My post-university summer in Los Angeles four years ago was life defining. It was a chaotic blur of road trips, $10-a-night hostels and run-down motels. But I was entirely charmed by the diversity in this city, where ‘living the dream’ is ingrained in its very core.
Those days of living on a shoestring couldn’t be further away from my lodgings on this return trip to the city, the opulent Hotel Bel Air – part of the Sultan of Brunei’s Dorchester Collection. Newly reopened after a two-year refurbishment, a palm-lined drive leads to its iconic entrance, complete with famous Polish mute swans gliding under the footbridge.
The Hotel Bel Air is one of the original old-school glamorous LA hotels (opened in 1946), famous for an A-list clientele looking for privacy away from its higher profile sister hotel The Beverly Hills. Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly were regulars here in the Fifties and Sixties. The renovation has turned the place into a sleek and minimalist bolthole, while still retaining the opulence of its Hollywood heyday: marble, bold patterned rugs and a huge central fire in the lobby.
The Hotel Bel Air Suite is bigger than my east London flat. Serious comfort – giant bed, lush linen, soft carpeting – is combined with high-tech including an enormous Bang & Olufsen TV and an iPad to summon room service. Outside is the hotel’s oval-shaped pool (featured on the cover of Bryan Ferry’s 1974 album Another Time, Another Place), hemmed by blossom-filled gardens. I happily lazed here before heading to the La Prairie Spa for an amazing white caviar facial.
Why it’s hot
The Hotel Bel Air’s restaurants are the latest to be overseen by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and, since the hotel reopened in October, it has already become a favourite discrete spot for LA royalty. (I spied Jamie Lee Curtis having brunch.) Beyond the hotel, LA’s shopping credentials are now better than ever. The Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills is one long procession of boutiques sporting big names from Stella McCartney to Tory Burch. Retro-seekers should head east to the Melrose District – home to some fantastic vintage shops like Wasteland and American Vintage (best vintage band-T-shirts ever).
Eating and drinking
Before this trip, my idea of heaven was eloping with Ryan Gosling, but I could easily trade him in for Wolfgang Puck after two days of incredible meals at the hotel. Not to be missed is his signature brunch of huevos rancheros (a mix of black beans, cheese, eggs, carbs) followed by dark chocolate torte. For dinner, it’s a delicate array of succulent fish and meat dishes, outside on the hotel’s terrace.
For a more rustic experience, a great find from my previous LA trip is Miceli’s on Las Palmas Avenue in Hollywood – an Italian family restaurant, it serves the best Caesar salad I’ve ever tasted. Health conscious? Head to M Café on Melrose Avenue for macrobiotic food so good, you won’t even realise you’re eating fermented soy beans instead of bacon.
The Beverly Hills and Hotel Bel Air both have bars where the veteran Hollywood clientele mix with a younger, hipper crowd. But for a more urban experience head to the bright lights of Sunset Strip. Start at the Saddle Ranch Chop House (the quesadilla is mouthwatering but ill-advised before a ride on their famous bucking bronco), followed by a whisky-on-the-rocks at the legendary Viper Room. Finish with a late-night tipple, nestled next to rock legends, in a Rainbow Room booth.
Photo opportunity
A 20-minute drive to the Griffith Observatory delivers some of LA’s most beautiful views, featured in Rebel Without A Cause and The Terminator. After all, you can’t go to LA without a little film trivia.
By Anita Bhagwandas
Guestrooms at The Hotel Bel Air start from £360 with suites from £670; up to £8,613 a night for the Presidential Suite. (hotelbelair.com or 0018(0)-0648 4097)
