Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [125]
Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas (Map; 310-657-1333, 800-858-9758; 1200 N Alta Loma Rd; www.sunsetmarquishotel.com; ste $360-615, villas $1000-3000; wi-fi) ‘Rock-and-roll retreat’ may sound like an oxymoron, but not at this quiet and secluded tropical garden hideaway that often checks in visiting music royalty including Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton (there’s even a recording studio on-site). The decor is surprisingly unshowy, with clear, modern lines and dark natural tones. Being a guest lets you hobnob at the ultraexclusive Whiskey Bar. Parking is $22.
Beverly Hills
Posh and sedate, Beverly Hills is among the safest areas in town and will likely impress your friends at the watercooler back home. It’s reasonably central and close to UCLA and West Hollywood, but don’t expect any bargains, hence the lack of budget listings in this section.
MIDRANGE
Beverly Terrace Hotel (Map; 310-274-8141, 800-842-6401; www.beverlyterracehotel.com; 469 N Doheny Dr; r incl breakfast $160-230, child under 12 free; wi-fi) This older, Euro-style property dances on the border with West Hollywood and puts you close to the Santa Monica Blvd fun zone. Rooms are cramped but contemporary and done up in soothing greens, crisp blues and bright reds. Locals often swamp the on-site Trattoria Amici for classic Italian served alfresco by the little pool.
Carlyle Inn (Map; 310-275-4445, 800-322-7595; www.carlyle-inn.com; 1119 S Robertson Blvd; r incl breakfast $190-220; wi-fi) Forget about fancy. If you’re into hip decor and Frette linens, don’t bother with this 32-room Best Western on a nondescript section of Beverly Hills. Everyone else should be quite pleased with the handsome rooms, generous breakfast buffet and accommodating staff. Parking ($11), though, is a tight squeeze.
Maison 140 (Map; 310-281-4000, 800-503-1395; www.maison140beverlyhills.com; 140 S Lasky Dr; r incl breakfast $240-270; ) Parisian boudoir meets the Far East at this sensuous gem in the former home of silent-movie siren Lillian Gish. Enjoy the signature Lady Godiva cocktail in the intimate Bar Noir before retiring to rooms that skimp on size but have the wackiest wallpaper and cool furniture. Rates include pool privileges at the Avalon Hotel (below). Parking costs $21.
Crescent (Map; 310-247-0505; www.crescentbh.com; 403 N Crescent Dr; s/d from $165/215; wi-fi) A mod hotspot with a buzzy fireside lounge and Dodd Mitchell–designed rooms, most of them on the small side. Parking costs $22.
TOP END
Avalon Hotel (Map; 310-277-5221, 800-535-4715; www.avalonbeverlyhills.com; 9400 W Olympic Blvd; r $280-410; ) Mid-century modern gets a 21st-century spin at this fashion-crowd fave, which was Marilyn Monroe’s old pad in its days as an apartment building. The beautiful, moneyed and metrosexual now vamp it up in the chic restaurant-bar overlooking a sexy hourglass-shaped pool. Rooms facing the other direction are quieter. Parking costs $28.
Mosaic Hotel (Map; 310-278-0303, 800-463-4466; www.mosaichotel.com; 125 Spalding Dr; r $300-425, ste $600-800; wi-fi) This 49-room boutique hotel splashed throughout with exotic fabrics offers soothing quarters after a day of power shopping, star-watching and joyous eating. Rooms exude a classic, timeless feel, while the Frette linens, Bulgari soaps and rainforest showerheads feed luxury cravings. Nice touch: free limo rides within town limits. Parking costs $25.
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UPCOMING ATTRACTIONS
Given LA’s near-mythical glamour factor, the relative dearth of hip boutique and lifestyle hotels is quite a shocker. Fortunately that’s about to change as several old properties have made appointments with today’s most inspired designers and will soon be satisfying scenesters’ bottomless cravings for the next fab thing. Here’s a quick preview of tomorrow’s eagerly anticipated hotspots.
Thompson Beverly Hills (Map; www.thompsonhotels.com; 9360 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills) The old Beverly Pavilion is getting the Dodd