Would appreciate your thoughts on staying in the Beverly Hills area for a long weekend (Thursday - Sunday) in October.

Since it will be mostly weekend driving will this location work as a central location for sightseeing?

Which hotels would you suggest?

Finally, if not Beverly Hills, where?

THANKS!!!

Depends on which sights you're planning to see, and as far as hotels go, what's your price range?

Beverly Hills is generally pretty central if you're planning to hit both the beaches and the amusement parks.

Clark (loved Christmas Vacation it's on my top ten movie list) thanks for the reply.

Our things to see/do list is still under development so we're trying to find somewhere convenient to the highways. Beverly Hills appears to meet that requirement.

My main concern is whether or not Beverly Hills is a tourist freindly area. We're definetly not Rodeo Drive shoppers and don't want to be in a area that caters only to that class of folks but want to stay someplace nice and safe.

Regarding money, I've a had a lot of luck with Priceline and Hotwire, it looks like 4 star hotels can be had for around $80 to $100.

Thanks

The Beverly Hills geographic area is fairly large, and the general name encompasses some parts of West LA and West Hollywood, so it's a squishy concept, frankly.

It's tourist-friendly, sure. Although most of the city's services exist for its citizens, not everyone in BH is super-wealthy. From a cost perspective, there are many reasonably-priced restaurants in the area, so you can eat well without spending a lot of green. And you are definitely centrally-located to most tourist stuff in the LA area.

Regarding lodging, are you looking for posh, kinda posh, boutique, fun, funky, or what? BH/WH/WLA hotels go all over the map in this regard, so think about that.

Hotwire has a 4 1/2 star listed at $96 in Beverly Hills/Westwood, it may well be the W hotel in Westwood. Westwood & Beverly Hills are convenient to the freeway system. Most BHills hotels you'll also incure a high parking fee, however.

Roomsavers.com often has a good rate for the Beverly Hills-BelAir Holiday Inn, not a luxury hotel by any means but great location, clean & comfortable with a nice rooftop lounge & breakfast cafe.

Even if you're not into shopping on Rodeo Drive, you'll probably want to take a stroll. However, BH has just started a street beautification project on Rodeo Drive. All of the vegetation has been removed, and I think the jackhammers are coming soon to remove the sidewalks and median planters. Signs say "excuse the mess" through November. A few stores have decided it's a good time to remodel and are closed and hidden by construction barriers. I'd stay somewhere else this October. That may explain those Priceline and Hotwire deals.

"Hotwire has a 4 1/2 star listed at $96 in Beverly Hills/Westwood, it may well be the W hotel in Westwood"

What helps identify the above mentioned 41/2 star hotel as the W in Westwood. The one amenity that should help is that it is either attached to a golf course or within walking distance. Does the W have a golf course that close?

Thanks for the help!

Beverly Hills is very central. I often recommend that people stay in this area. While Rodeo Dr. is pricy, the surrounding streets have lots of shopping with stores that are more afforable. For instance, Beverly Dr. is home to The Gap, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, anthropologie, Cheesecake Factory and Victoria's Secret, along with smaller boutiques. It's a great area to walk around and browse.

Maison 140 is my favorite hotel in BH. Gorgeous, trendy boutique hotel. Also, try the Beverly Hilton. The Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel is a smaller hotel that can be very affordable. The Avalon is a hip, retro place. Also, try the Beverly Hills Pavilion.

In Bev. Hills, I highly recommend eating at French Country Cafe on Beverly Dr. Their rotisserie sandwiches, fruit tarts and flourless chocolate cake are great! The Farm is also good, as is Il Fornaio. You can get great martinis and hear live music at Nic's Martini Lounge.

There is no golf course within walking distance of Westwood. The courses that might be within view are private country club courses (L.A. and Bel Air).

I haven't been back to Il Fornaio since I discovered Il Pastaio on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. Risotto to die for!

We took the Hotwire offer for a 4.5* hotel in the Beverly Hills, Century City, Westwood area and it ends up to be the Park Hyatt. A very nice property from the reviews I've read.

A very nice hotel built on land that used to be part of 20th Century Fox' back lot. There should be views of the back lot from the back/west side. But no shops or restaurants within several blocks in any direction.

I thought the board might find this e-mail exchange of value. Jean had mentioned the construction that was scheduled to take place during the timeframe we will be in BH.

If I read between the lines, I get, yes it's going to be all tore up but come anyway!

My question:

To: [email protected]
Subject: Beverly Hills all tore up until November?

A travel bulletin board has posts that warn tourists to not visit Beverly Hills until after November because the city streets are under construction ...

We're planning a vacation in late October, what will Beverly Hills look like at that time?

Thanks, Mike

The Answer:

"While the Urban Design Program, a major Beverly Hills streetscape reinvestment project, is underway Beverly Hills remains a hot travel destination. The program will add pedestrian enhancements on five streets within the Business Triangle, improving the outdoor experience for residents, visitors and shoppers throughout the area. For your convenience construction will be conducted at night, between 10pm and 6am. In late October the first phase of the program should be under way and looking nice. Beverly Hills has many wonderful streets and is known as the City of Trees. I don't believe that your travel should be greatly effected by the Urban Design Program.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any further questions or concerns or would like me to send you information on Beverly Hills."

Cheers,
Jennifer
Jennifer Adams
Marketing Coordinator
Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau
239 South Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 248-1015, ext. 112
Fax: (310) 248-1020

Reporting from Beverly Hills - Beverly Blvd in the heart of B Hills has a low chain-link fence and torn-up curbsides along the length but there is room for walking and all (or most) stores and restaurants are open. That said, I don't think I'd plan on spending so much time there. Beverly Blvd has a lot of stores you can find in a mall and the other more posh stores don't seem to be your kind of thing.

Just returned from California vacation. When in LA stayed in Park Hyatt in Century City. Pretty much agree with reviews on Fodors about this hotel. Wonderful rooms, service, nice gym and indoor pool. Loved the location. Very convenient to Beverly Hills(walkable for wife and I) and quick drive over to Santa Monica. Convenient to Hollywood and studios.

City of trees! Ha! On Rodeo and Beverly Drives, the trees have all been cut down to stumps. The median planters are empty, half of the curbs have been jack-hammered away and chain-link fencing now reduce the sidewalks to half their previous width. There are spray-painted arrows, lines and words all over the sidewalks: "save" and "remove." The place looks like a disaster zone.

Late October is eight weeks away, so perhaps Jennifer is correct that your visit will not be negatively impacted, but right now it looks awful.