USA Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
USA Hotel Bel-Air,
Los Angeles
This classic 66- year- old Hollywood hideaway recently
underwent a two- year, $100- million renovation. Although the pink- stucco,
Spanish- mission- style architecture, resident swans and 12 acres of gardens
remain much the same, just about everything else has had a top- to- bottom
overhaul. The 103 rooms and suites are all different, but governed by 10 California
inspired design schemes; the newest Canyon View rooms are in earth colours with
sleek wooden furniture and floor- to- celling glass doors that open on to
private patios with jetted tubs. The huge spa bathrooms have limestone floors.
All rooms are equipped with the latest hi- tech trappings, including touch-
screen telephone room controls and an iPad directory through which you can
access the internet and order room service. Two notable additions to the
property are the Spa by La Prairie, with its caviar facials, and the Wolfgang
Puck restaurant and bar with its beautifully lit outdoor space. For a more
casual evening, the bar menu includes excellent char- grilled beef burgers and
fanciful cocktails. Fans of the Grande dame’s previous incarnation need not
fear: the clay – tiled roofs, tranquil fountains and lush botanicals still make
for a quiet, intimate charm, and the discreet service is pitch- perfect. It is
where celebrities (Ben Affleck and Ashley Judd were spotted on a recent visit)
go to feel at home.
USA Hotel Bel-Air,
Los Angeles
When to go
Autumn and spring are the most pleasants
Room to book
269 a Canyon View Suite with the larguest private patio.
00 1 310 472 1211; www.hotelbelair.com. Doubles from $565
MR Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
MR Beverly Hills,
Los Angeles
This is the first property from a new hotel brand launched
by Maggio and Ignazio Cipriani, the twenty something scions of the famed
Cipriani clan behind Harry’s Bar in Venice and eponymous restaurants worldwide.
It occupies the former Tower Beverly Hills, a few minutes’ drive from the
‘Golden Triangle’ of designer shoes and destination restaurants. All 138 rooms
and suites have private balconies; north- facing rooms have views of Beverly
Hill and Hollywood; south- facing rooms overlook a step mall on noisy Pco
Boulevard. Filled with Murano glass chandeliers and furniture by Tedeschi, the
hotel cultivates an elegant, old- Hollywood sensibility with black- and- white
photos, lots of white leather and hardwood floors. The lobby encourages socilising
with plush sofas and a glass billiard table, while the private pool encourages
people- watching (this is LA, after all). The opulent restaurant serves
classics including carpaccio and baked tagliolini. Thoughtful details a (seat
at the bar and a Bellini on check- in, ipads and Wi- Fi; all complimentary)
make a stay here feel more personal than most.
MR Beverly Hills,
Los Angeles
When to go see hotel Bel- Air
Room to book
Apremium room overlooking Beverly Hills. 00 1 310 277 2800;
www.mrchotels.com. Doubles from$389
Hotel Americano, New York
The Hotel Americano entered the New York hotel scene last
September and has already made an impression far beyond what its diminutive,
56- bedroom capacity would suggest. The first US property from Mexican luxury-
hotel company Group Habta is peppy and fun but it takes service very seriously.
During Fashion Week the place was jumping, in a grown- up sort of way, with
every bedroom and table in the restaurant booked solid. And still the staff
smiled and charmed and did that ‘nothing is too much trouble’ thing without
blinking a well- made- up eyelid. The location, on West 27th Street,
is slap- bang in Chelsea art- gallery heaven, the High Line park runs right
past the hotel and it welcomes the district’s Tom Ford- clad creative to its takeaway
café and ground- floor restaurant (with outdoor terrace), basement lounge and
rooftop pool. During working hours Hotel Americano is a great space for
meetings fuelled by Intelligentsia coffee and smoothies, but after- hours, when
the punched- metal façade lights up and the cocktail waitresses wear little
black dresses, it is also very sexy. The food is great (New York strip steaks;
lobster; organic chicken) and there is a selection of themed (French, American etc.)
bento boxes for room service; bedrooms are based on Japanese ryokan inns with
platform beds, beanbags and iPads preloaded with music; the bathrooms are
slightly to – small glass pods stocked with Aesop products and worryingly short
denim bathrobes. There is a fleet of beautiful retro bicycles for guests’ use.
Hotel Americano,
New York
When to go
Early summer to make the most of the pool, the bikes and the
High Line.
Room to book
The choice is between uptown or downtown views; studios are
bigger and have hanging fireplaces. 00 1 212 216 0000; www.hotel-americano.com. Double from
$458
