90048 Travel Guide - Page 2
Snapshot / Hotel Carpets / Four Seasons Hotels / Los Angeles Hotels / → All Tags
The Four Seasons Los Angeles' Pretty Carpeting is So Nice, They Did It Twice
There's nothing worse than checking into a luxury hotel only to find that there is some fugly carpeting in the rooms and/or the hallways. Kinda like what happened when we popped into the George V in Paris. Fortunately, at the Four Seasons Los Angeles, that won't be happening.
The hotel completed a renovation of their guestrooms and suites last January and pretty carpeting seems to have been a priority. Check out the guestroom hallway carpeting above. The butterflies are a sweet and whimsical touch (we admittedly went, "Ooo!") yet the dark brown helps keep the hallway traffic dirt hidden. Then in the guestrooms, the palette goes lighter with a salmon and light teal design (see below.)
Josh Flagg / Four Seasons Hotels / Sweet Suites / → All Tags
Josh Flagg Staycations at the Four Seasons Los Angeles
Once again, Million Dollar Lister Josh Flagg is back, allowing us a peek inside the hotel lifestyles of the rich and famous. Since we'd never be able to afford a penthouse suite, we'll leave it to Josh to give us his nuanced review of these upper echelon hotel rooms. We like to think of him as our very own Eloise--except you know, he's a grown man. Enjoy!
The other weekend I was given the opportunity to "get out of town." And by out of town, I mean away from my home on Avenue of the Stars in Century City and into a suite at the Four Seasons Los Angeles.
So at eleven in the morning, the hotel picked up me and my partner, Colton, in their Phantom Rolls and took us and Godzilla (our dog) to the hotel. The complimentary car takes you anywhere around the vicinity of the hotel within a two mile radius. There was even a dog bed for Godzilla in the car which was great because she was wondering where she would be sitting.
When we arrived at the hotel, I suddenly felt like I was in Paris. I guess they use the same fragrance in the lobby as they do at the George V. Whatever it is, I was immediately in a good mood.
When I checked in, a friendly gentleman handed me a fancy little felt pouch and inside were my room keys. I usually get my room keys in an envelope (Ed. Note: You do? We never have.) so I thought this was a very nice touch. I didn't take much luggage with me since it was only a weekend trip and I told the bell hop I did not want any help with my one bag.
Hotel Openings / Los Angeles Hotels / Greystone Hotels / Hotel News / sex shop / → All Tags
The Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles Will Open in July
When all those new hotels opened in NYC last year, the Los Angeles hotel scene started to feel a little lifeless but like a Real Housewife just back from the doctor's office, things are looking up!
The Mr. C Hotel in Los Angeles is very near opening (right now it's in a preview stage) and we've just got word from a tipsta' that The Hotel Wilshire will open in July.
We wrote about this hotel back in July after Curbed reported that an old medical building would be transformed into a boutique hotel. Now the hotel's got a name (an uninspired one at that) and a website.
The ground-up transformation of The Hotel Wilshire, using sustainable resources and green building materials to achieve a LEED Certified designation, is now a fresh and contemporary, eco-friendly boutique hotel. Included in this total makeover is an impressive Penthouse Suite and versatile, multi-media suites with panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills.
Hotel Noise / Hotel Helipads / Hotel Hell / Sofitel Hotels / Los Angeles Hotels / → All Tags
And This is the Problem With Hotel Helipads...
Usually, we get pissed at the noise in hotels that's made by other hotel guests but never have we encountered a situation where the noise was coming from a hotel helipad, at least two times a day.
Hollywood douche honcho, Ryan Kavanaugh, the movie producer who heads Relativity Media had been commuting from his home in Malibu to his office in LA by helicopter (because he's far too important to commute with the plebes on the 10 we guess.)
That helicopter of his was landing at the Sofitel Los Angeles in West Hollywood, pissing off neighbors with the incessant noise (and we imagine it pissed off some hotel guests too.)
The neighbors eventually discovered that the hotel's landing pad was for emergency use only and reported it to the city. Kavanaugh has since stopped his helicopter commutes but the hotel is still keen on making use of their helipad.
Hotel Restaurants / Los Angeles Hotels / SLS Hotels / Beverly Hills Hotels / → All Tags
Hotel Restaurants You'd Actually Eat In: Bazaar at the SLS Beverly Hills
The reputation of hotel restaurants as sad, overpriced affairs is quickly falling away as some talented chefs make the eateries destinations of their own. This week, HotelChatter contributor Katherine is taking us to some of the best hotel restaurants in the world.
It's true that molecular gastronomy has become something of a joke. A total joke, in fact. it's a buzzword for culinary frippery; something instantly mocked by the judges on Top Chef (poor, misguided Marcel).
But, when in the hands of a master, it can be a thing of beauty. Jose Andres, originally of Spain, is one of a handful of Ferran Adria acolytes still inventing and garnering respect in the field - though he'll ask you not to use the "molecular gastronomy" handle around him. And although his latest outposts are in Vegas (he opened Jaleo and China Poblano at the Cosmopolitan in December), one of his most extravagant restaurants is The Bazaar, in the SLS Beverly Hills.
Hotel Technology / Hotel Amenities / Four Seasons Hotels / Los Angeles Hotels / → All Tags
You Can Jam to Wireless Jambox Speakers in Four Seasons Los Angeles Suites
Tech geeks that we are, we're always scouring for gadgets we can try out, especially free ones. So we want to test out the Four Seasons Los Angeles's newest amenity, Jambox.
