CONTENTS
Dedication
Chapter One - Room 702
Chapter Two - January 1, 2:32 A.M.
Chapter Three - January 5, 3:30 P.M.
Chapter Four - January 10, 3:30 P.M.
Chapter Five - January 29, 5:43 P.M.
Chapter Six - January 30, 5:21 A.M.
Chapter Seven - February 3, 5:17 P.M.
Chapter Eight - February 4, 3:03 P.M.
Chapter Nine - February 11, 1:37 A.M.
Chapter Ten - February 14, 7:24 P.M.
Chapter Eleven - February 25, 3:30 P.M.
Chapter Twelve - February 26, 1:35 A.M.
Chapter Thirteen - March 2, 10:22 P.M.
Chapter Fourteen - March 10, 6:00 P.M.
Chapter Fifteen - March 15, 4:05 P.M.
Chapter Sixteen - March 19, 5:27 P.M.
Chapter Seventeen - March 21, 6:45 P.M.
Chapter Eighteen - March 27, 11:01 A.M.
Chapter Nineteen - April 1, 10:30 A.M.
Chapter Twenty - April 2, 12:03 A.M.
Chapter Twenty-One - April 5, 11:10 P.M.
Chapter Twenty-Two - April 11, 1:15A.M.
Chapter Twenty-Three - April 17, 3:35 P.M.
Chapter Twenty-Four - April 20, 5:15 P.M.
Chapter Twenty-Five - April 23, 4:33 P.M.
Chapter Twenty-Six - April 25, 8:16 A.M.
Chapter Twenty-Seven - April 30, 11:46 P.M.
Chapter Twenty-Eight - May 1, 11:02 A.M.
Chapter Twenty-Nine - May 2, 12:04 A.M.
Chapter Thirty - May 3 – 6
Chapter Thirty-One - May 16, 2:16 P.M.
Chapter Thirty-Two - May 23, 11:14 A.M.
Chapter Thirty-Three - May 25, 2:02 P.M.
Chapter Thirty-Four - May 26, 12:15 A.M.
Chapter Thirty-Five - June 2, 4:05 P.M.
Chapter Thirty-Six - June 6, 5:15 P.M.
Chapter Thirty-Seven - June 8, 3:30 P.M.
Chapter Thirty-Eight - June 9, 12:02 A.M.
Chapter Thirty-Nine - June 12, 1:13 P.M.
Chapter Forty - June 13, 3:03 A.M.
Chapter Forty-One - June 15, 11:45 P.M.
Chapter Forty-Two - June 17, 2:56 A.M.
Chapter Forty-Three - July 1, 7:34 A.M.
Chapter Forty-Four - July 4, 6:56 P.M.
Chapter Forty-Five - July 7, 2:03 P.M.
Chapter Forty-Six - July 14, 2:00 P.M.
Chapter Forty-Seven - July 17, 3:05 P.M.
Chapter Forty-Eight - July 21, 4:03 P.M.
Chapter Forty-Nine - July 27, 4:05 P.M.
Chapter Fifty - July 28, 11:11 A.M.
Chapter Fifty-One - August 5, 1:03 A.M.
Chapter Fifty-Two - August 14, 2:15 P.M.
Chapter Fifty-Three - August 22, 9:18 P.M.
Chapter Fifty-Four - August 27, 9:00 P.M.
Chapter Fifty-Five - August 30, 3:14 P.M.
Chapter Fifty-Six - September 3, 10:14 P.M.
Chapter Fifty-Seven - September 15, 6:08 P.M.
Chapter Fifty-Eight - September 16, 1:14 A.M.
Chapter Fifty-Nine - September 22, 8:17 A.M.
Chapter Sixty - September 29, 2:14 P.M.
Chapter Sixty-One - October 4, 3:15 P.M
Chapter Sixty-Two - October 10, 3:30 P.M.
Chapter Sixty-Three - October 11, 10:45 P.M.
Chapter Sixty-Four - October 15, 6:17 P.M.
Chapter Sixty-Five - October 18, 10:30 A.M.
Chapter Sixty-Six - October 23, 4:45 P.M.
Chapter Sixty-Seven - November 2, 3:45 P.M.
Chapter Sixty-Eight - November 3, 12:03 A.M.
Chapter Sixty-Nine - November 11, 11:04 A. M.
