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Every surface within the Ivy Hotel's lobby exudes texture, from the leather-wrapped pillars to the swirled marble to the curvaceous concrete reception desk that borders on modern art. Mod chrome chandeliers emit a shower of soft light, and a subtle red neon glow pours out of the walls. All this, along with the runway-worthy staff suited in Tadashi, collectively distracts from the loudly colored 30-foot painting at the rear of the lobby. It reads: "I can't stand the thought of living a day without you." Feel loved? You should. Rooms here start at $400 a night.

Upstairs you'll find the same level of swank in the Ivy's 159 guestrooms, contemporarily outfitted quarters with white leather chairs, ash-gray sofas, chrome tables and iPod docking stations, as well as the standard Wi-Fi and 300-thread-count sheets. Jaws are sure to drop over the baths, separated from the bedroom by nothing more than a sheet of translucent glass (shy folks beware). The faucets are set off center, making it easy to lie back and soak in direct view of the HD plasma TV.

For $4,500 a night, a slumber party fit for a bad-boy sultan awaits in the hotel's suite, which is equipped with a fireman's pole and queen-size bunk beds. The royal treatment includes direct access to a private cabana beside the rooftop pool.

Ultra, Envy and Eden
The Ivy is equipped with three main places to party. On the street level, the Ultra Lounge beckons with large leather couches and an orange hue that glints off the dark bar. Think of it as a sexy study where you would drop in for a whiskey and mockingly (or seriously, depending on how many whiskeys you've had) cross and recross your legs.

The Ultra Lounge could also serve as the pre-party for the S&M-tinged dungeon Envy just downstairs. For $20 a head (usually), you'll descend through a fogscreen made by a $10,000 Scandinavian contraption and pull back blood-red bead curtains to slink along a multi-level dance club, with cocktail waitresses in vinyl catsuits and wall-size, black-and-white photos of women in their underwear.

If Madonna's "Truth or Dare" phase wasn't your favorite, hop in the express elevator and zoom up to the rooftop bar Eden. It's a sparsely elegant space of concrete, white and bamboo planters complete with a pool, cabanas and a wooden, cross-hatched lounge chair made for expensive sunscreen commercials. Every so often, you'll look around at all the surrounding buildings and think you're in L.A., but that could also be designer Dayna Lee and Ted Berner's background in the film industry.

No membership fees? Look out, Keating.

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You must be kidding
By Grovesd on 5/26/2008

I'm the first to write a review for the Ivy Hotel on this site? Something tells me SignonSanDiego is a scam site.

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