Los Angeles is no stranger to the spotlight, from annual red-carpet runs to hosting international galas like the Olympics (1932 and ’84). And by next Monday, the SoCal city will also have hosted the Super Bowl eight times, including the first in 1967, when tickets cost a mere $12, and the most recent on Sunday (tickets $950).

With 150,000 visitors expected to roll into town this weekend for the pigskin extravaganza at sparkling new SoFi Stadium, and another 100 million or so tuning in globally for the game on TV, the city is once again ready to have a ball.

But city tourism officials are quick to point out the LA is primed to capitalize on its current moment in the California sun by showing off a host of new developments and attractions that may have slipped under the radar the past two years of pandemic pause.

In the last year alone, for example, the city has added more than 2,100 new hotel rooms, plus dozens of restaurants, the stunning Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and the new state-of-the-art West Gates at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal.

A dynamic, ever-evolving destination – where diversity thrives across 30 culturally rich neighbourhoods, each one offering a distinct vibe, and some boasting international profiles, like Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica.

LA boasts more than 300 days of warm sunshine annually, 120 km of idyllic shoreline, noted theme parks, teams in all the major sports, and more museums and performing arts venues than any other US city, not to mention an innovative culinary scene led by influential tastemakers.

To that end, here’s just a small sampling of what’s new and noteworthy in the city, where “vibrancy is in full revival,” and visitors are literally flocking just for kicks:

ATTRACTIONS

• The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures: The long-awaited attraction on Wilshire Boulevard officially opened last fall. This attraction will impress cinema enthusiasts from across the globe, playing host to six unique floors of exhibitions that take visitors on a journey across different decades of film making history. On the rooftop is The Dolby Family Terrace, located beneath a glass dome made from 1,500 glass panels, giving guests to the museum the view of a lifetime of the Hollywood Hills and the beloved Hollywood Sign.

• Avengers Campus, Disney California Adventure Park: One of California’s most famous theme parks, California Adventure Park, welcomed the latest edition, the Avengers Campus last summer. Located in Anaheim (just south of L.A.), the campus has many new activities for travellers looking for an attraction that promises to excite the kids (and kids at heart). Ranging from WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure ride, Ancient Sanctum to Doctor Strange teaches mystic arts live performances, visitors are immediately immersed in the expansive Marvel cinematic universe.

NEIGHBOURHOODS

• Destination Crenshaw: A two-kilometre stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard, the spine of Los Angeles’ Black community, is undergoing a transformative infrastructure project that will boost the community through economic development, job creation and environmental healing, while elevating Black art and culture. When completed in 2022, Destination Crenshaw will be a thriving commercial corridor featuring architecturally stunning community spaces and pocket parks, hundreds of newly planted trees, and over 100 commissioned murals and works of art.

ARTS & CULTURE

• The Underground Museum (Mid-Wilshire): Founded by beloved Black artist and curator Noah Davis and his wife Karon, the Underground Museum re-opened on Jan. 12 after a two-year hiatus featuring re-designed galleries, greater accessibility and an exhibition devoted to the late Davis. This will be Davis’ first museum show in Los Angeles, showcasing his tranquil, intimate work portraying “Black people in normal scenarios.” The museum aims to present exhibitions of the highest quality focused on Black art at no cost to visitors, gaining recognition as a renowned model for community-focused art.

• The Kinsey Collection (Inglewood): After touring worldwide for 15 years, the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection returns to Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 23. The collection is the inspired work of the Kinsey family is considered one of the largest, most comprehensive of its kind with over 9,300 sq. m. of masterful art, sculptures, photographs, rare books, and letters. The collection documents the African American experience and illuminates the untold stories of Black Excellence throughout US history, focussing on the lives, accomplishments, and brilliance of African Americans from the 16th century through the years of slavery and emancipation to the civil rights movement through modern day.

• Icons of Darkness (Hollywood): Joining Hollywood & Highland is the latest in entertainment attractions, “Icons of Darkness.” Boasting the most extensive privately owned collection of sci-fi, fantasy and horror film artifacts in the world, the exhibit presents props, costumes and more from over 100 years of Hollywood film history. The collection is now on display to the public for the first time ever, with a larger, long-term facility slated to open in April.

• ‘Since Unveiling: Selected Acquisitions of a Decade’ at The Broad (Downtown L.A.): More than 50 years in the making, Eli and Edythe Broad’s collection is one of the most prominent in postwar and contemporary art worldwide. Through April 3, ‘Since Unveiling’ highlights a selection of artworks that have entered the Broad collection in the last decade, featuring 53 pieces by 27 artists representing many facets of contemporary art, from explorations of abstraction and figuration to examinations of place, identity, and narrative.

HOTELS

With more than 2,200 new room keys added in Los Angeles in 2021, the city is having a development boom that continues into 2022 with more hotel openings on the horizon. New places to stay have sprouted up across the region, with Hollywood in particular, seeing a pop with the debut of several new hotels. In addition, the West Adams and Culver City neighbourhoods, historically underserved areas for hotel inventory, have welcomed new hotels which gives travellers the opportunity to forge a deeper connection with these areas.

