Luxury hotel in LA area
 

We are traveling to LA for the first time and Are looking to book a luxury hotel for our stay. I know nothing about the landscape of LA- Beverly Hills, West Holloywood, etc and the proximity of these things. I imagine we will be doing some shopping, definitely some great dining and also some studio tours. Maybe a one day trip to Anaheim for our daughter. Looking at the traveler photos of all the top places- the Wilshire, the Montage, the Beverly Hills hotel , none of them look spectacular. Any advice out there from those who have been as to best area to stay and best hotel for luxury? Thank you!

Luxury is somewhat relative and means different things to different people - which can include service, the quality of the in house restaurant, snob appeal, amenities, whatnot.

You might consider staying in LA/Beverly Hills for a couple of days - and then finish at something like the Ritz Carlton -dramatically perched above the beach in Laguna, Orange County - which is luxury on the beach for sure.

For celeb sightings - it's hard to beat having a drink/lunch/dinner at the fabled Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset.

The luxury hotel at the top of most "Best of..." lists in Beverly Hills is the Peninsula:

http://www.peninsula.com/Beverly_Hills/en/default.aspx

The in-house restaurant, the Belvedere, is also well-regarded.

The Beverly Hills Hotel is a grand old dame in LA hotel history. One stays there for the history, the Paul R. Williams architectural touches (he performed some light renovations in the 1940s) and the old-school atmosphere of the Polo Lounge. The bartenders are attentive, friendly and expert in their mixology (great martinis!). The clientèle are well-heeled in general (when my husband and I went there for drinks at the beginning of an LA Date Night, we both felt like country come to town), but their celebrity is more often of times past. If A-Listers show up there, it tends to be more ironically than not. Still, c'mon-- I'd stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel happily in a minute.

Another luxury property you might consider, despite it being a bit outside of Beverly Hills, is the Hotel Bel-Air:

http://www.dorchestercollection.com/.../hotel-bel-air

The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, which tomsd mentions, is lovely. Its luxury is understated, the setting is unmatched (breathtakingly beautiful)... but it's over an hour from the LA sites you are interested in seeing, down in Dana Point:

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Proper...el/Default.htm

Other remote but fantabulous resorts are the Terranea in Palos Verdes and the Montage in south Laguna Beach:

http://www.terranea.com/

http://www.montagelagunabeach.com/

Again, over an hour to get to LA proper (Palos Verdes is in LA County, but a bit by itself on a peninsula), but worth the drive.

The Miramar in Santa Monica is another "understated elegance" luxury property; it gets year-round tourist trade and a healthy business-traveler book of business (several large investment management and consulting firms, including mine, have headquarters within a few blocks of the Miramar). It's another property with a storied history (regular guests included Greta Garbo and Marilyn Monroe) and a superb onsite restaurant (Fig, a Zagat favorite).

There are many options, but what constitutes "luxury" in your book? Spa-like surroundings? Superior, 24/7 service? Celebrity sighting possibilities? Glitz and glitter? Give us a bit more to work with, please.

Some people looking for a luxury experience prefer the Hotel Bel-Air because of it's more out-of-the-way location, among other reasons. If you don't mind driving to get everywhere, as opposed to say the Beverly Wilshire which is in town, it might be the place.
http://www.dorchestercollection.com/...FTJp7AodUlIAXA

Oh yeah:

http://www.fairmont.com/santa-monica/

I would look at Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, or Shutters, its sister property next door. Both are on the beachfront. I like Le Merigot, but it is not as luxurious as Casa del Mar.

http://www.hotelcasadelmar.com/santa-monica-hotel

emd3 is right as well-- Casa del Mar is quite lovely and luxurious. Since I work in Santa Monica but never actually use the hotels here, it slips under my radar every time...!

Well worth a look.

How many days do you have? None of the luxury hotels mentioned are particularly convenient to "studio tours and a day trip to Anaheim".

The OP asked for input on luxury hotels in the LA Metro area. We have dutifully listed notable luxury hotels.

No one hotel is going to be simultaneously convenient to the studio tours AND to Disneyland, let alone a luxury property. That is a given. They're all in different cities-- hell, Disneyland's in a whole different county! However, I'm going to say something that may shock and surprise some people, so grab on to something sturdy:

People who specifically request suggestions for luxury hotels in the LA Metro area probably aren't particularly concerned that they can't crawl to the studio tours and/or Disneyland from the front door of the luxury hotel.

I know-- weird.

