The new Marriott-Ritz Carlton tower will open with a massive light show.

The latest addition to the downtown Los Angeles skyline is expected to debut with a big splash — make that a big flash — tonight, when lights in the city’s newest high-rise snap on for the first time. Owners of the 54-story Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott tower are rigging lights on the top 27 levels to flick on floor by floor in a rising wave to celebrate completion of the hotel, the last piece of the massive L.A. Live entertainment complex. The attention-grabbing stunt will cost about $100,000; by no means a pittance but still a fraction of the $2.5-billion overall cost of L.A. Live, which sits next to Staples Center and is already home to Nokia Theatre and other attractions. – From LA Times