The Points Guy in The Globe and Mail & My Take on Downtown Los Angeles

Jan. 04, 2011

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2 min read

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The Points Guy was a part of a panel of travel experts on global business conference destinations. Check out the article here.

My choice was downtown Los Angeles. I was there for a conference recently and was really impressed with LA Live and the food scene. If you find yourself in downtown LA, you must eat at Rivera and try the Barbacoa cocktail with Mezcal- it even comes with a piece of hickory smoked jerky. Sounds disgusting, but trust me, it isn't. They also have a cocktail Blood Sugar Sex Magic, which surely won't disappoint.

I stayed at the Westin Bonaventure which was a certified dump. The rooms were dated and the hotel felt like I was stuck in 1991. My coworkers stayed at the brand new JW Marriott and The Ritz Carlton and I was kicking myself for letting my preference of Starwood points get in the way of choosing a better hotel. I'd definitely accrue some airline or Marriott points and go JW/Ritz next time.

Overall, downtown Los Angeles wasn't the hellhole many people make it out to be. As a conference destination, the conference center was close to LA Live and a VIP event I attended at the JW Marriott's rooftop pool was top-notch.
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