The historic United Artists building on Broadway is back in full view as Stile DTLA, a reinvented hybrid that keeps hotel rooms but adds studios, co-working spaces, and a refreshed rooftop bar. The relaunch recasts the property as a hangout for musicians, creators and locals as much as for out-of-towners, trading the old strictly boutique-hotel vibe for an all-day cultural hub. Guests will find redesigned rooms, a lobby-level retail concept and analog flourishes like a cassette library with Walkman listening sessions, all layered onto the building’s landmark architecture.
Owner, Money And The Big Picture
South Korea-based AJU Continuum, which bought the building in 2019, has rolled out a multimillion-dollar renovation this June as the company’s first expansion into the United States. The revamp shifts the property from a limited-service hotel into what the company calls a “hub,” tying traditional amenities to programming aimed squarely at the local creative economy, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Rooms, Rooftop And A Creative Lab
All 182 guest rooms have been refreshed with new paint, carpet, furniture and upgraded bathrooms, while the lobby now features a curated convenience concept called the Goodie Shop alongside those playful analog details. Upstairs, the rooftop pool has been repainted a bright “carrot orange” and relaunched as Somewhere Special, a day-into-night bar and social spot. The property has also added SparkHouse, a members-focused creative space with recording studios, podcast and video suites, plus co-working lounges meant to serve both visitors and Los Angeles-based creators, as detailed by Time Out.
United Theater And Live Events
The ornate United Theater on Broadway remains the project’s centerpiece, now fitted with new carpet, updated sound and stage equipment and roughly 125 newly installed light fixtures inspired by the original lobby chandelier. AJU Continuum has launched an in-house booking arm for the theater to line up concerts, screenings and showcases that sync with the hotel’s creative calendar, according to the Los Angeles Times.
AJU’s takeover and rebrand follow the firm’s 2019 purchase of the property, when the sale price was reported at about $111 million. The company later brought in Kasa Living to operate the hotel under the Stile identity, a partnership documented by The Real Deal that set the relaunch in motion.
Los Angeles design studio Design, Bitches led the interiors, leaning into industrial-modern materials and locally minded touches that keep the building’s historic character while making rooms and common areas feel contemporary and flexible. That design strategy is a key part of AJU’s stated goal of connecting Los Angeles to Seoul and positioning Stile as more than a quick stopover, as described by Hospitality Interiors.
SparkHouse, the two-story creative lab, is set to function as a members club and production hub with professional recording rooms, podcast suites and meeting spaces, with full buildout and programming to follow once permits are approved. Time Out notes that the space is slated to host listening sessions, showcases and mentorship programming aimed at up-and-coming artists.
Whether Stile DTLA can recapture the civic spark the Ace Hotel once brought to Broadway is still an open question, but the project clearly bets on programming and production to keep a landmark address buzzing. For now, the property keeps its hotel capacity while doubling down on work and performance spaces that are designed to plug directly into DTLA’s creative economy.
