The Ace Hotel’s style and design were part of a Downtown LA renaissance, its stark black and white tiles, historic architecture, and overall hipness shaping a generation of artists, influencers, and more. The space’s original restaurant was called L.A. The Ace’s ground-floor restaurant, Loam, struggled to gain traction after it took over Best Girl in 2021, which had been operated by Providence chef Michael Cimarusti since 2017. In addition, numerous other competitors have sprouted up in the area, including the Hoxton, the Freehand, and Proper hotels. In recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, both Downtown and the Ace Hotel have struggled to return to pre-pandemic activity, as restaurants in the area have shuttered. In addition, the Theater at Ace DTLA, a popular venue for screenings, shows, and performances, will come under new management. On December 12, the hotel chain announced in a statement that it would be closing its doors on January 31, 2024, as the owners of the building plan to reflag the property into a tech-driven, rooms-only situation without the Ace’s food and beverage. When the Ace Hotel opened in the southern part of Downtown LA’s Historic Core in 2014, it marked the rebirth of the neighborhood, setting off a decade of redevelopment and revitalization in the central business district.
