LOS ANGELES-Hospitality brand SBE Entertainment has its eye on a development space near Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles' Bunker Hill neighborhood for a possible SLS Hotel. According to industry sources, Sam Nazarian, SBE Entertainment CEO, is considering several locations downtown, and hasn't made a decision yet.

The news is telltale of the recent hotel boom in the downtown market. According to a recent GlobeSt.com report, CarolE. Schatz, president and CEO of the Downtown Center Business Improvement District and Central City Association, noted the hotel market was the most recent sector to experience growth in the ongoing downtown renaissance. New developments include the Wilshire Grand and the proposed Grand Avenue project.

The possible SLS Hotel, however, would fuel the boutique hotel market, which is also experiencing a bit of a boom. For example, the highly anticipated Ace Hotel is opening this fall. At the recent Boutique Lifestyle Leadership Symposium, boutique hotel industry leaders talked about the growing boutique industry, explaining that boutique brands can expand globally as long as each hotel location maintains individuality. SBE Entertainment/SLS Hotel president Sam Bakhshandehpour was one of the panel speakers at the symposium, where he explained that he uses a series of guardrails rather than a template to create unique and singular experiences at each hotel location.