Recently opened:

• The Godfrey Hotel (Hollywood): Located just south of Sunset Boulevard, The Godfrey is a 220-room luxury lifestyle hotel featuring a curated art program and immersive interior design inspired by Old Hollywood. The property houses SoCal-centric restaurant and bar ALK, a courtyard event space with seven adjacent hospitality suites and the 1,100 sq. m. I|O rooftop, featuring a 21 m. projection mapping video wall, two bars, swimming pool, fire pits and a water feature.

• The Thompson Hollywood (Hollywood): The much-anticipated luxury lifestyle hotel near Hollywood and Vine features 190 guest rooms and 16 suites featuring bold and confident design with touches of Old Hollywood glamour. The Thompson is also home to the upcoming sophisticated dining concept Mes Amis, coastal California cuisine spot The Terrace and French Riviera-inspired rooftop lounge Bar Lis.

• Hyatt House/Hyatt Place LAX (Westchester): Ready for this year’s wave of airport travellers, Hyatt House and Hyatt Place LAX have recently opened overlooking the Los Angeles International Airport. Boasting the tallest rooftop terrace and only outdoor rooftop pool in the district, the properties are fitted with a mid-century modern design, contemporary guestrooms and two destination-worthy dining concepts.

Renewed:

• Fairmont Century Plaza (Century Plaza): Following the property’s $2.5- billion redevelopment, the Fairmont Century Plaza opened to the public last fall, innovating a beloved icon. Set on the former backlot of 20th Century Fox Studios, Fairmont Century Plaza has a long history as a cultural epicentre, previously hosting a Presidential State Dinner and the Grammy and Emmy Awards as well as iconic guests including Elton John, Sonny & Cher and Paul McCartney. With 400 rooms, 63 luxury residences, event space and dining options, the hotel is prepared to host an influx of visitors as Culver City grows as a tourist destination and entertainment industry hot spot.

• The Beverly Hills Hotel: The California icon revealed its fresh redesign, featuring 11 new poolside retreats, designed by the award-winning New York City studio Champalimaud Design. The hotel, known for being featured in many classic films, has been frequented by historic celebrity guests like Charlie Chaplin and Marylin Monroe and today plays hosts to the likes of Michael Douglas and Kim Kardashian. Decked out in pink, the new poolside cabanas present the perfect stay for visitors looking to turn back time to Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Upcoming:

• Conrad Los Angeles (Downtown L.A.): Hilton’s Conrad luxury brand will make its California debut with the opening of the Conrad Los Angeles in 2022. The 305-room hotel will be part of The Grand LA mixed use project, which is being designed by architect Frank Gehry and is across the street from Walt Disney Concert Hall. The hotel will feature a 1,500-sq.-m. rooftop terrace and pool deck; and 1,100 sq. m. of meeting space. The Grand LA will also include 16,400 sq. m. of retail and restaurant space, and 400 private residences.

LAX

As international visitors return to Los Angeles, LAX has prepared accordingly with several new or improved services prioritizing safety and efficiency, including on-site COVID-19 testing and vaccination options. The airport also continues with its $14-billion modernization project, which includes:

• The new West Gates at Tom Bradley International are now welcoming both international and domestic guests to the five-level, 15-gate facility with a modern experience, cutting-edge technology and stunning architecture. The new gates were designed around a digitally-based travel experience with biometric boarding gates, a checked-bag storage system, next-generation wireless internet, touchscreen kiosks and other advancement. The project also included new aircraft apron and taxiways, as well as underground utility improvements.

• Simplified Arrival is an enhanced international arrival process that uses facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks that are already required for admission into the United States. This process provides travellers with a touchless process that further secures and streamlines international arrivals while fulfilling a longstanding congressional mandate to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-US citizens. In addition, foreign travellers who have travelled to the US previously will no longer need to provide fingerprints as their identity will be confirmed through the touchless facial comparison process.

• LAX was the first large airport in the country to offer Credential Authentication Technology, (CAT) the TSA’s touchless, automated photo identification scanners at all of its security screening checkpoints. When a traveller approaches any document checking podium at the entrance of the security checkpoint, the TSA officer will ask them to insert or scan their own photo ID into a small machine. With CAT, there is no need for travellers to give their photo ID or boarding pass to the TSA officer, which reduces personal contact with officers and enhances the passenger experience.

• LAX Order Now is a service allowing guests to search, browse and order food and non-alcoholic beverages from any of the dozens of participating restaurants across the airport right from their smartphone. The service, which provides order updates and alerts to users when their order is ready, provides a way for passengers to order and pick up food without having physical contact with another person. Guests also can use the service to have orders delivered to their gate from select locations.

• Electronic gates are available at 20 locations inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal, including all 14 holdroom locations at the new West Gates at Tom Bradley. Guests scan their boarding pass or passport, or with some international flights simply look into a camera to be matched with data from the US Customs and Border Protection’s Traveller Verification Service, and the gates open. During a pilot test at the Tom Bradley International Terminal, an Airbus A380 was boarded in about 20 minutes using the biometric photo match, less than half the time it takes with conventional document checking.