Tour News: Cartwheel Art Announces Partnership with Hotel Indigo Downtown Los Angeles
The newly opened Hotel Indigo Downtown Los Angeles is stepping up their unique services to insure their guests and interested locals enjoy the hidden gems and culturally diverse neighborhoods of LA. Partnering with the local art and immersive neighborhood and experience tour experts at Cartwheel Art, they are now offering guided walking tours of some of the lesser-known exciting and eclectic local communities.
The motivation behind the tour topics is the design of the hotel and it’s wonderfully thematic interior, conceived by Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA). The goal for Cartwheel Art was to tie-in the interior design elements and story-telling theme to the personalities of local neighborhoods.
Inspired by the 1920’s Prohibition Era, with an upscale flavor and the mystique of the underground, these tours offer both insight into our enigmatic city, and a high entertainment value. The various tour themes include features from the city’s forbidden speakeasies and network of underground tunnels, the budding Hollywood movie industry, the glitter of the Jewelry District, and the charm of Chinatown. Each curated itinerary brings these themes to life, by connecting tour guests to the surrounding neighborhoods while supporting local artisan businesses.
Five different and immersive itineraries are being offered, incorporating aspects of art, music, food, nightlife, and historic landmarks that make up the City of Angels. These experiential tours, a hallmark of Cartwheel Art, are new additions to the company’s renowned art and landmark tour offerings, and can be customized for private and public groups.
Cartwheel Art has handpicked each tour stop to provide a local perspective and immersive cultural experience for guests. The tours are led by locals who have a deep knowledge and passion for the city’s history, and are connected to the tour theme, and the Los Angeles art scene.
Public tours, that are being offered on Saturday’s, for Underground LA, can be booked on the Cartwheel Art Tour Calendar. In addition, private group tours for all five itineraries, which can be customized to include elements of all the themes, can be booked by contacting Cindy Schwarzstein.
Each tour is available for $85 per person, with a minimum of four participants per tour. (except for the Art & Artisans tour which requires a minimum of six persons.) Private tours must be booked 48-hours in advance. The available days and hours for tours vary.
Guests can choose from the following five tour themes:
Underground L.A.
Host: Zahra
Length of Tour: 2.5 hours
Explore the city’s ‘underground’ with this signature tour that brings the Prohibition Era back to live. Guests will learn about the Los Angeles’ underground tunnel system and forgotten speakeasies. In addition to underground explorations, additional tour highlights include Grand Central Market and Coles.
See more about Zahra and her connection to Underground LA, and the tour here.
Theatres & Golden Age of Hollywood
Host: Teale Hatheway
Length of Tour: 2.5 hours
Previously the Hollywood hub during the early years of the 20th century, Downtown Los Angeles is home to grand theaters and historic landmarks that featured iconic stars like Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino and Mary Pickford. On this tour, guests will explore the cultural landmarks of the opulent Broadway Theatre district, the largest collection of historic movie palaces in the country. Tour highlights include: Broadway Historic Theater District, Alexandria Hotel, and The Biltmore Hotel.
See more about Teale and her connection to Theatres, and the tour here.
Architecture & Design
Host: Teale Hatheway
Length of Tour: 2.5 hours
Explore Los Angeles’ world-class architectural designs as an expert guide introduces guests to building styles. Discuss the evolution of the streetscape, get inside access to monumental interiors, discover public art, and soak in the skyline vista from city rooftops.
See more about Teale and her connection to Architecture & Design, and the tour here.
Art & Artisans
Host: Stephen and Jodi Ziegler
Length of Tour: 2.5 hours
Led by the owners of THESE DAYS art gallery located in Downtown Los Angeles’ Historic Core, the Art & Artisan tour begins with a brief history of the gallery and its unique 130- year-old building, which is one of Downtown’s oldest. Afterwards, guests will explore a variety of local mural projects, meeting with local artists along the way. Tour highlights include: Indian Alley, local cheesemongers DTLA, and fine art printer El Nopal Press.
See more about Stephen and Jodi Zeigler and their connection to Art & Artisans, and the tour here.
Craft Beer & Spirits
Host: Zahra
Length of Tour: 3 hours
Travel back in time to LA’s Golden Era with a cocktail in hand! Beginning the journey at one of Downtown’s finest modern whiskey bars and working back in time over the last century, guests will experience the favorite haunts of the gangsters, crooked politicos, and Hollywood stars who are part of the city’s illustrious history. Tour highlights include: Seven Grand Bar, Bar Jackalope, Peking Tavern, Crane Bar, and Golden Gopher.
See more about Zahra and her connection to Craft Beer & Spirits, and the tour here.
The hotel’s signature tour, “Underground LA,” provides a captivating way to experience the city’s famed underground tunnels and speakeasies that are unknown to most. Tour participants learn about the city’s “underground” past ranging from famous prohibition-era murders to the secret speakeasy haunts of the Hollywood elite. Guests will note the vintage interior design inspiration in the hotel’s signature restaurant Metropole Bar + Kitchen, which features tunnel-shaped booths and a jazz band mural. This tour will take guests under the busy streets of Los Angeles to discover century-old tunnels and speakeasies alongside more modern interpretations of the city’s hidden watering holes.
About Cartwheel Art
Based in Downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District, Cartwheel Art designs custom tour itineraries and immersive experiences for private and public groups. Founded by tastemaker Cindy Schwarzstein, an active member of LA’s art community with years of hotel experience, the tours offer an opportunity to engage individuals and groups, whether local or visiting, in a variety of tours featuring art, food and historical landmarks. Usually walking (but sometimes via bus or bicycle), these adventures and tour experiences often include demos, artist talks, and other interactive elements. Understanding the desires of hotel guests as well as locals hoping to experience new environments, Cartwheel Art has created engaging neighborhood explorations for Airbnb, Google, Council District 14, and American Planners Association. Offering the exclusive opportunity to discover, explore, and experience LA neighborhoods through the perspectives of a rotating, eclectic team of knowledgeable and passionate insiders, Cartwheel Guides share their insider knowledge to help connect their community. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About Hotel Indigo®
The Hotel Indigo® brand is a global boutique hotel brand that delivers a refreshing and inviting guest experience that is truly reflective of the local community. From the locally inspired murals to the renewal program where the music, scent, and menu items change throughout the year, each Hotel Indigo hotel delivers a vibrant, engaging and genuine boutique experience that gives guests the confidence to step out and explore the local neighborhood. Each Hotel Indigo property is unique and designed to reflect the local culture, character and geography of the surrounding area while brand hallmarks ensure consistent and reliable service from location to location. No two hotels are the same. There are 75 Hotel Indigo hotels open around the globe, with a quality global pipeline of 75 hotels set to open within the next three to five years. For more information or to make a reservation, visit the Hotel Indigo website. Also find us on Twitter and Facebook.