport Transit
  Los Angeles International Airport, approximately 17 miles from the downtown district. Transfer cost to downtown by taxi, about $47; by bus, $1.85; by FlyAway shuttle to Union Station, Westwood and Van Nuys, $5-$7

Taxes
Sales tax, 9.25%; room tax, 14%; total tax on hotel rooms, 14%

Group Venues
The Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum can host up to 1,600 guests who can tour the Air Force One plane Reagan used, among other attractions. The museum is celebrating the former president's 100th birthday this year with special exhibits. (805) 522-2977

Pacific Park's new 3,400-square-foot covered Seaside Pa­vilion sits over the ocean on the Santa Monica Pier and can host up to 300, while all of Pacific Park can accommodate up to 2,000 in a buyout. (310) 260-8744

Dining Out
From actor Harrison Ford's chef-caterer son Ben comes Ford's Filling Station, an eatery whose menu items include Moroccan lamb with cauliflower couscous and crispy shallot. The restaurant holds up to 100 in the main dining room, 45 in the covered patio and 55 in the front patio. (310) 202-1470

For burger fans, few joints come closer to the Holy Grail than In-N-Out, famous for its exclusive West Coast locations and secret ingredients. "Animal Style" fries, for example, come coated in pickles, grilled onions, cheese and a mystery spread. An In-N-Out Cookout Trailer can be rented for corporate picnics or parties. (626) 813-8295

Contact
LA Inc., The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, (213) 624-7300 or (800) 228-2452; discoverlosangeles.com