Back from a quick 48 hour trip to Beverly Hills where I was able to do seven hotel site inspections of the luxury hotels of Beverly Hills as well as attend the rollout of Dorchester Collection's Diamond Club amenity program. You can read my full review on FlyerTalk, but here's an executive summary for Travel Horizons readers.
DORCHESTER COLLECTION
One of my favorite hotel companies in the world - the Dorchester Collection style happens to match up to my own personal stylistic preferences. Their hotels are iconic traditional properties that maintain a sense of their historic setting without being fuddy-duddy. I'm a particular fan of Le Meurice in Paris and the Dorchester in London, and now I'm a great fan also of their two LA properties.
The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows
Built in 1912, the Beverly Hills Hotel pre-existed the city of Beverly Hills — and the city got its name from the hotel, not the other way around. Located on 12 acres of topical gardens, the "Pink Palace" is a self-contained urban oasis with the largest hotel pool in LA. Guests arrive to a red carpet entrance leading from the driveway to the front doors, passing under a green-and-white striped awning lined with the foliage of banana leaves and other tropical plants.
I stayed in a very spacious Premier Room (pictured immediately below). The wall of windows provided lots of natural light (not really apparent in the photo), and my room was large, comfortable, and provided everything you would expect.
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| traditional Premier Room (#303) |
The hotel is beginning a rolling renovation of its guest rooms, only doing 10 rooms at a time, so it will take quite awhile to finish. Here's a picture of a renovated Deluxe room. Though smaller, you'll get a sense of the updated furnishings that are on the way.
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| renovated Deluxe Room |
Hotel Bel-Air
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| pathway lined with flowering impatiens |
Just 15 minutes from Rodeo Drive, Hotel Bel-Air is a beautiful, bucolic retreat from city life, a great getaway destination for LA couples seeking a romantic weekend ... or for anyone wanting to get away from it all and be pampered for a few days. Located on a secluded 12 acre estate, guests enter by crossing a bridge overlooking Bel-Air's iconic swan lake. The hotel's grounds feature babbling fountains, colorful Bougainvillea vine, and paths lined with flowering impatiens. Guests can enjoy the large oval-shaped swimming pool or an extensive spa.
The 103 guest rooms and suites are set within traditional Spanish Colonial buildings that look the same from the outside as they did before the extensive two-year renovation that has just been completed. I spent on evening in a Bel-Air Suite with patio. Decorated in an elegant style that is both casual and updated, I was very comfortable.
FOUR SEASONS
My other favorite hotel family, Four Seasons also has two LA area hotels. The Beverly Wilshire was a Regent when that chain was acquired by FS in 1992, while the Four Seasons Los Angeles has been part of the FS family since it was first built 25 years ago.
Beverly Wilshire
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| the grand lobby of the Beverly Wilshire |
Set on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, the Beverly Wilshire is for guests who want to be at the very center of everything that Beverly Hills has to offer: shopping, more shopping, and great restaurants, all within walking distance. The original 1928 Wilshire Wing, whose grand lobby is pictured above, has a traditional feel while the 1971 Beverly Wing is more contemporary. All rooms in the hotel are spacious and offer a lot of natural light. The hotel provides traditional Four Seasons bathrooms with separate step-in showers, soaking tubs, but just a single vanity in most rooms. There is a rooftop pool and gym on the second floor of the Wilshire Wing.
Four Seasons Los Angeles
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| indoor/outdoor exercise facilities - why be in air-conditioning on a beautiful day? |
Occupying a lushly landscape city block on the LA side of South Doheny Drive (which forms the boundary with Beverly Hills), the hotel occupies an entire city block and is convenient to West Hollywood and the Beverly Center for shopping (or take advantage the hotel's courtesy car for the quick 2-minute drive to Rodeo Drive). The hotel projects a Hollywood vibe, and its bar is sometimes referred to as "Hollywood's living room," a place where you might be able to see some famous faces in the afternoon and evening hours. Every guestroom has French doors leading onto a step-out balcony. Guestroom bathrooms have a shower/tub combination, while Executive Suites and above provide separate step-in showers. The fourth floor features a rooftop pool and jacuzzi, a casual dining restaurant, and a unique indoor/outdoor exercise room. A very good choice for families or business travelers looking for luxury at a lower price point; the FS Los Angeles is one of the best values in Beverly Hills.
Montage Beverly Hills
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| from the rooftop pool, overlooking the public park and Bouchon |
An impressive new hotel, just five years old, Montage Beverly Hills is part of a larger project that includes a new public park adjoining the hotel and Bouchon. A new build, the hotel nonetheless maintains a sense of the 1920's through the use of Art Deco motifs. While many older hotels have to work around the constraints of decades-old architectural decisions, Montage was able to design a hotel with the luxury standards of upscale 21st century travelers clearly in mind. All 201 guestrooms and suites provide everything a discerning guest could possibly want — spacious dimensions, desktop computer connections, fully featured bathrooms that leave nothing to be desired, and decorating choices that are restful and calming. A good choice when traveling with children, the hotel offers a supervised kids program with a weekly schedule of activities for children between the ages of 5 and 12.
Peninsula Beverly Hills
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| lobby living room at the Peninsula |
The Peninsula is a small hotel, just 193 rooms including suites and bungalows. I was distinctly impressed by the lobby area, pictured below, which resembles not so much a formal hotel lobby as a comfortable and light-filled living room. Comfortable sofas are arranged in conversation groupings, while five large windows admit the sunlight and greenery of the gardens beyond. There are two daily sittings for Afternoon Tea with music provided by a harpist, while cocktails are served every evening with live piano music.
Guestrooms are spacious, beginning at 480 square feet, decorated in an elegant traditional style with a few contemporary touches. The 5th floor features a rooftop pool and jacuzzi, casual dining restaurant, and spa. Two special Peninsula touches: (1) flexible check-in and check-out hours and (2) guest pillows monogrammed with your initials that you can take home as a souvenir of yoru stay at The Peninsula.
L'Ermitage Beverly Hills
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| guestroom at L'Ermitage |
The other value leader in Beverly Hills, L'Ermitage is a small boutique hotel with just 117 rooms and suites. The hotel has a somewhat minimalist aesthetic. The lobby is casual and understated with low ceilings. Rooms are exceptionally spacious, beginning at 650 square feet, with interiors that are simple and uncomplicated with white walls, blond maple paneling, and lots of natural lights. White marble bathrooms offer everything you would want. I think guestrooms would benefit from a soft goods renovate to soften the appearance and introduce different textures and some splashes of color. The 8th floor rooftop features a pool, fitness center, rooftop ballroom, and a small spa. L'Ermitage is a great option for guests requiring a lot of living space at a lower price point.
copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