Chapter Seventy - November 26, 9:28 P.M.
Chapter Seventy-One - November 29, 1:13 P.M.
Chapter Seventy-Two - December 2, 5:00 A.M.
Chapter Seventy-Three - December 10, 5:55 P.M.
Chapter Seventy-Four - December 12, 1:03 A.M.
Chapter Seventy-Five - December 17th, 1:15 P.M.
Chapter Seventy-Six - December 24, 3:30 P.M.
Chapter Seventy-Seven - December 31, 10:43 P.M.
Chapter Seventy-Eight - Acknowledgements
To my own B.S.
CHAPTER ONE
Room 702
The Winchester is a relative newcomer to the hotel landscape in Los Angeles, California. As a luxury accommodation chain, it fancies itself a fashionable destination – less historic and chaotic than the Chateau Marmont, less pretentious than the Standard, but counted among the competition of the Hollywood Roosevelt and The Montage, The Winchester is definitely a place to see and be seen. Opened near the beginning of the millennium and located in the heart of Beverly Hill’s Golden Triangle, a pedestrian friendly area bound by Wilshire Boulevard and North Rexford Drive, The Winchester attracts a distinctive crowd within the small city limits. The building is of a modern and striking design – an impressive sight for its relative small size of ground plus seven stories. The dark slate exterior of the Winchester looks as though it might be better suited in Beirut or some other equally exotic city.
While the front of the hotel does not have a dedicated driveway, as a handsomely uniformed doorman opens your vehicle as you arrive on the sidewalk outside the hotel, you find yourself standing upon a plush Kelly green carpet emblazoned with an imprint of the hotel’s name. As you make your way towards the entrance, the bell staff greets you and efficiently tends to your bags. Divested of your heavy luggage, you walk into the building, well protected under the flapping black and white awning snapping in the fierce Santa Ana winds. Should you wish for a last smoke before entering the hotel, there is a discreet cigarette receptacle, stamped with a large pistol (the Winchester’s well-recognized logo) in the fine white sand. Guests who require valet services are instructed to pull around to the rear of the hotel, where uniformed employees are on duty, more than capable of parking anything from a vintage Volkswagen Beetle to a Bentley Continental.
From either entrance, as you walk into the lobby, you will hopefully be instantly impressed by the work of a fashionable celebrity interior designer, who created the space in a tasteful, but modern color palette – complete with large black and white lithographs and an oversized cylindrical salt-water aquarium. The centerpiece in the large room is a stunning fresh flower bouquet which is changed weekly, and amended for the season or respective holiday. Private and small seating arrangements in black and white leather with appropriate ‘pops’ of color via pillows, allow other guests to wait comfortably – either to speak with reception or wait for friends, colleagues or lovers. While you wait, if you listen closely, you’ll hear an eclectic soundtrack – lounge cover versions of familiar pop songs. Take a deep breath and there is the vague scent of honeysuckle, wafting from one of the many candles lit throughout the interior.
As you continue through the lobby, you would most likely mention to friends who asked you about your stay that there is an understated feeling of wealth, charm, and sophistication. While important people regularly inhabit the building, given recent financial troubles around the world, savvy travelers can find discount rates and mingle with the upper crust. Too small for some of the city’s larger conventions, The Winchester is a quiet place to relax, unwind and escape the chaos which inundates the large metropolis. The non-smoking property hosts ninety rooms (a collection of deluxe, club rooms, junior suites, as well as both a presidential and a honeymoon suite). Additionally, the hotel boasts a solar powered rooftop pool complete with chic bar and private cabanas, a classy steakhouse, appropriately named Colt’s, the small but useful Lobby Café, where breakfast is served every morning and a sophisticated bar, Fringe, that was all but made for assignations, liaisons, and affairs.
A small, but exclusive combination salon and spa occu
pies the entire second floor of the Winchester. Discerning patrons are aware that the current hairdresser on staff, a man by the singular name, Francisco, is a magician when it comes to coifs, color and anything in between. Having reached a comfortable stage in his career, Francisco works solely on word of mouth. Starlets and managers alike will sneak into The Winchester for the perfect updo, blow out, or color correction. Forty-something Francisco prefers his life this way. Francisco’s staff is small – two lovely Vietnamese girls who help with manicures, pedicures, and waxing and a trainee, Bechara.
