"Built in 1926 as the YWCA and long regarded as one of LA’s most iconic buildings, I note Hotel Figueroa underwent a multi‑year renovation before reopening in 2018 under the care of chef Casey Lane. The property’s recent food‑and‑beverage operations were troubled under Noble 33, culminating in the layoffs of about 100 unionizing employees in February 2024, after which the Botanical Group (owners of Grandmaster Recorders and E.P. & L.P.) took over the hotel’s food‑and‑beverage program. The hotel retains multiple outlets—Bar Magnolia, Cafe Fig, and La Casita at Driftwood—that the team plans to revitalize in the coming months, while the new poolside anchor restaurant Deme expands the property’s culinary offerings." - Mona Holmes