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From the Starwood forum:

Westin Century Plaza to become a Hyatt
Sunstone Hotel
Investors, Inc. (NYSE: SHO) and Global Hyatt Corporation announced today that
they have entered into an agreement to acquire the 728-room Century Plaza
Hotel & Spa located in Century City, California. Sunstone has signed an
agreement to acquire the hotel for $293.0 million before expenses and
renovation costs. Sunstone will reposition the hotel as Hyatt Regency Century
Plaza and will immediately embark on a $22.5 million renovation that will
include all guest rooms and common areas and the addition of a Regency level
and Hyatt Regency Club. Sunstone will enter into a long-term management
agreement with Hyatt, during which, Hyatt will provide a limited performance
guarantee that will ensure a return on equity to Sunstone. Sunstone intends
to obtain approximately $175.0 million of debt financing to finance a portion
of the purchase price, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of
this year. The contract to acquire the Century Plaza Hotel & Spa is subject
to customary closing requirements and conditions. Additional information
regarding the transaction will be provided with the company's SEC form 8-K
filing.
Based upon Sunstone's operating projections and the Hyatt limited
guarantee, the all-in consideration equates to an 11.4x multiple on 2006
EBITDA (reconciliation to net income below).
Robert A. Alter, Sunstone's Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The Century
Plaza Hotel & Spa is an irreplaceable asset located in the heart of Century
City, the premier Westside Los Angeles business address. We are excited to
acquire this landmark Los Angeles hotel. The property will benefit from
Hyatt's brand profile and global distribution network. We look forward to
further expanding our partnership with Hyatt."
"We are extremely pleased to be adding Los Angeles' premier meeting and
convention hotel to Hyatt's Southern California portfolio as well as to our
family of top group properties across the country," said Steve Goldman,
executive vice president, Global Hyatt Corporation. "Additionally, we are
excited about enhancing our relationship with Sunstone and look forward to
partnering with them on future transactions."

About Century Plaza Hotel & Spa
Adjacent to Beverly Hills and minutes from Rodeo Drive, The Century Plaza
Hotel & Spa is Los Angeles' most fashionable address. The AAA Four Diamond
Hotel has hosted heads of state, presidents, celebrities and dignitaries for
over 30 years. The Century Plaza is the premier meetings destination in Los
Angeles with over 141,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space --
including the largest ballroom in the city. Set amidst seven acres of
beautifully landscaped grounds, the hotel's accommodations feature private
balconies with sweeping views of the Los Angeles skyline and the Pacific
Ocean. The hotel also features Spa Mystique, a 35,000-square-foot, Asian
influenced resort spa that offers guests a unique environment in which to
relax and renew.

SST

I stayed there last night on a reservation that was made when it was still a Westin. I'd been to the hotel at least 5 times in the last year. Staff seems to be the same.

It's a fine hotel, but beginning to show its age. Since I have no status with Hyatt (I'm platinum with Starwood), I was given no upgrade. Got a standard room; bathtub drains slowly, single showerhead (the Westin Heavenly shower is no more, although the brand of showerhead looks the same but in single-head incarnation.) Perhaps a changed channel lineup on the cable tv, not certain, but local TV channels are in the 20s, instead of 2,4,5,etc. Don't think the beds had changed; a very comfortable sleep, good pillows, etc.

Room amenity: none for me. Parking rate stays the same: $27. Evening bar scene about the same, mostly couples/hotel guests. Was quite surprised to see that election night had no big celebrations--- a very quiet evening. Perhaps with the changeover, they missed out on bookings. Hotel itself seemed average-full. There's a major building being constructed across the street on the east side; left too early to know whether the construction noise is significant.

No turndown service for me; didn't miss it. Toiletries were good quality boutique stuff; I've forgotten the brand. No q-tips. Coffee provided for the coffeemaker was Starbucks.

I'll be back, but I miss the upgrades I regularly got. I get a lot of business travel but not enough to be top-tier at Hilton, Starwood AND Hyatt. So unless the others piss me off, I'm stuck with standard issue here. Still, occasionally the hotel has good rates in relation to the quality.

Blumie

I'm not normally a Hyatt person, but someone else made my reservation and put me at the Hyatt Century Plaza last night. For what it's worth, if it were my choice, I'd be at the Peninsula. Also, I noticed that the PH was sold out.

In any event, I never liked the Century Plaza when it was a Westin, or before that when (iirc) it was independent, so my expectations were very low. In the end, this place exceeded my expectations in several ways, but met my low expectations in others.

First the good. I have what I am guessing is a standard room, but it really is very nice. My recollection of the rooms at the old Century Plaza, even when it was a Westin, was that they were dark and worn. This room is bright and airy, even though it is not particularly large. The bed is very comfortable -- not Peninsula or Four Seasons comfortable, but comfortable nonetheless. The bathroom appears to recently have been renovated and is sleek and modern.

