Do like the glitterati and prepare to be spoiled silly at this 5-star retreat, where the hotel car is a limo, a diamond facial is the spa’s most popular service and bath products are Bottega Veneta. A stay here is a splurge, but at least guests get their money’s worth.
Trendy, hip, modern—Four Seasons LA is none of these. Instead, this storied celebrity hotspot prides itself on elegance. Drive by the corner of Doheny and Burton Way day or night and you’ll find a pristine troop of valets and doormen at the ready. Just one foot inside the grandiose lobby—replete with gleaming marble floors, striking floral displays and bronze sculptures of everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Vincent van Gogh—bestows an undeniable “I have arrived” feeling upon guests. Following a $33 million renovation, the 16-story tower still retains the venue’s Old World charm, which some may find a tad dated. But class is always in style at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles; the 285 opulent guest rooms are outfitted with chinoiserie headboards and Frette linens, a walk-in wardrobe, sunken tub, private balcony overlooking the always stunning Beverly Hills and an iPod equipped with hundreds of fitness classes (order mats and resistance bands to the room for no additional fee). Of course, that doesn’t have to be your only workout; also complimentary is the use of an indoor/outdoor 24-hour gym. Soak in the salt-water pool, then hit the town in a luxury car. This is the life.
Location: Tucked away in a residential pocket, the hotel is right at the edge of Beverly Hills, but still well positioned for some major retail therapy—around the corner from trendsetting boutiques along Robertson and a quarter mile from fancy shopping on Rodeo Drive. Farther east is the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Nearby:
Pizzeria il Fico: A short stroll from the hotel, this Italian eatery specializes in dishes from Puglia. Don’t miss their late-night happy hour beginning at 9pm.
Wally's Beverly Hills: This gourmet wine and cheese bar on Canon Drive (a 15-minute walk) is a local institution. Just prepare to pay. Châteauneuf-du-Pape and black truffle pizza doesn’t come cheap.
Héritage Fine Wines: For a less stuffy option (though still retaining those Beverly Hills prices) and just a few shops down from Wally’s, this quaint little wine bar has a veritable catalog of fine French vino spanning Champagne to Rhone varietals.
Greystone Mansion: The gardens of this lavish Tudor estate, less than a ten-minute drive from the hotel, are open daily free of charge. Between the cypress tree-lined paths and stunning reflecting pool, this place is excellent selfie material.
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts: Catch a show at this stunning community theater center, located less than a mile away. No time? At least check out the lobby, formerly a post office built in 1933. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Paley Center for Media: Located just a mile away, the on-site theater regularly screens shows from the center’s 150,000-program collection. If television and radio history is your thing, the venue also hosts rotating exhibits and panel discussions.
Virginia Robinson Gardens: Make sure to reserve a spot for a tour of this gorgeous 6-acre estate, famous for being the first luxury home in Beverly Hills. Back in the day, the likes of Fred Astaire and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor regularly visited the property.
Good for: Set in a discreet yet convenient locale, this Four Seasons is a magnet for affluent travelers and A-listers. Count on celeb sightings thanks to frequent onsite movie junkets and the star-studded Culina restaurant—a power lunch favorite. And thanks to ICE (Interactive Customer Experience) technology found on those in-room iPads, everything is at guests’ fingertips, whether it’s ordering a limo, making reservations or booking a spa treatment, which couples, families and business travelers alike can appreciate.
Amenities: Outdoor pool, open-air fitness facilities, poolside cafe and cabanas, complimentary house car providing transportation to local shopping and dining, full service spa and nail salon, multilingual concierge, 24-hour room service, complimentary standard Wi-Fi, iPads in all guest rooms and suites
Time Out tip: Ask for a higher room on the east side of the hotel for sprawling mountain views or risk overlooking LA traffic. Also, while standard Wi-Fi is free, high-speed Internet will cost you upwards of $15.