Century City’s InterContinental Hotel is an exercise in opulence, evoking the neighborhood’s Hollywood history with sleek accommodations and celeb-worthy amenities like gilded detailing and limo service.
Bedecked with soft gold tapestries and a car-sized chandelier, the entrance to Century City’s Intercontinental Hotel projects unabashed opulence to all who enter. If you’re looking for a classic luxury hotel experience, this is it: the massive building is done up in a palette of gold, champagne and regal purple, with glam details like pinstriped gold wallpaper in the bedrooms, marble bathrooms and private balconies with views of the city or the Pacific. (Tip: ask for a West-facing room so you can take in L.A.’s famed ocean sunsets.) Adding to the Intercontinental’s luxe look are its services: in addition to the standards, like turn-down, wifi and laundry service are a few celeb-worthy accommodations, from same-day dry cleaning to limo service. The hotel also sports a coffee and pastry shop, two fine dining restaurants and a constellation of high tech-equipped meeting rooms (14 in all) for business power players.
Location: Built around the behemoth Fox studios, Century City is now a sleek corporate neighborhood surrounded by quaint residences. The neighborhood offers pedestrian access to a cornucopia of shopping and dining via the nearby Westfield Mall; smaller, more boutique establishments require a car or bus pass, but Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Santa Monica are all a short ride away.
Nearby:
Eataly: This newly opened Italian marketplace is a foodie fantasy. While you’re unlikely to take advantage of the butcher or seafood counter (we’re assuming you packed light), it’s worth the line to spend an afternoon tasting artisanal olive oils, cheeses, and chocolates in this holy grail food hall.
Hinoki and the Bird: This popular dinner spot often hosts crowds of industry execs closing deals over craft cocktails and innovative Japanese fusion food in an intimate mid-century modernist setting.
Annenberg Space for Photography: Arguably the coolest spot in Century City, this small museum exhibits classic and cutting-edge photo, video, and installation art for crowds that skew younger than the neighborhood’s more corporate regulars.
Spago: The flavors of California, Southern Europe, and Japan mingle at this famed Beverly Hills eatery. If you can handle the hefty price tag, the California tasting menus offer expertly prepared renditions of local, seasonal ingredients.
Spa Montage: Upgrade your vacay with this underground spa paradise, featuring 17 treatment rooms and a communal mineral pool in an opulent, Moorish-inspired space.
Good for: The InterContinental’s corporation-adjacent location and many business amenities make it great for those traveling for work-- the hotel is luxe enough that even the most meeting-laden traveler will get to experience a little R&R. On the other end of the vacation spectrum, the hotel’s ultra upscale digs and proximity to fine dining also make the InterContinental a romantic choice for a weekend getaway for two.
Amenities: Pool, hot tub, room service, minibar, restaurant, bar, gym, laundry service, concierge, spa
Time Out tip: Skip the fitness center in favor of nearby Cheviot Hills Park—a jog through a quiet residential neighborhood lands you at this sprawling park, complete with ball fields, barbecue pits, an archery range and a lush golf course.