Wyndham Hotel Group tapped for Pico Union hotel conversion project

Koreatown restauranteur Chul Heay Shin owns the Bricks Hotel

Rendering of the Bricks by Wyndham Hotel Group (Credit: Corbel Architects via Urbanize)
Rendering of the Bricks by Wyndham Hotel Group (Credit: Corbel Architects via Urbanize)

Nearly a year after initial plans were filed, it appears as that the hotel project at 1543 W. Olympic Boulevard is moving ahead.

New Jersey-based Wyndham Hotel Group announced it would be expanding its Trademark Hotel collection to the former office building in the Pico Union neighborhood on the outskirts of Downtown Los Angeles, Urbanize reported.

Koreatown restaurateur Chul Heay Shin has plans to convert the 1960s, six-story office building to into a 200-key hotel redevelopment including a lounge, two restaurants and separate rooftop bar. He is currently pursuing the necessary permits for the project.

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Dubbed “the Bricks,” renderings released by Corbel Architects show an LED-lit vertical exterior and lush landscaping on the rooftop deck.

Trademark is a subsidiary of Wyndham, offering a “soft-branded” collection of three-to-four star hotels that operate autonomously. In addition to its Olympic Boulevard outpost, the hotelier is also expanding to locations in New York, Florida and North Dakota.

Despite a concern of oversupply, hoteliers are flocking to Southern California. Just last month, council member Jose Huizar released a study showing that the amount of hotel rooms available or under construction near the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown Los Angeles doubled to more than 5,000 within the last five years. [Urbanize]Natalie Hoberman