The spa, known as Haven, consists of six Balinese inspired treatment rooms. The treatments offered are fairly standard for a hotel of this caliber. While Haven has no full time staff, the hotel has a number of freelance aestheticians and masseurs (male and female) on temporary personnel contracts it can call on short notice to fulfill the needs of its guests.
Above the spa is a set of conference rooms, management offices, and a compact, but functional gym. Glass walls make up one side, giving any guest using the facility an interesting view of the street below. The equipment is top of the line Life Fitness, and like the freelance spa technicians, the Winchester management keep a few personal trainers on call for any guests who might require a private session.
The Winchester is well represented by employees from all parts of the tourism and hospitality industry. As with similar properties, there is a wide range of nationalities and ages represented. While there have been some challenges over the years, the current General Manager, Julian Boyd feels confident with his staff. For the most part, he lets everyone get on with a healthy degree of autonomy, delegating power and decision making to the respective heads of department. In his four years in charge, the property has been a successful one.
Back in the well-appointed lobby, as you check in, a pleasant smile greets across from you at the desk. With an imprint of your credit card, the Winchester branded plastic keys are handed across and the bellman, having loaded your bags onto a trolley, leads you to the bank of elevators.
Located at one of the furthest spots from the lifts, the junior suite is tucked away in a corner at the end of the corridor. Measuring six hundred and fifty square feet, the three-room space is one of the largest in the city. In the hallway, the carpet is plush, the lighting is soft and from the outside, you are pleasantly greeted by a dark mahogany door, with a beautiful lattice inlay – the numbers 702 are emblazoned in an antique font.
Stepping through the threshold, the suite is as elegant as it appears in the pictures from the Winchester website. The well-trained bell staff shows you how to place your plastic key in the slot immediately at the right hand interior of the door to activate the lights and air conditioning. While the hotel staff member places your belongings in the lounge area of the suite, you decide to explore the space.
From the entrance, on the right is an expansive bathroom, suitably luxurious for the price of a junior suite. The bathroom boasts a separate tub and shower, the latter containing an intricate rain head shower system. Two pedestal sinks line the left wall, a small flat screen television (perfect for watching the news while getting ready in the morning) swivels next to the left sink, while a lighted two sided mirror (one magnified, the other normal) juts out near the right sink. Two black framed mirrors, tilted slightly, hang above each sink, and across from the sink basins is the large tub. The floor throughout the bathroom is a pale Travertine marble, the fixtures are Kohl and the toilet paper is a comfortable three ply (folded into suitably appropriate triangles). Mascioni robes hang in perfect unison on the back of the door from built in hangers, and the towels (two sets with hand towels, and an additional set near the tub) are no less than three hundred count Egyptian cotton. Toiletries are provided by Bvgalri.
Having completed your tour of the bathroom, you look across at the oversized built in closet. When closed, large mirrored doors rise floor to ceiling, making the entire space look larger. Easily gliding one of the doors open, the interior reveals a state of the art safe and a series of wooden hangers. Tucked into a large felt lined rectangular tray, wrapped fluffy slippers sit at the bottom, awaiting use from guests and also holds a neatly folded laundry bag (with rates) and shoe polish kit.
Closing the closet door and continuing to walk down the short corridor, you reach the lounge area. Given this is Los Angeles, a year round desert environment, the Travertine floor from the bathroom extends into the rest of the space. The overall color scheme is a series of silver and blue tones, suitably cool and crisp and clean. Large windows, shaded in sheer beige floor to ceiling curtains, of which the designer has cleverly hidden the track the fabrics are connected to under a faux ceiling moulding, create a seamless line with the ceiling.
On the far left wall of the lounge is a large repurposed armoire, which can be closed to hide the television (a fifty-inch HD Samsung). With your back to the television, to the immediate left sits the desk, a distinctive piece which looks like something directly out of the West Elm catalogue. Placing your laptop upon the desk, you will be pleased to note there is free Wi-Fi throughout the room. While the Winchester does neatly extort guests who choose to park at the hotel or use the valet services, they do keep wireless internet free to guests. Behind the desk is the sliding glass door which leads onto a balcony. As the majority of the hotel room faces west, beautiful hues seep into the room every afternoon.
