90077 Travel Guide
Tags: Hotel Closings / Hotel Renovations / Los Angeles Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Dorchester Collection / → All Tags
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.
Tags: Hotel Weddings / Beverly Hills Hotels / Hotel Renovations / Hotel News / → All Tags
The Hotel Bel-Air 'Truly Regrets' Disappointing Brides-to-Be With Upcoming Renovations
Yesterday we told you about how the Hotel Bel-Air impending renovations have left brides-to-be scrambling for a new place to get married until the renovations are completed, sometime in 2011. Brides who already signed contracts at the Hotel Bel-Air for their wedding days are now being moved to The Beverly Hills Hotel, a sister hotel just a few miles away that's equally posh but has quite a different feeling.
We compared it to stepping inside the pages of Us Weekly magazine where you see celebs left and right. It's the perfect hotel for a visit to Los Angeles (seriously, we see celebs everytime we pop in there) but it doesn't have the seclusion and intimacy of the Hotel Bel-Air.
It seems the hotel knows that and they sent us a statement, reiterating just how hard they are working to accommodate all the ladies in white who dreamed about getting married at the hotel. The hotel's full statement is listed below:
Tags: Hotel Weddings / Hotel Tips / Hotel Renovations / Beverly Hills Hotels / Hotel Hell / → All Tags
Hotel Bel-Air's Upcoming Renovations Mess With Bride's Dream Wedding Day
The Save the Dates and the wedding invitations were mailed out. The flights for family members from out of state and out of country were booked. The deposits for the florists and the band were paid. The Vera Wang wedding dress was altered and waiting patiently in the closet. A bride to-be was now simply counting down the days (less than 90) to her very special wedding day at the Hotel Bel-Air, one of the poshest wedding sites in Los Angeles.
That is, until she received a call from her gym trainer. He told her that another one of his clients--a bride also set to get married at the Hotel Bel-Air--was in hysterics because the hotel had announced it would be closing on September 30 for 18-months for a major renovations project.
Our bride friend was in disbelief. The hotel had just taken a new deposit from her less than three weeks before and now they were closing? Without even telling her?
Apparently, yes.
Tags: Hotel Renovations / Hotel Closings / Los Angeles Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Dorchester Collection / → All Tags
Hotel Bel-Air To Close Next Month for Much-Needed Renovations
We've always been a little perplexed as to how the Hotel Bel-Air was consistently ranked amongst the best hotels in Los Angeles, winning Best Decor from the Zagat Guide and the #1 Reader's Choice from Travel + Leisure. There's no question that the grounds are beautiful and the service top-rate--it is a Dorchester Collection hotel after all. But a hotel can only coast on that for so long.
In this day and age when in-room amenity trends are changing at lightning speed (flat screen TVs are standard; hotels now use Keurigs instead of Mr. Coffee makers), a luxury hotel cannot afford to be bested by a cheap boutique hotel that stays up to date while they've still got armoires and chunky box TVs in rooms.
And despite the attentive staff and serene canyon views, the inside of the Hotel Bel-Air was starting to show its age. In fact, over a year ago we hinted that the hotel was in need of a makeover. But guess what? The hotel will finally get it.
Tags: Pet-Friendly Hotels / Hotel Pets / Luxury Hotels / Dorchester Collection / → All Tags
Hotel Bel-Air Gives New Meaning to Treating Customers Like Dogs
Hotel Bel-Air is introducing the Precious Paws Program, a five-star amenity program designed to cater to man's best friend. The Dorchester Collection hotel gives pups the royal treatment the moment a pet steps it's paw on-property. Pet perks include: a "chic neckerchief" given upon arrival to fancy up the collar, a private photo shoot to make your pet feel like a cover girl or boy, and a frame for your furry playmate centerfold as a check-out souvenir.
Rooms are doggy-ready too. They feature dog beds and read-to-go dog bowls. Doggy turn-down service includes peanut butter treats personally made by the in-house pastry chef. (The recipe is available at check-out.) And if by chance your room attendant is afraid of dogs, or your dog is afraid of room attendants, the rooms are equipped with personalized door tags that alert staff when your dog is in the room.
Tags: Celebrity Scoop / Los Angeles Hotels / Pete Wentz / Ashlee Simpson / → All Tags
Pete and Ashlee Choose Hotel Bel-Air for Baby Wentz's Shower
We've given the Hotel Bel-Air a hard time in the past. Travel + Leisure named it the number one hotel in L.A. this summer, and we spent a little bit of time wondering if the property was worthy of such a title.
But nevermind what kind of recognition we think the hotel deserves: a very preggers Ashlee Simpson deemed it worthy of hosting her baby shower.
