The city of Beverly Hills seems, fittingly, right out of a movie. There are no telephone wires, power lines, cemeteries or billboards. The police headquarters looks like a five-star resort, and there’s a 24-hour cupcake ATM. Stunning people from A-list celebrities to millionaires leisurely stroll the streets there. And then there’s the Beverly Wilshire hotel. It was the main set for Pretty Woman, has Wolfgang Puck’s CUT restaurant inside, and includes a Mediterranean-style pool modeled off of Sophia Loren’s private Italian villa. Managed by the Four Seasons since the ‘90s, the historic property stills dazzles, holding court as one of the city’s most glamorous hotels. I stayed there for a weekend and lavished in the quintessential Beverly Hills experience.
Genuine grandeur is the signature of the Beverly Wilshire. The details, from the 38 gas-lit driveway lanterns imported from a castle in Edinburgh to the French Aubusson tapestries in the common areas, are meticulously kept. The concierges, a team that touts a combined total of 160 years of experience and seven members of the global elite Les Clefs d'Or members, are flawless. Upon check in, I noticed the perfection of the massive floral arrangements, the gracious front desk staff member, and a subtle, regal smell of freshness in the air. So often at luxury hotels you’ll spot a little flaw, such as a dent in the hallway wallpaper or a curt bellhop, but I simply couldn’t find evidence of anything short of exceptional at this property.
The spa is certainly a stand-out feature of the Beverly Wilshire. Overlooking the hotel’s classic pool, the Spa at Beverly Wilshire features a treatment menu designed with the renowned Spanish beauty line, Natura Bisse. Facials, such as the Natura Bisse Diamond Life Infusion Facial (only available in the United States), incorporate minerals and actual diamond dust that polish away fine lines, age spots, and other nuisances from aging. Celebrity friends Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé apparently have given each other facials using Natura Bisse products. I opted for the Diamond Rose Collection body treatment, a lush exfoliation massage that creates the olfactory experience of a rose garden right on your body. The oil used, mixed with fine diamonds, hail from Damask roses, the “queen of flowers” grown in Morocco deserts. It’s hard not to feel royal after such a sensational and rejuvenating treatment.
For a more encompassing sensory experience, the Spa’s Taste of Beauty experience combines taste and touch eloquently into a distinct event. A 90-minute aromatherapy-laden facial is followed by a seven-course private dinner by the hotel’s executive chef Thomas Bellec. Another sensory adventure, one surely for Hollywood romantics, is the Pretty Woman For a Day package. A two-night stay includes the Pretty Woman suite (the remarkably huge Presidential Suite), a Rolls-Royce ride to a picnic with cuisine inspired from the film, and a night out to the LA Opera.
The Beverly Wilshire has a coveted spot along Wilshire, just steps away from Rodeo Drive and dozens of nationally-recognized restaurants, including Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro. I’ve been a Keller fan for years, and this French destination is both chicly casual (by Beverly Hills standards) and epicuriously exceptional. The creamy high-ceilinged restaurant overlooks the Beverly Canon Gardens across from the Montage Hotel, another five-star property certainly worth a stay. Charming hand-painted murals by renowned French artist Paulin Paris fill the walls, and a blue and yellow hued mosaic floor covers the dining area. The menus, from weekend brunch to dinner, are French to the fullest, from succulent foie gras to hearty steak frites. Go for any ravioli special, the stunning French onion soup, or a platter of the day’s fresh shellfish from the semi-circle pewter oyster bar.
Beverly Hills remains a whimsical destination further enhanced by hospitality icons such as the Beverly Wilshire, the hotel’s outstanding spa and a Thomas Keller must-do.
