Checking In: The Sunset Tower Hotel

A Masterclass in High-Touch, Relaxed Hospitality

Over the weekend, I checked into The Sunset Tower to casually celebrate my 40th with my friend JZ, visiting from New York. The hotel had been on my bucket list for years, and I finally had the excuse. I love staying someplace new and observing how they practice hospitality.

The Sunset Tower is a place I’ve long admired. It carries a sort of mythic glamour. Steeped in Old Hollywood energy yet somehow fresh and relevant at the same time. You wonder, when a place has a reputation like that, does it actually live up to the hype?

This one does.

The hospitality at The Sunset Tower is high-touch relaxed. They have it down to an art. My stay reminded me that great hospitality is a creative act, and when it’s done well, it leaves a lasting impression.

As someone who develops and grows irresistible brands for a living, it’s also a fantastic case study on hospitality. 

Here’s what The Sunset Tower tells you: 

We strive to exceed your expectations, cultivate a friendly and efficient team and provide exemplary genuine hospitality. 

And here’s how that plays out… 

LOOK

Glamorous but not stuffy.

Stately, iconic, but with a sense of humor. (Donald Robertson’s cheeky drawings line the hallways. There are pigs in a blanket on the bar menu.)

You better get dressed up for dinner here, but it doesn’t feel performative - it feels fun.

FEEL

Relaxed generosity.

High-touch without the ego.

There’s a cookie by your bed at turn-down. It says “eat me.” You do. It’s good. The mini-bar is open. It’s thoughtful and generous. You extend your stay because you want more of this. They make it happen — seamlessly (shout out to Anthony at the front desk!).

ACT

Like an icon.

Not trying to be the new cool thing. Just being great at what they do. At Sunset Tower, hospitality isn’t just service, it’s style. The team doesn’t just greet you, they notice you. They remember you. They make you feel like you belong there, even if you just arrived.

It’s Sunday morning at 10am and Barbara, the GM, is walking around the patio checking in on guests. There’s a mother and daughter at the next table, glowing from their morning chat with her. That 5-year-old? She’s their customer for life, and you feel it. 

Hospitality is a deliberate act.

It’s the look, feel and act of a place. All working together to make you experience something.

This is why I love working with hotels on their brand positioning - defining their identity and creating magnetic guest experiences through positioning and storytelling. When it’s done well it’s unforgettable.

At Long Weekend, we get to shape real emotional connections, create memories and make people feel good. What could be better? 

So for hotel owners or operators (or I’d argue, anyone with customers is in the hospitality business… but that’s a whole other newsletter):

How do you want people to experience your space?

How do you want them to feel?

And what will make them return, rave, remember?

Getting clear on these questions begins to make a place a brand. And a brand memorable. 

Thank you, Sunset Tower, for the pleasure. I can’t wait to be welcomed back.