kodō hotel — Hotel in Los Angeles

Los Angeles' Arts District is a rapidly gentrifying area that is an epicentre for critically acclaimed restaurants. Hotels are are few; Kodo and Soho Warehouse down the street are the only two I know of. I booked a staycation here with the main purpose of eating, and was able to walk to all my meal sites/restaurants. There are 5 lauded eateries within the same block||Kodo Hotel opened just this year in Jan. or Feb. It's located above the Kodo Restaurant and Kodo Café, both open about 2 years. All are housed in a century-old former firehouse. The hotel and eateries have a beautiful Japanese aesthetic, very Zen and minimalist. The hotel has just 8 rooms, all individually designed and sized. When I first booked, the hotel's website had photos and descriptions of each room, and I chose a particular room accordingly. Afterwards, the website was redone, the rooms categorized into 4 room types with brief descriptions of each and some photos, but not of all the rooms. There are two Superior King Plus rooms, two Superior King rooms, 3 Deluxe King rooms and one Standard Queen room. I originally booked a Deluxe King, but when I noticed a rate change, I was upgraded to a Superior King Plus. Rooms and the hotel itself are accessed via a QR code sent to you at check-in.||The room was gorgeous and airy, with high wood-beamed ceilings, a sunken bed bordered by white river rocks, a bathroom with a rock-like sink and open-concept shower, Direct TV, a semi-stocked mini-fridge, lots of natural light. My room had a regular sofa and table, but some of the rooms feature a tatami-style table and chairs which, coupled with the low-slung beds, can be a burden on one's knees. The "closet" was a very pretty open wooden rack with a few hangers and a shelf. The "one-button technology" touted by the hotel worked fine for the room lights and window shades, but the music which was playing when I entered could not be turned back on. The open-air shower means you must be very familiar with your roommate and there's also some water splashes, but the water pressure from the shower was so weak, this was not a major issue. But it was impossible to have a "quick" shower.||The hotel does not seem to have on-site staff (aside from housekeeping). Check-in check-out and concierge duties are done via text. My digital check-in was delayed because I didn't get my QR key code at check-in time, I had to text for it while waiting in the parking lot. Responses to texts is not always immediate, and sometimes there was none. Housekeeping did not service my room, despite seeing and speaking to her in the hall. ||There is designated parking by room number at the rear of the building, it's $50 per night. Guests are also entitled to a welcome drink in the café or bar, and a daily morning beverage as well. The website also mentions a morning pastry but this was not offered to me. ||Overall a nice stay, with the hotel's design and location being its...

Los Angeles' Arts District is a rapidly gentrifying area that is an epicentre for critically acclaimed restaurants. Hotels are are few; Kodo and Soho Warehouse down the street are the only two I know of. I booked a staycation here with the main purpose of eating, and was able to walk to all my meal sites/restaurants. There are 5 lauded eateries within the same block||Kodo Hotel opened just this year in Jan. or Feb. It's located above the Kodo Restaurant and Kodo Café, both open about 2 years. All are housed in a century-old former firehouse. The hotel and eateries have a beautiful Japanese aesthetic, very Zen and minimalist. The hotel has just 8 rooms, all individually designed and sized. When I first booked, the hotel's website had photos and descriptions of each room, and I chose a particular room accordingly. Afterwards, the website was redone, the rooms categorized into 4 room types with brief descriptions of each and some photos, but not of all the rooms. There are two Superior King Plus rooms, two Superior King rooms, 3 Deluxe King rooms and one Standard Queen room. I originally booked a Deluxe King, but when I noticed a rate change, I was upgraded to a Superior King Plus. Rooms and the hotel itself are accessed via a QR code sent to you at check-in.||The room was gorgeous and airy, with high wood-beamed ceilings, a sunken bed bordered by white river rocks, a bathroom with a rock-like sink and open-concept shower, Direct TV, a semi-stocked mini-fridge, lots of natural light. My room had a regular sofa and table, but some of the rooms feature a tatami-style table and chairs which, coupled with the low-slung beds, can be a burden on one's knees. The "closet" was a very pretty open wooden rack with a few hangers and a shelf. The "one-button technology" touted by the hotel worked fine for the room lights and window shades, but the music which was playing when I entered could not be turned back on. The open-air shower means you must be very familiar with your roommate and there's also some water splashes, but the water pressure from the shower was so weak, this was not a major issue. But it was impossible to have a "quick" shower.||The hotel does not seem to have on-site staff (aside from housekeeping). Check-in check-out and concierge duties are done via text. My digital check-in was delayed because I didn't get my QR key code at check-in time, I had to text for it while waiting in the parking lot. Responses to texts is not always immediate, and sometimes there was none. Housekeeping did not service my room, despite seeing and speaking to her in the hall. ||There is designated parking by room number at the rear of the building, it's $50 per night. Guests are also entitled to a welcome drink in the café or bar, and a daily morning beverage as well. The website also mentions a morning pastry but this was not offered to me. ||Overall a nice stay, with the hotel's design and location being its...

The Kodo is an interesting hotel, somewhere between an inn where the barkeep acts as the concierge, an AirBnB, and a Japanese love hotel. It is minimalistic and minimally staffed. Arrival: When you arrive at the hotel, you will notice that the barkeep is the only staff the hotel has on hand. Everything from getting your room key to requests are mainly handled over text or phone call with the remote hotel staff. Parking: This was the worst part of my stay. Parking costs $50/day for an assigned spot. The exorbitant price of parking aside, the assigned numbers were never enforced so I would always arrive to my spot being occupied. If you charge that much for parking, then it better be available and properly enforced. There is also various trash, debris, and pallets in the lot making it more difficult than it needs to be to get in and out of a parking spot. This is the area the hotel can use the most improvement. The room: I found the rooms to be the highlight of this hotel. The style evokes a feeling of being in a natural environment and is very clean and minimalistic. The shower is in the room maybe a few feet away from the bed, but works surprisingly well. Note that there is very little room for luggage and essentially no storage space in the rooms. The rooms can also get quite noise, whether it’s the cars racing outside at night or the sound of AC/plumbing, noise control can definitely be improved here. Other than those quirks, I found the rooms to be fairly clean and comfortable. Amenities: Minimal. If you get thirsty in the middle of the night, your options are drinking tap water from the bathroom sink or visiting one of the convenient stores in the hood nearby, the closest of which is about a half mile away and closed at night. Surrounding area: It’s downtown LA. Expect the usually squalor that comes with that. Other than that, there are a lot of attractions in the area and some good food places around. Final thoughts: This hotel has potential but has to work out the quirks. A good hotel anticipates and provides for the needs of their guests. In my experience they fell short, but maybe because they’re still in the growing stage. Some things like the surrounding environment can’t be controlled, but the guest experience on the premise can. Hopefully the management here will take the criticism as an...