A San Francisco-based hospitality firm has made its entrance into the Downtown market with a pair of adaptive reuse projects near Pershing Square.

Interior of The WindfieldSonder Holdings Inc.

Sonder, Inc. announced earlier this month that it has launched a new outpost called The Winfield, located within the 1920s Foreman & Clark Building at 7th and Hill Streets. The 13-story building, formerly a department store and office tower, was converted into a 125-key hotel by Bonnis Properties.

The Winfield, named for Foreman & Clark founder Winfield Foreman, features a kitchenette in all guest rooms, which include two penthouse suites that are 2,000 and 2,800 square feet in size. Other components of the property include a gym, a yoga room, and a terrace deck on the fifth floor.

Curlett & Beelman designed the Art Deco and Gothic-style building, which once housed the flagship store and corporate headquarters of the now-defunct Foreman & Clark chain.

Exterior of The Craftsman, seen in 2018Hunter Kerhart Architectural Photography

Sonder's next expansion in the Downtown area, called The Craftsman, will be situated in the Lane Mortgage Building at 8th and Spring Streets. Building 1923, the 12-story building sits directly east of Apple's Tower Theatre store.

The Delijani family, which owns the property, began work more than four years ago on the project which transformed the former office building into what is now 109 guest rooms with up to two bedrooms.

While architect Lester Roy designed the Lane Building, the name "Craftsman" is a reference to Ernest Batchelder, who designed the signature tilework in the tower's lobby entrance.

Interior of The CraftsmanSonder Holdings Inc.

“We’re excited to continue expanding in Southern California, with the opening of The Winfield and The Craftsman, two incredible historic buildings in Downtown Los Angeles converted to hotels via adaptive reuse," said Sonder's area general manager Scott Blakeslee in a news release. "Our signature design-forward, tech-enabled experience appeals to the next generation of travelers, and we look forward to welcoming business and leisure guests to our new properties."

Sonder already has a presence in Southern California, operating properties in Beverly Hills, Inglewood, and Santa Monica, as well as Woods Cove, a recently-opened property in Orange County.

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