True, the OP can help us all by telling us how long they will be spending in our fair metropolis. Then we can suggest itineraries, other things to do, etc.

emcash, a lot of these tongue-in-cheek posts reflect the hard reality of the LA metropolitan area: It's huge (larger than many countries) and spread-out. No one hotel will be close to everything you will want to see. Therefore, more than many other destinations, LA requires a bit of logistical planning and strategy. If you can list some specific interests of you and your family, we can suggest some points of particular value.

Santa Monica is a good location for the Sony Studios tour, which is very good btw.

You need a rent car no matter where you stay in the LA area. Santa Monica is convenient and not a bad commute to anywhere in the area ( even at rush hr it is about 20 min to downtown-- the 10 is NOT the 405!!!!) and it beats the heck out of staying anywhere else in the area for restaurants, walking, and shopping.

Thanks all- even the tongue in cheek remarks. I understand that nothing is going to be at my doorstep (other than rodeo drive maybe…) . We will be staying in LA for a week. I know we will have to drive a lot of places, but I would like to be somewhere somewhat central. I know anaheim will be a drive of course. I know the studios will be a drive. What about the great restaurants in the LA area- any great hotels where we might not have to drive every night to go to a spectacular dinner?
The bel air looks absolutely stunning, but i feel (and maybe i'm wrong?) that if i stay there i will be guaranteed to be close to nothing. I think if the Bel-aire was in beverly hills, my decision would be made. As far as my definition of luxury- I would prefer rooms that are well appointed, not tired and old, with amenities. Nice furnishings, large bathrooms, newer tvs. Excellent service, but not stuffy. A spa definitely. I don't want anything too genteel or old fashioned, though the st. regis in NYC is one of my very favorite hotels. I would love a stunning pool area. Star sightings would be a great plus but not number one requirement. As for the suggestions of a place down by the beach, we are going in april, so i just think that would be money not well spent- since it will be too cold for the beach.
I have been to Laguna and stayed at the Ritz for work once and frankly, was underwhelmed. I thought the Montage and the St regis in Laguna far superior.

It probably won't be too cold for the beach, just too cold to go in the water. And yes the Bel Air Hotel is set in a residential area without anything within walking distance.

If you want to look out at Rodeo Drive...consider the Regent Beverly Wilshire.

Another vote for the Hotel Bel-Air, despite it being further away from some of the things you wanted. To me that is a positive thing, not a negative.

Many Ritz Hotels are underwhelming! Go to leading hotels of the world www.lhw.com and scope out any listings they might have in the area of Fairmaont..Then join their loyality clubs..Enjoy the perks!! Also try www.slh.com

A few thoughts...other than Shutters and Hotel Bel-Air (both of which I would have recommended)...

The Peninsula has the benefit of quiet luxury, great black-out curtains, lovely afternoon tea and walking distance to shopping (and across from my favorite hair salon - Beverly Hills Color Bar). The Montage has Bouchon and Mastro's nearby. I've been for tea (also lovely) but haven't stayed at the hotel (though I have enjoyed other Montage properties). Speaking of the Montage, the one in Laguna Beach is supposed to be wonderful. Another option in Beverly Hills is the Four Seasons. It is closer to shopping on Robertson and The Ivy and A.O.C..

If you are looking for a hipper hotel experience try the Chateau Marmont or something on Sunset or the Standard downtown (rooftop pool, ping pong). Not being all that hip myself I can't give a personal recommendation. Downtown dining is pretty hot at the moment. Lots to explore downtown...Disney Music Hall, Union Station, architecture, museums, Union Station and LA Live.

One sometimes overlooked location - The Huntington in Pasadena (great spa, dining at The Royce, tea and gardens). Lots to do in Pasadena - Old Town (shopping, dining, Gold Class movie theater and Pasadena Playhouse), The Huntington Art Museum, Gardens and Library, the Arboretum, Norton Simon museum. Close to valley Studios (Universal, WB, Tonight Show, and Disney) and downtown but further from BH and ocean. May be a little too "genteel or old fashioned" but I like it and surprisingly good rates sometimes.

But, as one poster mentioned, LA is kinda spread out and you end up driving pretty much everywhere. So pick a place close to where you want to spend some time and then drive to the rest.

We have stayed at the Peninsula in Beverly Hills several times and we liked it very much. It is my idea of a luxury hotel in the city. There are lots of shops and restaurants in the area.

Methinks some posters might be making too much of how far away from everything the Bel Air Hotel is. Just down Sunset - about what - 3 miles - and you are at the Beverly Hills Hotel - maybe 7 minutes without traffic.

One advantage of Bel Air itself is that you are closer to the 405 freeway (and the fabulous Getty Museum) - not to mention the college atmosphere of UCLA/good/hip restaurants - and can also zip down the 405 to Disneyland from there.

