I finally got a chance to check out the Rowan, making very good use of the Ambassador renewal free night cert that I was just barely able to earn at the last minute when LA hotels reopened last month. The typical weekend price has been in the $550+/60k point range every time I have checked, but I was able to get a Sunday night for 37500, just barely low enough to use my 40k cert ($325 rate). It is a very nice property right in the heart of PS, within easy walking distance of quite a few restaurants and shops. That said, I would not say that it is worthy of being one of the most expensive IHG hotels in North America, but I guess the rates are only extortionate for weekends in the winter.

Being my third southern CA Kimpton in the last four weeks, I can say that it is my favorite, but only by a slim margin. The room was comfortable and spacious (upgraded from standard to 'mountain view'), but the shower had the same fatal design flaws that seem to be a Kimpton brand standard (water splashing all over the floor/poor drainage design/no hand shower wand). The COVID limitations were markedly less onerous than in LA or SD. The large and well-heated pool is supposedly open from 7:30 to 23:00, but it was already locked at 21:50 when I went up for a late dip. This is still a huge improvement over the closed pool at the Everly, and the meager 10:00-19:00 hours at Palomar (where the outdoor bar/dining on the pool deck was still closed). They also have two outdoor dining spaces open, both on the rooftop pool deck and just outside the lobby. The destination fee was charged on my reward night, but it does include valet or self-parking. Another downside is the 11:00 check-out time (versus noon everywhere else). I asked for an extension as a platinum ambassador, and I was able to extend all the way to 12:00. One big downside of this location is that there is hardly anything nearby for purchasing food items like water/soda/snacks, and the hotel charges $7 for a bottle of water, with no free bottles provided at all in the room. Being a Kimpton, there is no pet fee and plenty of dogs in residence. However, I did not receive a bed or bowl in the room despite indicating online I would be arriving with a dog. I did not get a chance to try the food here, partially due to the earlier check-out time. I would have liked to enjoy a final meal on site if I had a proper late check-out, but 11 am is too early for lunch.

All in all, it was an enjoyable overnight getaway and I would return for the price I paid. However, I would definitely be exploring other options at anything over $400/night, as it is simply not such an aspirational property and there is plenty of worthwhile competition in PS. Hopefully, when the Andaz PS opens in "fall 2019," it will help to provide some downward pressure on the rates and heat up the competition.