The conversion of the existing property to four-star status is a "top-to-bottom overhaul" of what was a two-star hotel, according to Joe Kilar, president of RD Olson. The hotel opened in 1972 as a Holiday Inn, later becoming a Doubletree Inn and, most recently, the Westwood Hotel.

The hotel will remain open during the renovation and repositioning project, which is scheduled to be completed at the end of February 2008. The new hotel plan consists of public spaces at the ground level, parking on levels two through five, hospitality suites and a fitness center on the sixth floor and 267 guest rooms on floors seven through 19.

The Westwood project joins a list of RD Olson projects now under way that include the Marriott Residence Inn Burbank, a Renaissance ClubSport hotel and fitness resort in Aliso Viejo and the Marriott's Shadow Ridge Vacation Club Resort in Palm Desert. In the case of the Renaissance ClubSport, Olson will both develop and co-own the property in a joint venture with Leisure Sports Inc.

The Marriott in Burbank is part of Burbank's long-range plans to maintain the city's presence as a hub for businesses and tourists. It will be a five-story, 166-room extended-stay hotel with a fitness center and other amenities in the plans.

The Renaissance ClubSport will be a 174-room full-service boutique hotel and fitness resort at the 1.7-million-sf Summit Office Campus, a development of Parker Properties. Leisure Sports and Marriott International launched the hotel and fitness resort brand with the opening of the first Renaissance ClubSport in Northern California in 2003.

In Palm Desert, Olson's latest work is on Phase VI of the vacation ownership villas at Marriott's Shadow Ridge, at 9001 Shadow Ridge Rd. Phase VI includes 67,000 sf of new construction, with 46 villas housed in two three-story structures. Olson is the general contractor for the entire $120-million Shadow Ridge project, where the Irvine-based company added 60 rooms totaling 86,000 sf in Phase V.

Besides Shadow Ridge and the other properties under construction, Olson's completed projects include the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Resort in Ojai; Marriott Newport Coast Villas in Newport Beach; Glen Ivy Hot Springs & Spa in Corona; Brentwood County Club in Los Angeles. The company has also built more than 300 restaurants nationwide.