There are plenty of hotel options near LAX, but none have the contemporary vibe of the W or the whimsy of the Standard Hotels. Now there's the 12-story Custom Hotel, which debuted near LAX, convenient to Westside locales like Marina del Rey and the South Bay cities. The building was originally designed by the midcentury architect Welton Beckett, who did the Capitol Records building in Hollywood. Now owned and operated by the Palisades Development, the hotel underwent a complete overhaul over about a year and a half, and has been reopening in phases between October and December. The exterior may be all black, but inside, it's colorful and eclectic. The lobby has four bar areas—one features stuffed sheep—and the rooms have custom-made duvets and minibars with items like tube socks, neon pink tape, or balsa-wood model airplanes. (See, whimsy.)On a more serious note, all 250 rooms have Percale linens, Egyptian cotton towels, iPod docking stations, and Wi-Fi, and many have ocean or city views. For events, the bilevel Hopscotch Pool Bar & Grill features four private cabanas, an outdoor fire pit, and stadium seating. It holds 350 for receptions or seats 150. The hotel's restaurant, Bistrotek, channels a New York SoHo vibe with its industrial design. The open space has skylights, exposed pipes, concrete floors, and distressed brick walls. The dining room holds 74, a semiprivate room holds 28, and an outdoor patio holds 12 (all for seated events). On the second floor, a 900-square-foot room holds 75, and there are four meeting rooms that hold 12 each.
Photo: Courtesy of Custom Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of Custom Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of Custom Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of Custom Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of Custom Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of Custom Hotel