If you love an evening at the theater but think the experience is reserved for Midtown Manhattan, make a grand entrance at the Hilton Checkers Los Angeles. Although you can’t catch a show here, the ornate building oozes Big Apple style, stretching proudly above Grand like a Fifth Avenue standard. Actually, the refurbished 1920s hotel in L.A.’s newly booming Downtown offers dinner guests complimentary shuttles to the theater district, stopping at places such as the Mark Taper Forum and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. But before you go out, grab dinner at the hotel, as chef Tony Hodges at Checkers Downtown has received accolades for his new Napa Valley-inspired menu paired with a wealth of California wines. If you’re in town for business, relax on the rooftop pool deck between meetings, and absorb the contrasting cityscape or partake in easy-to-squeeze-in “Express” spa treatments. That’s so very New York.

Hilton Checkers Los Angeles Amenities:

• 188 rooms. High-speed Internet access. Restaurant, bar. Fitness center. Spa. Pool.