If ever there were a time to visit Los Angeles, 2025 is it. The City of Angels is amid a full-scale glow-up — one that tastes divine, sleeps in style, parties with pride, and looks so good doing it that even seasoned locals are taking staycations to keep up.
In three sweeping acts — places to stay, dishes to devour, and culture to soak up — LA 2025 is putting on a show, and everyone’s invited. Here’s your all-in-one guide to the best of what’s opening, evolving and electrifying LA this year.
HOTEL HEAVEN — WHERE TO STAY NOW
Los Angeles is in the midst of a five-star renaissance. From art-filled boutiques to luxury towers with rooftop cinemas, the new hotel crop reads like a roll call of design awards in the making.
- Waldorf Astoria Residences in Beverly Hills is topping off its legacy with private homes that redefine glamour.
- Park Hyatt LA at Oceanwide Plaza (finally!) aims to open next year with ocean views and polish to match.
- Hotel Per La in Downtown turns heads with its Art Deco panache and moody rooftop pool.
- The Aster in Hollywood blends membership club chic with theatrical suites.
Add to that a wave of boutique darlings like Downtown LA Proper, Hotel San Fernando, and the Japanese-minimalist Hotel Marufuku, and you’ve got a hospitality scene that’s more curated than your Instagram feed.
CULINARY GLORY — LA’S FOODIE FAIRYTALE
Let’s be clear: in 2025, Los Angeles isn’t just a city to eat in. It’s a city to eat through. The culinary landscape is a raucous parade of pop-ups, pastries, meze, Michelin glitter and global flavour.
- Le Le Dinner Club is the definition of exclusivity — an invite-only Neapolitan supper club.
- Santa Canela reimagines Mexican-American baking into sweet poetry in Highland Park.
- Cafe 2001 reinvents the Arts District with smoked trout, wine lists and Tokyo–Berkeley fusion.
- Bar Etoile, Tomat, Kusano — newly minted Michelin Guide darlings — are about to explode.
LA’s appetite extends far beyond dinner plates. You’ll find soufflé pancakes at Takagi Coffee, wagyu ribeyes at Matu Kai, and churros from Mexico City’s famed El Moro.
And let’s not forget the big names behind the menus: José Andrés (Zaytinya), Issa Rae (Downtown Dough), and Phil Rosenthal (Max and Helen’s) — each leaving their delicious mark on the city.
CULTURE, EVENTS & COMMUNITY IN FULL COLOUR
Culture in LA doesn’t hide in the gallery — it parades down Santa Monica Boulevard, rollercoasters through Universal Studios, and sings its heart out at Dodger Stadium. In 2025, the cultural calendar is a non-stop lineup of anniversaries, expansions and must-see openings:
- LACMA unveils its long-awaited David Geffen Galleries.
- Griffith Observatory celebrates its 90th with moonlit festivities.
- The Broad begins a $100 million expansion.
From the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (2026) to Dataland — a new AI-powered museum experience — the future is in full swing. Meanwhile, LA Pride roars through June with enough sparkle to blind the sun.
Transport-wise, LA is finally getting more straightforward to navigate: LAX’s $15 billion overhaul includes a people mover (2026) and metro connector (June 2025), and the D Line subway is extending to Westwood.
On the wellness front, ice baths in Venice, spa glamour in Santa Monica, and leafy new precincts like The Lawn in Brentwood make staying healthy look very tempting.
FINAL THOUGHTS: LA IS HAVING A MOMENT — BE PART OF IT
Whether you’re coming for the cookies, the cinema, or the subway finally making sense, one thing’s clear: LA 2025 is not just a place to go — it’s a city you feel. And in this sun-drenched chapter of its story, it feels like hope, taste, beauty, and a very good reason to book that trip.
By Jason Smith