On Saturday, Ashlee's mom and famous sister threw her a co-ed baby shower in the hotel's Palm Room (above) with 40 guests and some crabcakes. Star Mag had the scoop:
"The room was decorated with yellow and orange roses, and guests were given jars of honey with custom-made labels that said 'Baby Wentz' and 'Thank You For Celebrating My Life' on them," says a party guest. "The girls were also given bracelets that had a big bumble bee on them.
Frankly, we were a little bit surprised that the fam selected the classic Bel-Air for the soiree rather than one of L.A.'s trendier, more modern hotspots -- especially given the faux-hipster-ish look of the young couple. Perhaps this means the choice to go with the classic, older-glam hotel is an indication that Ashlee and Pete are growing up a little bit ... or maybe they just didn't want the usual paparazzi to be all over them.
Tags: Los Angeles Hotels / Hotel Restaurants / Hotel Chefs / Hotel News / → All Tags
A Taste of France in Los Angeles
If you're craving French food and France is just a little too far right now, hop over to the Hotel Bel-Air on November 10, 11, or 12. Chef Yannick Alleno from Le Meurice in Paris will be serving up truly unique and unforgettable dinners. This chef exchange is courtesy of the Dorchester Collection, a collection of five-star hotels that Bel-Air just recently joined in July.
Tags: Los Angeles Hotels / Travel and Leisure / Hotel Rankings / Paula Abdul Hotels / → All Tags
Why Do Travel+Leisure Readers Love the Hotel Bel-Air So Much?
So, listen, Travel + Leisure readers: we have a bone to pick with you. You seem to think quite highly of the Hotel Bel-Air, and frankly, we're not quite getting it.
See, not only did you rank the hotel #1 in Los Angeles in the World's Best Awards, but you also seem to think it is among one of the top three hotels in the United States. Really, though?
Look, we get that the grounds are gorgeous and all, but we don't sleep outside. The hotel's interior is where we spend the most time. We sleep in the rooms and eat in the dining room, you know?
All we're saying is that last time we were there, things looked a wee bit, well, to put it delicately: in need of an update.
Tags: Hotel Restaurants / Los Angeles Hotels / Hotel Renovations / → All Tags
Hotel Bel-Air Might Need a Makeover
The other weekend we popped into the Hotel Bel-Air, a legendary hotel not only known for hosting celebrity clients (cough, Britney Spears, cough) but for having exquisite grounds only accessible to hotel guests, making a stay here one of utmost privacy.
The overall feel of the hotel reminds us of The Beverly Hills Hotel but while the Pink Palace is more public and showy and prone to paparazzi hounds, the Bel-Air almost feels sleepy. Or at least it did on the Saturday morning that we stopped in for breakfast. Still, it was a good kind of sleepy and we could hardly believe we were still in Los Angeles. So already the place wins our pick as great urban hideaway but now about that restaurant decor....
Tags: Miscellaneous / → All Tags
The Other Smart Hotel
We've heard lots of talk about the latest in smart hotel room technology this week, but the Hotel Bel-Air is putting a different spin on smart hotels in the form of smart hotel employee offspring.
As tuitions continue to climb, it is increasingly difficult for many Hotel Bel-Air employees' children to afford a college education. Programs such as this one make continued education a more realistic goal, while reinforcing the "family culture" that is so valued among Hotel Bel-Air employees.
Hilton Hotels also offers scholarships to both employees and/or their kids, looking to further their careers and education in hospitality. Five $1,000 scholarships are awarded through DECA a student run marketing association.
For those students who aren't the offspring of Hotel Bel-Air employees and are interested in a career in hospitality, check out The American Hotel and Lodging Foundation. They offer graduating seniors grants, scholarships, and great programs.
Related Stories:
· Hotel Bel-Air Awards College Scholarships at First Annual Education Fund Reception [Business Wire]
· Hotel Bel Air Los Angeles Reviews [TripAdvisor]
Tags: Hotel News / → All Tags
Hotel Bel Air bell captain captures service gold medal
Who is the bellhop with the most chops?
Tony Marquez of Hotel Bel-Air, according to the Mobile Travel Guide, which gave Tony its only individual five star rating.
This makes Tony the most decorated hotel worker in the nation. Congrats to him, and to his employer, Hotel Bel-Air, which also received 5 stars, in the property category.
How can other aspiring `hops achieve Tony status? Guess you need to learn how to pack really, really well. Either that or learn how to sniff out guide inspectors and turn on the brown nosing jets.
"An inspector (from Mobile Travel Guide) was leaving the property with a lot of stuff from a shopping trip. Tony said, 'I'd be happy to ship it to you so you don't have to carry it on the airplane.' He took all the shopping bags and packed everything up," O'Flaherty said.
It was not only beautifully presented when it arrived, but it came with a personal note from him thanking her for staying at the hotel, O'Flaherty said.
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