Loews Hollywood Hotel manager Sean Steenson donned a dark blue hardhat and held out one to me.

The Loews Hollywood Hotel lobby was almost finished being renovated but we were in the thick of it. Steenson and Dee Doak, Director of Marketing, were very excited. It’s been a long haul for them and now the end is in sight. Due to open the lobby’s doors on Dec. 29, the entire lobby including a brand new backspace will be finished in mid-January.

The painters were applying shades of soft purple and grey blue to the ceiling. Forklifts moved large wooden planks from one end of the lobby to the other. The vision for the renovation by Gensler, a global design firm, was clear. Upscale and luxurious, light and airy, cutting edge but comfortable. In short: Loews.

The intentionality of Loews is to make the lobby a destination for locals, a central meeting place that is as hip as its surroundings at the crossroads of Highland Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard.

The lobby will feature an inviting pod reception area rather than a forbidding desk. Guests will find a welcoming concierge station as the launch point for their Hollywood adventures. “The concierge will be more engaging and it will be all about the pre-arrival planning to set up their itinerary,” said Steenson.

A complete overhaul of the food and beverage outlets will accompany the final phases of the design. The entrance to the lobby opens up to communal tables and seating. An open-plan bar which seats 24 will be immediately to the right of the reception area and have capability of seating 100 people.

PHOTO: Dee Doak, director of sales and marketing, and Sean Steenson, hotel manager, Loews Hollywood Hotel brave the construction site to give a sneak peek of the lobby. (Courtesy Loews Hollywood Hotel) “The activation of the lobby is based on the food and beverage element,” said Steenson.

The restaurant will feature small plates, promote sharing and Californian cuisine. A mixologist will be on call and Californian wines will be featured. A 6-foot by 9-foot. television screen will feature video art by a local artist. The bar will be “plug and play,” said Doak. It will have outlets and Wifi.

“It will be a traditional watering hole for the locals,” she said.

The overhaul of the lobby backspace includes new bathroom facilities, Hertz rental car area and retail outlets.

Before even entering the lobby, the bar, the TV screen and the seating will be on display for visitors. Immediately outside the lobby, on Hollywood Boulevard, a valet area will greet arrivals. Outdoor-seating, lush landscaping will give the patio a feel of someone’s home rather than the busy apex of Hollywood that it is.

An exterior staircase dramatically ascends up to the mezzanine level to the restaurant currently called Preston’s. The 5,000-square-foot outlet will be revamped to be a more flexible space, according to Steenson. A new executive chef wil be hired, too.

To accompany the new design is a new general manager, Brian D. Johnson. Johnson has been with Loews since 2002 and comes from the Loews Coronado Bay Resort.

“We’ve invested just over $30 million in renovating the hotel with the goal of really setting the stage for this iconic location at Hollywood & Highland, “ said Brian D. Johnson. “Guests who are familiar with the style and substance for which Loews Hotels is best known will be delighted with the new hotel in Hollywood, and those familiar with the location will appreciate the elevated experience. We’re looking forward to a bright future here at Loews Hollywood.”

The new design will be finished in March with plenty of time for awards season and the Oscars that take place at the Dolby Theatre, a part of the Loews complex.