Moving out from behind the desk, directly across from the television sits a chicly designed coffee table. The glass surface reveals the following periodicals (replaced monthly, weekly, or as necessary) stacked inside: Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles Confidential, and LA Weekly. Small brochures can be found on a variety of tourist options including Disneyland, Universal CityWalk, and Hollywood and Highland. On the surface of the coffee table, next to the remote control for the television, resting neatly on top is an informational book about the Winchester, including in-room dining selections and available spa treatments. Rounding out the room is an L shaped settee, upholstered in a light taupe colored suede material. The small couch comfortably seats two, but can be used to seat more. Next to the settee, there is an additional chair, upholstered in leather.
Weaving through the furniture, you pull back the curtains to reveal a large sliding glass door that leads out onto an intimate terrace. The deck is small, but large enough for a charming French bistro set, complete with a mosaic tile inlay. In a nod to the inevitable wants and needs of their guests, even though this is a non-smoking hotel, there is an ashtray with cleverly marked matchbox, should you need to indulge your nicotine habit. Covered by the overhang of the floor above and facing a small side street, the patio is a nearly perfect quiet place to collect your thoughts in the busy city. In this small corner of Los Angeles, it’s a nice respite from traffic and smog – a small postcard worthy of an Instagram shot.
Stepping back inside, you stop in front of a set of French doors, curtained in pale blue, which can be closed to separate the living space from the bedroom area. Matching the curtains in the lounge, the large swathes of khaki and dark turquoise extend to block out any light that might come through and disrupt the slumber for you or any other guest. Directly across from the windows, and taking up the better part of the right wall of the bedroom rests an oversize black framed mirror, leaning against a set in portion of the wall.
Flush against the back wall, a California King dominates a large part of the bedroom. The bed itself is everything you could wish for – a soft haven made with no less than six pillows. Below a soft white duvet, beneath a deep mattress pad, the mattress itself is a Sealy Posturepedic Reserve Ultra Plush. The bed sits against a unique wall of painted white brick – a façade – which gives the space a luxurious loft feel to it. Rather than use a traditional headboard, the interior designer has found a James Bond movie poster from the classic, You Only Live Twice. Mr. Connery cavorts with a number of half naked women and seems to smile down on you, approving whatever activity is taking place in the bed.
The
mini bar sits to the immediate left of the large bed. The SmartCube, a state of the art device which knows exactly when you’ve opened it and what you’ve taken, is stocked with a variety of treats and snacks to tempt almost anyone’s palate. To consume the entire lot would cost the guest close to $1,000 USD.
Above the mini bar is a large mirror, framed in silver and gray mosaic tiles. Below the mirror is a marble surface which sits above the minibar and acts as a natural table, holding various accoutrements including: a brushed silver ice bucket, a wine bottle opener branded with the hotel’s logo, and a Krups coffee machine. There are also two sets of stemmed glasses (one set for wine, the other for champagne), four glass tumblers and a pair of thin china cups and saucers designed by Kate Spade.
Back on the marble, there is also a rectangular tray, lined in black felt. In case you were feeling peckish (and the Winchester certainly hopes you are) there is a selection of overpriced and exclusive snacks. Two bottles of Fiji water are complimentary to the thirsty guest. Finally, tucked discreetly in the back behind the goodies, understanding some of the guests might be consenting adults, there is an ‘intimacy kit’ nestled among the snacks.
On the side table next to the bed is a small set of Bose speakers, which adapt to any mp3 device. The appliance also acts as an alarm clock and displays the time. Finally, at the base of the bed is a large padded bench, with an extra blanket, should you get cold, or need a place to slip in (or out) of your shoes.
In the bed, luxuriating under the 350 hundred count sheets by Italian Fili D’oro, with the press of a button, the 42-inch digital flat screen suspended on the opposite wall is activated. A guest has their choice of music, network television, recent releases, and, of course, a variety of soft-core pornography (including a mixture of hetero and homosexual selections). Should you choose to view one of the adult films, it will only show on your bill as an ‘entertainment fee’. As you sink further into the bedding, you think you could learn to like it here.
A gentle cough from the living room reminds you that you’re not alone. Standing up, you join the Winchester staff member, waiting patiently by the door. Sending the bellhop on his way with a generous tip, he closes the door softly behind him, and you are left with a feeling of security and relaxation.
Room 702 Page 1
