The New Otani may not be new, but that's part of its charm

Japanese sensibilities prevail at the New Otani in Little Tokyo, where the roof of a third-floor wing is devoted not to a pool but a beautiful, sprawling garden, based on a 400-year-old garden in Tokyo.
What a peaceful island it represents in the concrete sea of downtown, with waterfalls masking the hum of traffic below, small birds splashing in the ponds, and well-tended plantings of azaleas, Indian hawthorn, heavenly bamboo and sweet gum trees.
Simplicity infuses the hotel interior, too, with light colors in the rooms and wood-and-paper sliding screens to cover the windows. And yet, the New Otani is not so new — built in 1977, it is due for some upgrades.
In our tiny bathroom, you practically had to step over the toilet to get into the shower-tub. And what a jarring color scheme in there: beige wallpaper and pink shower tile.
There were also assorted cracks, scuffs and spots in the room. Upscale amenities are in short supply: no über-thread-count bed linens (just a cotton-polyester blend from China), a standard hotel bedspread rather than a duvet, no robes, no room safe and an empty mini-bar (it’s stocked only on request, a front-desk staffer said).
But the location is prime — on the western edge of Little Tokyo, convenient to Union Station, within walking distance of the Music Center, Disney Concert Hall and other downtown attractions.
Besides, the room rates are tough to beat — routinely under $200, sometimes as low as $125. --Eric Noland