The Overhaul of the Hotel Bel-Air Begins Today
The iconic 63-year-old Hotel Bel-Air closes today for a massive multimillion-dollar renovation that'll take two years to complete.
Burrowed among the canyons in L.A., the hotel's hosted a slew of stars, from Grace Kelly, Jackie Gleason, Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe to Oprah, Robin Williams, Hillary Swank and Nicole Kidman. Despite its star-packed clientele, the hotel was in desperate need of an Extreme Makeover: Hotel Edition.
To keep its luxury cred, the hotel will renovate its 91 rooms and suites, Champagne Bar, restaurant and private dining rooms. The Hotel Bel-Air also will add 12 villas on it 12-acre grounds and a new spa with seven treatment rooms and three junior spa suites. General manager Tim Lee told the L.A. Times that technology needs to be updated, as 99 percent of guests can't use their cell phones at the hotel. And we won't even get into those caveman-like big-box TVs in the rooms.
The people tasked with taking the hotel out of the prehistoric ages are designers David Rockwell and Alexandra Champalimaud. Rockwell's firm has done the soon-to-be-opened Walt Disney Family Museum and the Kodak Theatre, while Champalimaud's company portfolio includes the St. Regis Beijing and the Berkeley in London.
Although the makeover is much-needed, not everyone was happy about it. Brides-to-be who booked the hotel for their big day before the renovation plans were announced were forced to change their wedding venue to sister property the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is enough to make anyone turn into a bridezilla. If you aren't among the jilted brides and can't wait for the tired hotel to upgrade, you can get monthly updates on the progress of the renovations by becoming a fan on the hotel's Facebook page.
[Photo: Hotel Bel-Air's Facebook]
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