I was in L.A. in March 2005 for a one-week convention and stayed at the Omni.

Reservation and check-in: Booked the room through AAA, $85 per night. Because of flight delays I arrived at 3 a.m. in the morning. Prompt check-in. Don't forget to pick up an apple at the front desk every day!

Room description: End of the hall on the 10th floor. Large floor-to-ceiling window, could be opened for fresh air; overlooked the front of the hotel and Olive Street. The room had king-size bed, small desk with lamp, TV, minibar fridge, coffee maker. Bathroom had tub only (my colleague's room had a bathroom with both tub and shower stall), well stocked with towels and a bathrobe, a swivelling make-up/shaving mirror was mounted on the wall, which was nice to have. Hair blow dryer provided. Telephones on nightstand and in bathroom. Iron and ironing board in closet. Signal for the complementary wireless connection was very good, but the DNS server was spotty and could have rendered the wireless service useless for a layperson. I had to bypass the hotel's DNS server and use the one at my university so that I could use the Internet normally. Housekeeping provided turndown service (pillow fluffing, next day's forecast, ice, and chocolates) around 6:30 p.m. Couldn't find a telephone book in the room. Bottled water provided, but costs $6.75 plus restocking fee per pop. L.A. Times and USA Today delivered to room in the morning.

Dining: Had breakfast only once at the hotel's cafe on the third floor. Price is a bit expensive ($17 for full breakfast buffet, I had a big omlette for about $12, I think). Did not eat at the hotel's Noe Restaurant. There are other places to eat nearby the hotel, but most are closed by the evening except the California Pizza Kitchen in the Wells Fargo Center on Grand Ave between 3rd St and 4th St behind the hotel, which stays open until 9 or 10 at night. Another option for dining is the Westin Bonaventure, which is three to four blocks away and has a greater selection of restaurants and fastfood outlets--just don't get lost in the Westin.

Transportation: I did not have a car, so can't say anything about the parking. Took the DASH bus on Grand Ave, south bound with one transfer at 5th St to go to the Convention Center; bus fare is only 25 cents! The DASH buses run only during the day, and service north to Little Tokyo, Chinatown, and south to Exposition Park (USC, Olympic Colesium, Science Center, Rose Garden). Walking from the Omni to the Convention Center West Hall/Staples Center took me 30 minutes; taxi ride for the same costs $8. I did not make use of the hotel's Town Car service. On the evening that I left, I asked the front desk to make a reservation for me with SuperShuttle (independent of Omni) to go to LAX. The shuttle was 30 minutes late, and the front desk staff called their dispatcher on my behalf to find out where the driver was.

Around the hotel: Felt safe walking in the vicinity of the hotel at night. The Watercourt plaza next to the hotel offers a variety of restaurants and businesses, including the postal service. There is a graphics shop just around the corner of the hotel (printing, binding, etc.), saving a trip to Kinko's seven blocks away. The hotel's business center offers only basic laser printing and fax services, and a fee is charged for these. Museum of Contemporary Art is right next door to the hotel (regrettably I could not understand or appreciate the artwork that was on display).

Celebrity sighting: Eric Morlon Bishop, aka Jamie Foxx.

Overall I had a great stay at the Omni Los Angeles, and would return again.