I ordered a continental breakfast this morning, and it arrived quickly (I always expect room service to take forever at megahotels such as this), and I have to say that the danish pastries included were among the best I ever have had: they were incredibly fresh, and were crispy, yet very light. Normally the quality of the danish is not a big factor in my evaluation of hotels, but this was better than I normally get at even the most luxurious properties.

Another plus is that I am accessing their high speed internet service without paying for it. I don't think it's supposed to be free, but I plugged in my laptop and am getting service without having to click through a payment screen, so I assume I won't have to pay for it.

Now the not-so-good. When I got to my room last night, the room appeared to have been cleaned, but there were a pair of blue jeans and several books neatly stacked on the desk. Before I could call the front desk, the woman who had checked me in called me. She very sheepishly asked if everything was ok, as if she knew that something was not. When I told her about the stuff I found, she said that it appeared that the room already was occupied (what kind of hotel systems allow the front desk to assign a room that already is occupied?), and would I mind switching rooms. She heard in my voice that I really was not in the mood to switch rooms, so she said she would just send someone to get the stuff. I just stuck them out in the hallway and hung out the do-not-disturb sign. I did hear when they finally came to remove the stuff, though -- about 20 minutes later.

Another negative is that the drain in the bath is exceedingly slow, as the previous poster reported, so I ended up standing in several inches of water while I showered. Also, when I got in the shower this morning, I noticed several used bottles of shampoo that had been left on top of one of the towels by a previous guest and not removed by housekeeping.

None of these negatives are big deals, just the normal less-than-perfect stuff I expect from Hyatt (which is why I normally am not a Hyatt person). But all-in-all this is a nice property, and I would be much more likely to return that I would have been in the pre Hyatt days.

dankyone

Stayed there last week...used to be a Westin.

No Hyatt points have posted as yet...and when I look at the dropdown on the menu for past stay credit this hotel does not appear.

Has anyone stayed there yet and received credit? I'm hoping to book a FFN based on this stay.

A "mini trip report" follows...

Checked in on Tuesday afternoon. Efficient valet service outside. Inside, many people waiting to check in but I was processed quickly with "your GP # is in the reservation" and assigned to the king non smoking room that I requested. I asked about using an upgrade certificate but no RC is available as yet at this property.

I was disappointed in the room...very small, very old and outdated furnishings. The front of the hotel faces a huge construction site and there is a lot of noise. The "lanai" (small balcony) had stained carpeting and ancient furniture along with a view of the hideous construction site and its noise.

The bathroom looked recently remodeled and was pretty nice.

I used the spa the next morning and it was quite nice. Huge workout area, nice steam/sauna/whirlpool area. $12 fee was worth it.

Valet service in and out in for dinner and in the morning was great even though there were tons of cars out front.

Overall poor value for money...I paid $259 for a very outdated room. Beverly Hilton rooms down the street for same price which are completely and beautifully remodeled. Would not have stayed here if I weren't going for FFN and I won't plan on staying here again...only redeeming feature is the spa.

cmginc

I spent much of the month of April at the Century Plaza when it was a Westin, and the parking experience was horrible. Same staff today, same poor service - and of course, at $27/day, not acceptable. I liked the hotel when it was a Westin and much of the regular staff is the same (stayed in August and September when it was still a Westin).

Room service food is very good, and the rooms are fine. Management changed with the move to Hyatt and they are not as good or as customer friendly as the old team. It looks like we will move over to the W in Westwood in the future or down the street to the Peninsula.

rfrost

I stayed at the Century Plaza quite often in the early 90's when I had frequent business trips to LA. IIRC, it was pre-Starwood back then, I was a mid-level (Burgundy, perhaps?) Westin member, and they treated me quite well. (I remember a number of upgrades to the Tower.) Though the place had no charm, I found it convenient and comfortable.
The case I was on eventually settled, and my LA trips after that were mostly on weekends and at more upscale properties, and then FFN's captured me for Hyatt, so except for a PL one night stay last summer and a weekend somewhere along the line at the St. Regis to check it out, I hadn't been back. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, other than knowing the lobby floor had been reconfigured and it feeling a bit odd for it to be a Hyatt now, when I arrived a few days ago.
Valet parking was awful when I pulled in. The driveway was a zoo. No room for the car and no one to take the keys when I finally found a spot for it. A large group of conventioneers was apparently checking out (late) and there was also a long wait to check in. I had a somewhat complicated checkin--I was combining a couple of reservations, and I had to make sure I had all my bonuses and my Diamond amenity and I wanted the HYCARD then and there. Fortunately, the woman who checked me in seemed to know what she was doing. The HYCARD was supposed to be sent to my room, but it wasn't and when I tried to retrieve it at the desk it had disappeared. It was eventually found, but it was a bit frustrating.
The room was okay, though it was two double beds instead of the king I always request and usually get. I was too tired to ask for a change. Ugly dresser (perhaps that's why it was in the closet) and not much better armoire. Nice view, and the balcony carpeting seemed unstained. Starbucks and Coffeemate for the coffeemaker. Safe in the armoire. "White ginger" toiletries (no body lotion, though) in the bathroom. There were Qtips and cotton balls. I did get turndown service, and they replaced the towels/washcloths in the evening.
Valet parking was still bad that night, both outbound and return. By the way, it's now $29.
Loud groups in the lobby at all times except for my very early morning departure.
Breakfast at Breeze (on the AAA rate) was okay. Service was a bit slow but the staff was sweet.
They seem to give guests USA Today, a paper I don't like, instead of LATimes on weekdays.
Concierge was okay. Checked me in for my flight online, which was great, but miscalculated a timing issue for my day's plans, which threw me off a bit.
The note on my bill, which is not on the standard Hyatt form, says to allow two weeks for my points to be credited. And, because there's no line for them, I can't tell if any of the bonuses will post or not.

