Andrew Zobler, Line Hotel's Boutique Warrior

“If it’s disturbing, it’s supposed to be,” Andrew Zobler says as he rides an elevator at the Line, his Los Angeles hotel. The interior is wood but has been painted to look like cartoon animal fur. “The shock of the elevator emphasizes the sedateness of the rooms,” he explains. The brutal concrete building, which rises 12 stories over an unremarkable block of Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown, is intended to have a similar effect. From high floors, you can see colorful Mexican grocery stores below and the Hollywood sign to the north. “The artwork here is the views,” says Zobler. “I love the opportunity to create value where other people don’t see it.”

On this July afternoon, the Line feels like a sleepaway camp for adults. Attendants serve comfort food to sunbathers on the poolside deck, where food-truck pioneer Roy Choi hangs out on a cushion. His restaurant downstairs, Pot, serves Korean, and he also runs Commissary, a vegetable-focused cafe in the pool area. Soon, guests will be able to drink at Speek, a speakeasy in the basement. Already they can shop at Poketo, an outpost of a local design store. The hotel’s rooms, which start at $240, feature king-size beds, king-size windows, and tiny chairs upholstered with Southwestern blankets.