Kimpton Hotel Wilshire Review

We had the opportunity to do a one-night stay at the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles, CA. The Kimpton Hotel Wilshire turned out to be a great location for a meeting in Beverly Hills and a quick day-trip to the beach. Like many of its Kimpton counterparts we’ve stayed at, the room was an average size, the service was great, and the amenities made for a great stay.

We have been favoring Kimpton properties as of late. While they don’t have the appearance of ultra-luxury hotels, experience certainly beats any hotel that would be slightly less expensive. Add on top of that our IHG Platinum Elite benefits, and it makes it any easy decision for us to stay at Kimpton properties.

Booking the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire

We booked this as a cash stay on a Wednesday night. I had a work event about a mile away in Beverly Hills, and this was one of the most reasonably priced options. Sometimes you can find Kimpton properties through the American Express hotel collection, but since this was a one-night stay, we booked directly through Kimpton.

Booking directly through Kimpton and using our IHG One Premier Rewards credit card we got some added benefits:

26x points earning - in this case 8,990
Possible complimentary upgrade - didn’t happen this time, as they said the hotel was fully booked?
Welcome amenity - the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire gave us a $10 raid-the-minibar credit
Free wine social hour from 5-6pm
Late checkout - 2pm

For this stay, the biggest perk ends up being the extra points. Since we burned an absurd number of points for an upcoming trip to Spain in July, it’ll feel good to start re-loading our points balance.

Kimpton Hotel Wilshire Location

The Kimpton Hotel Wilshire is located at 6317 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, CA. This places the hotel in a very central location for all of the sights in west Los Angeles. The hotel is right around the corner from the Peterson Automotive Museum, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and the LA County Museum of Art.

Glass hotel entrance canopy along the sidewalk with plants and patio heaters

Covered driveway into the hotel garage with exit and enter signs

Close view of a black valet parking rates board in the garage

Sidewalk looking down a wide city street with road work signs and towers

Front hotel entrance with a pink suitcase, planters, and a wood bench

This also means that all of the shopping of Beverly Hills and Beverly Grove are a short drive away. Likewise, the restaurants and night clubs of the Sunset Strip are a short drive as well.

Checkin and Lobby at the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire

Lobby lounge with a beige sofa, books, and a man facing the window

The Kimpton Hotel Wilshire has a small lobby, facing Wilshire Blvd. When we arrived to checkin around 3pm, the lobby was filled with at least 10 people. While this made the space feel cramped, the agents quickly moved through the line. Five minutes later, they had the lobby cleared, and had us checked in. The agent explained our amenities and fees:

$50 for overnight valet - with in/out privileges
$15 credit for the Videre rooftop restaurant & bar
$10 raid-the-minibar credit as IHG Platinum Elite members

Key card, welcome note, and beverage credit laid on a round black table

Kimpton Hotel Wilshire 1 King Room

Since the hotel was fully booked, and maybe because we had the desire to checkin at 3pm, we did not receive an upgrade as Platinum Elite members. This was the first time in awhile where this has happened. Therefore, we were given the most basic 1 King Room on the 3rd floor.

The room is 300 sq. feet, but doesn’t feel too small.

Open closet with robes, hangers, an umbrella, a rack, and a rolled mat

Snack tray of chips, candy, and water bottles on a marble counter

Open minifridge filled with soda bottles and cans on two wire shelves

Room hallway toward a wood door, with shoes on the floor and a mirror

In the entry way there is a small dresser with a minifridge, snacks, and a small closet. Inside the closet were two robes and a suitcase stand.

King bed in white linens under dripping wall art and patterned curtains

Side angle of the king bed with a pendant light and television edge

View across the white duvet toward pillows, a pendant, and a bedside lamp

Luggage beside a chair near the door, with the king bed on the right

King bed facing a dripping art panel, with the television on the left wall

Close-up of four white pillows under dripping script art and a tan headboard

Standing Videre menu card on a glass table next to a green chair

Green velvet chair and small table by patterned curtains and a wall sconce

Alarm clock with a wood top beside a smoke-free notice on marble

Bedside table holding a white geometric lamp and a black remote

Framed photo of a woman leaning on a vintage car beside a glowing pendant

The 1 King Room at the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire has a very comfortable king bed. There is also a large, flat-screen tv. Underneath the tv, there is a small desk fit into the space. In the corner of the room was a small chair and table, which are always useful.

Unfortunately, the view from the room was simply the neighboring office building and parking structure.

Doorway into a bathroom with a vanity, glass shower, and a welcome card

Bathroom vanity with stacked towels under a large mirror and a glass shower

White sink on a metal stand next to a glass shower with a blue band

Glass shower with a hanging towel, wall shelf of bottles, and mosaic floor

The bathroom was exactly what one would expect from a Kimpton. A nice big shower and vanity. Everything in the bathroom was well lit.

Videre Restaurant & Bar on the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire Rooftop

Who doesn’t love a wonderful rooftop bar, especially in Los Angeles. At first, we had a hard time finding our way up to the bar, as it requires taking a separate elevator. However, the directions are clearly printed on the back of the $15 bar credit slip they give you at checkin.

Rooftop pool surrounded by cafe tables, tropical plants, and distant hills

Open terrace doors framing a palm, patio heater, sofa, and city towers

High tables and dark woven chairs on a covered terrace beside the pool

Bar shelves packed with liquor bottles and stacked glasses against tropical leaf tile

Two Videre menus listing cocktails, snacks, and drinks on the bar

Teal-painted fingernail pointing at a cocktail name on the drink menu

Open illustrated cocktail menu with drink drawings resting on white bedding

Wood-slat sign pointing to the penthouse, pool, roof restaurant, and restrooms

Printed Videre card with steps to the private elevator and sixth floor

Once we made it up to the bar, we checked out the beautiful views of the Hollywood Hills and the beautiful pool. The bar has an extensive cocktail menu, and everything sounded amazing. It was nice to have $15 to cover part of our bar tab.

Coffee and Tea at the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire

On the 2nd floor of the hotel is a little lounge area with a 24hr coffee and tea area. There’s an extensive layout of teas to choose from. There is also a Nespresso espresso machine that we’ve started seeing in a lot of places. We used this to make a couple of americanos. That being said, the real standout is the Groundwork Coffee nitro cold brew on tap. Absolutely delicious.

Seating lounge with a mustard sofa, wood slats, and tall blue-tinted windows

Long wood table with brass desk lamps and brown leather chairs

Two black Groundwork airpots beside tall stacks of striped paper cups

Coffee station with an espresso machine, carafes, syrup, and boxed teas

Front of a stainless Nespresso machine with capsules and a basket on top

Closer side view of the Nespresso machine and rows of coffee capsules

Groundwork nitro cold brew tap with plastic cups on a steel counter

Conclusion

Overall, we had a wonderful stay at the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire. Its location was perfect for everything we needed to do that day in Los Angeles. The rooftop bar provided a great place for us to unwind during happy hour, after a busy day in traffic. Likewise, the staff was exceedingly friendly and provided excellent service.

This stay fit the bill for almost all of our other Kimpton stays. It served as further reinforcement of our feeling that when there is a Kimpton available where we are traveling, it’s going to be our first choice.