777 global mile hound

It appears that the Hyatt Touch is coming the way of the former Westin Century Plaza
Horowitz to oversee immediate reposition; includes multi-million dollar renovation
David Horowitz has been appointed General Manager for the new Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City, California. Horowitz is responsible for the management, operations and marketing of the 728-room landmark hotel, which begins a multi-million dollar renovation project this spring. Horowitz's appointment was announced by Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Formerly General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia, Horowitz began his career in the food and beverage division of the Hyatt Regency Washington. During his 23-year career with Hyatt Hotels, Horowitz was promoted to posts throughout the country before becoming General Manager of the Hyatt Regency West Lake Village in Thousand Oaks, California from 1994-1998, and later the General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Irvine in Irvine, California from 1998-2001.

A nominee for the 2005 Donald Pritzker General Manager of the Year Award, Horowitz serves on the Board of Directors for LA INK, Los Angeles' Visitor and Convention Bureau, and the Century City Chamber of Commerce.

psyflyer

Going to be there from 22-26th and HAVE to stay in this hotel... (not to thrilled about it) I reserved a century suite for $1843.05 as the standard room is only about 130bux cheaper/night.

Question: How is this hotel? And these century suites? They worth it ir should i downsize? I might downsize but my wife will be with me and with our little doggy so I wanted for them to be more comfortable.... In any event, I have to stay at this hotel and do not have flexibility. (only other hotel was the park hyatt, but they wont accept pets)

jgoodm

I don't know the Century Plaza (as a guest) very well, but, I think the Beverly Hills Hotel accepts pets and for the kind of money you are going to spend you could have a bungalow there. Its only 5 minutes from Century City... You might want to check that out.

shinbal

I've stayed at the Century Plaza a dozen times under Starwood ownership. It's a lovely property and you'll love the Century Suite. At the rate, call in advance and ask for an upgrade to a Penthouse suite on 19. Breeze is a nice restaurant with a great sushi bar; The spa is exceptional; and the pool area is really great. Enjoy your stay.

leiterk

You want to make sure to get a Century Suite on a higher floor that has been renovated. The unrenovated suites are sort of pathetic. The renovated ones are quite nice with good views of LA. This hotel is pretty nice with a nice spa.

777Lover2

Bathrooms completely renovated at this property, rooms just refreshed, new carpet bed linens lamps, not new furniture. Noisy construction of office building still going on across the street, blocks most of the former views. Ask for a room on the back side of the building. This property can feel loud and crowded as they book alot of conventions here, if you're looking for peace and quiet book the Park Hyatt a few blocks up the street. Century Plaza does charge for gym usage, they will remove it if you have status. Very busy valet parking, can be a wait for your rental car. Expensive Starbucks coffee in lobby the a.m. at least the Park Hyatt offers it free in their lobby.

MFLetou

Also just down the street from the Century Plaza is the Beverly Hilton, which was completely remade and is now an absolutely incredible property, especially for the price. Like the Century Plaza its "older" but the new owners just invested millions into restoring it and now the decor, rooms and service are fantastic.

So that's another option.

rfrost

My recollection from a stay a few months ago is that there WAS a charge.

Explore

I was surprised to find relatively unrestricted street parking about 10 minutes walk away. It's on Santa Monica Blvd. just west of Avenue of the Stars, on the north side and possibly south side. There's a 2-hour maximum stay between 8 and 6 except Sunday, meaning you can park from 3:45 p.m. to 10:15 a.m. or so. There were plenty of spaces available Sunday evening at 6.

The clerk I talked to had never heard of the 1W code. She insisted it's G1, and inserted that on the folio. Oh well, I guess we'll have to sort it out with GP.