Jambox are palm-sized portable wireless speakers/speakerphones that will work with your smartphone, laptop, iPad, iPods and any other Bluetooth device. You can use them to jam out to music, watch movies or play video games. They also come with a built-in speaker, so they can be employed for conducting conference calls from your room or making a Skype call.
Hotel Spas / Hotel Salons / SLS Hotels / Sally Hershberger / Los Angeles Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
Just In Time For Awards Season, The SLS Opens Its Hair Salon Tomorrow
The Ciel Spa
Good news, celebs! You won't have to tote along your hair-dryer, straightener and other bulky hair tools when you stay at the SLS Hotel from this week. Instead let someone else worry about it and get a professional blowout at the hotel's new Sally Hershberger Style Studio, which opens tomorrow.
The Style Studio is a first for the celeb hair stylist. She's previously tamed the tresses of Michelle Pfeiffer and Meg Ryan, so she might just pass muster to handle your hair (we're assuming you don't have to be blonde for her to work on you).
Hotel Spas / Hotel Salons / SLS Hotels / Sally Hershberger / Los Angeles Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
Sexy Locks by Sally Hershberger Coming to The SLS Hotel in February
Sally Hershberger
Usually when we stay at hotels, we just pray that the hotel has a hairdryer in the bathroom that's not from the 1980s (and that we remembered to pack a brush.) And if we're ever willing to give the hotel's salon a chance, it never seems to measure up to our salon back home (and often at a much higher cost.)
But now when guests stay at The SLS Hotel in Los Angeles, they can rest assured that just downstairs is a legit hair salon as the hotel has just announced a new partnership with top celebrity hair stylist Sally Hershberger.
Hershberger's first-ever Style Studio will open inside the hotel's Ciel Spa on February 1 and will offer blow-drying and styling services seven days a week from 9am to 9pm. Guests can get a wash and blow-dry from Hershberger stylists for $85 while styling services will start at $150.
Snapshot / Hotel Gift Shops / SLS Hotels / Los Angeles Hotels / → All Tags
The SLS Sexes Up Its New Gift Shop, Regalo
Part of what made the Bazaar restaurant inside the SLS Hotel a true bazaar was the eccentric retail space inhabited by Moss, a purveyor of many oddities ranging from "18th century noble cabinets de curiosités" to hefty art and photography books. The space was fun to stroll through after dinner or while waiting for a table but it was not the sort of place to pick up a trinket for your friend back home.
But now SLS has done away with Moss and put in its place, Regalo, a gift shop that carries leading luxury and design brands like Assouline luxury books, Baccarat crystal, D.L. & Co, Modern Alchemists and Purveyors of Curious Goods and our fave, Kiki de Montparnasse.
Celebrity Scoop / Christina Aguilera / Divorce Hotels / SLS Hotels / Los Angeles Hotels / → All Tags
Christina Aguilera Continues Post-Divorce Hotel Hopping at the SLS
What a girl wants is apparently a good hotel. Christina Aguilera, last seen in Hawaii at the Waikiki Edition, has been coping with the recent divorce in the best way that celebs can--by hotel hopping.
Paps spotted her outside the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles with her son, Max, a couple of assistants and some luggage. She's reportedly been shacking up at the hotel while her husband sticks around their house.
Even though we think Christina would do fine in one of the hotel's superior rooms (their starting room category) with its "floating" beds and dark and sexy decor, we're guessing she probably shacked up in one of the SLS Suites--a 1,500-sq.ft room designed by Philippe Starck with a dining table for six, a separate sitting area with white tufted leather couches, two 42" inch flat screen TVs and a 17" iMac computer.
Regular rooms at SLS start around $300 a night but these suites can fetch as much as $700 a night.
Hotel High Tea / Los Angeles Hotels / SLS Hotels / Jose Andres / Philippe Starck / → All Tags
José Andrés Deconstructs Tea Time at The SLS Hotel
One of the things we were always torn about with the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles is that only guests were allowed inside the lobby area. All other visitors were directed through to a separate entrance--where the award-winning Bazaar Restaurant from José Andrés is located.
While we liked that the SLS offered guests privacy in the lobby area, we were also a bit hurt because the lobby is not just a check-in spot with a couple of couches and tables but a place where guests could dine and drink amongst the interior design of Philippe Starck. It looks and feels unlike most hotel lobbies, more like a swank private club than a hotel lobby.
So we were doubly excited when we found out that SLS not only opened up the lobby to all visitors but that Andrés has curated a special afternoon tea time in this space called, Tres by José Andrés.
Hotel Hype / Los Angeles Hotels / Hotel Construction / → All Tags
Los Angeles to Get a New Hotel in 2011
With all the buzz about the new hotels coming online in New York, London and Miami, we found ourselves feeling a little blue over the hotel scene in Los Angeles which seems pretty tapped out. The W Hollywood was the last hotel to open recently (back in February) and we had resigned ourselves to just keep busy with the transformation of the L'Ermitage Beverly Hills into the Viceroy Beverly Hills, which should happen in early 2011.
But now there's another hotel coming to town in early 2011.
Curbed reported back in March that the old Wilshire Medical Plaza in mid-LA (near LACMA and the Beverly Center) is undergoing construction and will turn into a 74-room boutique hotel from architect Killefer Flammang:
An adaptive re-use, the hotel should be finished around early 2011. Yes, the billboard stays with the building, and a rooftop pool is planned. Additionally, we're told that the building is aiming for silver LEED certification.