We love Shutters on the Beach for it's gorgeous location and easy access to the beach.

Tomsd is right in that the Hotel Bel-Air is NOT particularly isolated from ANYTHING. Despite the sylvan beauty of its grounds, it's still smack-dab in the middle of West Los Angeles, basically due north of the lovely UCLA campus (where I used to teach many, many years ago). And you can hop Sunset Blvd. to get to Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hollywood (going east), Brentwood, Santa Monica, Malibu (going west)....

Getting to Disneyland is a bit of a slog, but not ridiculous. It's a good hour away, and depending on the route will involve the 405 and at least two other freeways (shortest distance driving: 405 S to 10 E to 5 S); a GPS becomes VERY vital equipment. I can tell you that that shortest-distance route is the easiest from the west side of LA (we did a conference one January at the Grand Californian and our company ran all of us principals in a van on those very freeways-- it's quite direct).

The Bel-Air and the Peninsula are sounding like your best high-end luxury options. Casa del Mar and Shutters would put you in high-end Santa Monica properties, and then you'd be very close to the great dining options in Santa Monica and Venice, and short drives to great eating in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.

I've been wracking my brain trying to think of comparable high-end properties in West Hollywood, which is quite central to all the great dining/shopping/sightseeing options in LA Metro. The Sunset Tower Hotel (the old Argyle Hotel) is arguably the most outstanding Hollywood Déco building in West Hollywood, and when they converted it back to a hotel they completely refurbished it inside and out, and it looks absolutely stunning:

http://www.sunsettowerhotel.com/

This place looks great, but I will admit it's completely new to me. The location is pretty near ideal:

http://www.thelondonwesthollywood.com/

But I'll repeat: The Bel-Air and the Peninsula would be sure bets for your needs.

Thank you all for your thoughtful comments! i will look into all you mentioned!

And generally speaking - you want to try to miss the early morning commute hours - what 6:30/7 AM to 9/9:30? - and the evening commute - 3:30 to 7PM, or later;.

Also suggest you get a good map of the LA freeway system - and if you are driving on the freeways - listen to AM 1090 for traffic updates ever 10? minutes.

rjw has good advice - but for moi - if I was headed south to Disneyland - and the 405 was clear - I would just keep booking on it - and about Newport Beach - take the 22 over to the 5 and north a couple miles to get there.

The 5 thru LA is usually the most direct route - but it does get congested and has a couple choke points.

The problem right now is that the I405-CA22 interchange (which is actually in Seal Beach, BTW-- I think you're thinking of CA55) is the southern end of a major freeway construction effort that starts about three miles north (new ramps to and from I605) and involves bridge reconstruction/widening, apparent widening of the 405 itself, lane deviations and pattern changes, etc. that have made that stretch of the 405 a nightmare. For even the most seasoned drivers who live in the area. Right now I steer people away from the area if at all possible (I've been almost hit too many times to count when I've been heading to OC).

However, by August most of the worst will be over, so (fingers crossed!) we'll be back to "normal".

Oh, and one other slight correction: The radio station with the traffic reports every 10 minutes is KNX AM 1070. They are very good for traffic conditions north of LAX, especially heading into and out of downtown LA and the San Fernando Valley; they are only fair for traffic in Orange County, but downright terrible in covering traffic south of LAX down to the LA County/Orange County line (unless there's a major accident). Still, they're the best game in town as far as radio traffic reporting goes, so there you go.

Personally, if I were paying for a luxury hotel I would also consider paying for a chauffeur and a car rather than trying to drive myself around. That way you can all enjoy the views and relax.

rjw - drove up and down the 405 to my niece's place in Brentwood a few weeks ago and didn't even notice that. And thanks - it is AM 1070 - which I sometimes get mixed up with our Radio Sports station down here - AM 1090.

crer - you do know how to live right. :)

And checked with friends of mine who live in both the Valley and also in the West Hollywood Hills ("Baja Beverly Hills") - and they were pretty much split as to their top three luxury hotel recommendations - which included in no particular order - the Beverly Hills, the Peninsula and the Bel Air.

FYI - the Bel Air is on the north side of Sunset - so you are really not in the more congested UCLA area, which is to the south of Sunset.

BTW - my friends' uncle lived in Beverly Hills - two different places - in the hills and down in the "flats" - and while growing up in the Valley - they only had to zip over Mulholland to go numerous receptions/parties at the various upscale hotels in BH. Of the three - I have not really spent much time at the Peninsula - but have been to events at the other two - and don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

Thank you tomsd! Thank you all! Will figure this out- a nice conundrum to have!