Hotel Bel-Air - Dorchester Collection

We recommend the Bel-Air to travellers seeking Californian intimacy without the West Hollywood scene, couples on honeymoon or anniversary, executives on the move who want to decompress far from the bustle of Beverly Hills. Families find their place thanks to the spacious bungalows and gardens, but the clientele remains predominantly adult, many regulars from the entertainment industry. It is a hotel for those who know Los Angeles and want to avoid the Chateau Marmont.

The hotel occupies a former 1922 ranch converted into a palace in 1946, Californian Mission Revival architecture with pink tile roofs and white stucco arcades. The bungalows were entirely redone in 2011 by Alexandra Champalimaud, contemporary interiors with blond wood, natural linen, Carrara marble bathrooms. Ceiling heights between 3.2 and 4 metres depending on categories, stone fireplaces in the suites. The gardens were redesigned by landscape architect David Thorne, native Californian and Mediterranean species.

Wolfgang Puck has signed the menu of the main restaurant since the 2011 reopening, contemporary Californian cuisine with produce from the Santa Monica farmers' market. Breakfast is taken on the terrace facing the lake, continuous service from 7h to 11h, eggs Benedict and homemade granola. The Bar & Lounge offers signature cocktails and a list of Californian wines until midnight, hushed atmosphere under the wooden vaults. Room service 24h/24, full menu available until 23h.

The Bel-Air stands in the residential canyon of Stone Canyon, between Bel Air and Westwood, fifteen minutes by car from Sunset Boulevard and twenty from Beverly Hills. Getty Center ten minutes to the north, UCLA five minutes to the east, Rodeo Drive twenty minutes to the south. No metro nearby, LAX forty-five minutes depending on traffic, private shuttle recommended. The neighbourhood is ultra-residential, absolute silence after 20h, no shops within walking distance, car essential for any travel.