A Starry LA Hideaway: Hotel Bel-Air Review
By
3 months ago
An icon of Hollywood history, and a place to switch off in style
There are a handful of Los Angeles hotels so famous you can drop the ‘hotel’ from their moniker, and will find tourists making a drive-by for a glimpse at the address, with hopes of spotting a famous resident coming or going. The Dorchester owns two, and while The Beverly Hills Hotel is where the stars go to be seen, the Bel-Air is where they go to holiday. Despite having absolutely no need to stay under the radar, Rebecca Cox checks into LA’s ultimate hideaway to see how it measures up.
Hotel Bel-Air Review
STAY
Situated in Los Angeles‘ most exclusive enclave and set in 12 acres of painstakingly maintained gardens, the Bel-Air transports you away from the hustle and bustle of Tinseltown for the ultimate city retreat. During your stay your neighbours will be the likes of Taylor Swift (if she’s ever home from the Eras Tour), Beyoncé and Adele, but you likely won’t see or hear from your room neighbours, let alone the surrounding neighbourhood, such is the space and privacy the sprawling Hotel Bel Air estate offers. There are 58 rooms and 45 suites, the smallest is a spacious 42 square metres, the largest a mammoth 730 square metres. The most luxurious have private terraces, pools and dining areas, all decked out in a muted colour palette with luxe finishes and details like Fili d’Oro Egyptian cotton sheets, gold and marble accents and high-tech Japanese loos in the (multiple) bathrooms (our suite had three).
The iconic pool at Hotel Bel-Air
Rooms are set in leafy hills amongst pretty palms and fragrant blooms: the privacy and space of the residences adds to its Old Hollywood vibe. It’s the perfect retreat from the LA scene, where understated elegance and old-world glamour are the order of the day, and venturing from your room to the vibrant (but still relaxed) shared spaces is entirely optional.
Optional, but advisable, at least to make it as far as the iconic oval-shaped pool, the scene of Marilyn Monroe’s last photoshoot before her death. Less flashy than its Beverly Hills counterpart, the pool is quiet and inviting on our visit, with nobody but us to take a float with a book and a drink on the giant swan floaties, a homage to the swans in residence on the famous Swan Lake that fronts the hotel.
EAT
Dinner at the Hotel Bel-Air hits several highs. The service is absolutely top, friendly but not intrusive, attentive but not annoying. The food and drinks are superlative, every bite of every dish divine, every sip of every signature mix satisfying. The people watching (‘are they someone?’ ‘no, that table there’) is also enjoyable, though in contrast to all the highs, the vibe here is low-key. The final high is the price list, (our tomato salad, for example, was $42,) though if you’re staying at The Bel-Air this may not be on your list of concerns.
New this year are The Living Room and The Patisserie, designed by Champalimaud Design, adding two additional dining and lounging options for guests. The Patisserie is open 7am to 12pm every day, offering freshly baked goods, artisanal coffees, and pastries crafted by executive pastry chef Christophe Rull. Meanwhile The Living Room, open Wednesday through Sunday, 2pm to 9pm, reimagines the hotel lobby lounge experience, serving up relaxed food offerings plus a caviar menu and specialty cocktails.
The Living Room at Hotel Bel-Air
THE FINAL WORD
While The Beverly Hills Hotel draws the crowds, it’s at big sister Hotel Bel-Air that you’ll find the real A-list retreat. Old-world charm and second-to-none luxury set amongst a lush botanical paradise: this is how to live like a prince in a town called Bel Air.
BOOK
Hotel Bel-Air, 701 Stone Canyon Road, Los Angeles, CA 90077 | Tel +1 310 472 1211 | [email protected] | Room rates from $1,065 low season, $1,245 high season | dorchestercollection.com/los-angeles/hotel-bel-air
