The LINE LA, Los Angeles
Mid-Century Modernism Meets the Soul of Koreatown
Why DNA Hotels Loves It
● A beautifully restored 1964 modernist landmark where exposed concrete, Sean Knibb’s warm interiors, and floor-to-ceiling city views capture the spirit of Los Angeles.
● One of the city’s most authentic lifestyle hotels, deeply connected to Koreatown’s food, culture, music, and creative community.
● Public spaces that feel like neighbourhood living rooms, where locals and travellers naturally come together from breakfast until late into the night.
A Hotel That Could Only Exist in Los Angeles
Some hotels showcase a city. The LINE LA lives it. Occupying the former Wilshire Plaza on Wilshire Boulevard, this restored 1964 modernist landmark stands at the heart of Koreatown—one of Los Angeles’ most energetic and culturally layered neighbourhoods. Its raw concrete façade still reflects the optimism of Southern California’s mid-century architecture, while inside, designer Sean Knibb has created interiors that feel unmistakably contemporary, relaxed, and deeply rooted in the city around them. Rather than polishing away the building’s character, the renovation celebrates it. Concrete remains exposed. Geometry stays honest. Warm materials, lush planting, colourful artwork, and handcrafted furnishings soften the architecture without hiding its original identity. The result feels distinctly Los Angeles: effortless, diverse, and impossible to separate from its surroundings.
Sean Knibb’s Industrial Warmth
Knibb’s interiors balance Brutalist restraint with California ease. Exposed concrete walls meet reclaimed timber, woven textiles, handmade ceramics, and carefully curated contemporary art by local creatives. Throughout the hotel, sculptural furniture, organic forms, and abundant greenery prevent the industrial architecture from ever feeling cold. Even the lobby refuses to behave like a traditional reception. It functions instead as an extension of the neighbourhood—a social space filled with freelancers, artists, musicians, locals, and travellers who naturally blur together throughout the day.
Rooms Above the City
The hotel’s 384 guestrooms embrace the building’s greatest asset: its views. Floor-to-ceiling windows transform Los Angeles into a constantly changing panorama, framing downtown skyscrapers, the Hollywood Hills, palm-lined boulevards, and the endless urban landscape beyond. Inside, exposed concrete, warm timber, handcrafted furnishings, colourful textiles, and commissioned artwork continue the hotel’s relaxed industrial aesthetic. Every room feels clean and contemporary while retaining enough personality to avoid the predictability of many urban lifestyle hotels. The city becomes part of the interior. Day and night.
The Taste of Koreatown
The LINE has always understood that hospitality in Los Angeles begins with food. Its restaurants and bars celebrate both California’s multicultural identity and Koreatown’s remarkable culinary scene. Openaire remains one of the city’s most distinctive dining rooms—a greenhouse-like space filled with natural light, tropical planting, and seasonal Californian cuisine that effortlessly flows onto the pool terrace. Elsewhere, Alfred Coffee, creative cocktail bars, and carefully curated retail reinforce the feeling that the hotel operates as a neighbourhood destination rather than a self-contained resort.
A Hotel That Belongs to Its Neighbourhood
Step outside and Koreatown immediately takes over. Korean barbecue restaurants, karaoke bars, hidden cocktail lounges, cafés, noodle shops, bakeries, and late-night dining give the neighbourhood an energy that rarely slows down. The LINE embraces that rhythm rather than insulating guests from it. Guests are encouraged to explore. Locals are encouraged to come inside. That exchange gives the hotel an authenticity many lifestyle properties aspire to but rarely achieve.
Why It Matters
The LINE LA helped redefine what a Los Angeles hotel could be. Rather than creating another glamorous Hollywood address or anonymous luxury tower, it embraced one of the city’s most dynamic neighbourhoods and built a hotel around its people, architecture, and culture. Sean Knibb’s thoughtful interiors, the preserved modernist building, exceptional food and drink, and strong connection to Koreatown combine to create a hotel that feels alive every hour of the day. For travellers looking to experience Los Angeles beyond the postcard clichés, few hotels capture the city’s creative energy more convincingly than The LINE LA.
