I. HYDE SUNSET: 

Located on an iconic corner of the sunset strip, Hyde Sunset represents a welcome evolution in cuisine and nightlife as West Hollywood’s latest hospitality experience. This hybrid Los Angeles destination features fresh seasonal California cuisine, signature craft cocktails and an elegant yet inviting ambiance curated by acclaimed designer Waldo Fernandez. A favorite among local foodies and nightlife connoisseurs alike, Hyde Sunset is sure to charm any palate with delicious dining and enticing energy.

www.sbe.com

II. NIGHTINGALE PLAZA

Nightingale Plaza is the next step for elite Hollywood nightlife where refined elegance meets tastefully crafted technology. The latest offering from Hospitality giant sbe, this 6,500-square-foot design mixes modern style with an exclusive nightlife experience complete with three distinct environments: a high-energy main room, two interior bar/lounges and an exterior garden oasis.

www.sbe.com

III. AVENUE

Avenue LA is a 4,000 square-foot dimly lit space and strikes the vibe of a grand estate for some of Los Angeles’s most epic parties and events. Enter through a jarring custom made glass and metal greenhouse where vines wrap tastefully across palatial ceilings. Interior design mastermind David Rockwell a
dorned disco balls at staggered heights just heads above the courtyard where plush red booths gather guests for an indoor-outdoor glamorous bottle service experience. A stairway leads to an intimate club space reminiscent of prohibition’s risk and sex appeal where velvet walls and dated ceilings insulate the pulse of world-class DJs. Avenue blinds the senses with its state of the art sound and light systems. Off-white and blush pink laserbeams ricochet delicately at vintage mirrors and bounce off champagne flutes, while artists like Politik and French Montana get the mood going with heavy beats. Guests leave the night with eardrums humming and chests pulsing to the sights and sounds of this sensual LA hideaway

avenuela.com

IV. STATE SOCIAL HOUSE

State Social House has been a neighborhood restaurant serving West Hollywood for over five years. This gastro pub has the best bar food on the sunset strip and hold ups to the West Hollywood standards. There is something for everyone at State Social House, providing live music and comedy five nights a week with no cover charge. The back room is one of the only places in all of West Hollywood where you can drink, smoke, and eat. Stop by on Saturdays for the high energy of 90s cover band, Saved By The Band. Owner and New Yorker Chad Weiner, who was previously the Director of Nightlife for the HardRock Hotel in Las Vegas for 8 years, was attracted to State Social House he says because, “We take the Hollywood out of Hollywood and make it more like home. We have celebrities sitting next to regular people all the time — from Dr Dre and Justin Bieber to Kevin Durant and Kurt Russell…”

statesocialhouse.com

V. THE HIGHTLIGHT ROOM

The Highlight Room, set on the rooftop above The Dream Hotel, is one of Los Angeles’ newest hot spots known for majestic views of the Hollywood sign, the city life down below, and 11,000 square feet of pure relaxation aesthetic. Brought to you by the Tao Group, The Highlight Room features a lounge, pool, and grill situated in a chic atmosphere that encourages lively entertainment day and night. Spend the day renting out a private cabana on the sundeck while enjoying the Hollywood sun and looking over a light menu featuring specialty cocktails, then visit The Highlight Room’s grill open for any meal of the day. Once sundown hits, the daytime retreat turns into a hip rooftop bar and lounge enclosed in glass to provide vast city views. The Highlight Room is the perfect spot to have different Instagram-worthy experiences all within the same place.

thehighlightroom.com

As you glide atop pearly granite floors and enter through a set of glass-paned double doors, The London West Hollywood marches gallantly through its second decade fully redesigned. The London Team celebrated 20 years in 2018 with an $11 million makeover in January.

A new elegance in design, The London has continued to speak the clash between London chic and California chill since its opening in April 2008. With the redesign comes a re-emphasis on all things cool with a transformed rooftop pool deck, the new London Bar, and an updated Boxwood restaurant—all of which we explored like kids set wild in a candy store for our soft and sweet spring cover shoot with the lovely Sofia Carson.

DRY YOUR FEET; HANG YOUR COAT [IN THE L.A. DROUGHT]

A cool breeze passes through the lobby, as we did on that frigid winter morning in L.A. (a cool 70 degrees). The lobby bustles just as Bristol would and guests cannot help but feel reminiscent of returning from a stroll through London fog where gentleman at the door in soft gray suits check your coat and note your dinner reservations.

THE LONDON BAR: YOUR FIRST STOP

Turn the corner and the London Bar boasts a mid-century flow as if guests have returned from an afternoon splurge at Harrods, feet propped up upon a crushed velvet chaise while babysitting a gin and tonic (more affectionately known at the London Bar as the Bond Girl).

The bar is designed to entice the incoming flow of last minute check-ins when afternoon light pours a flood through the grand skylight. In comes an order of fish and cube-shaped chips stacked in lattice form.

THE BOXWOOD DINING ROOM: VERSATILE

Helmed by Chef Anthony Keene, the Boxwood dining room was redesigned with an afternoon like this one in mind.

“California inspires my cooking and creativity,” Keene says. “Los Angeles has become such an important part of the U.S. food scene. A friend of mine goes to the farmers markets for me and picks out the freshest food. It’s great to have that at our fingertips.”

The setting is not so much aromatic as it is posh. Boxwood’s sitting rooms, foyer, and dining rooms can be segmented to create intimate settings for understated rendezvous, celebratory receptions, and private meetings. Both Boxwood and its pair, the London Bar, are as glam as they are cool.

THE ROOFTOP POOL DECKAKA

Architecture + Design lead the Rooftop Pool Deck’s legendary renovation. Its new design intends to enhance the picturesque views of the Hollywood Hills while honoring a feel for an afternoon in an English garden. Focused around a perimeter of iconic palm trees, the deck flows in perfect symmetry. Hotel guests can draw the curtain facing the pool and keep the other side open to the Hollywood hillside of mega estates and palm trees that provide an intimate backdrop. Others can lounge across classic fabrics on plush white seats atop painted wooden decks ideal for poolside sunning and outdoor dining at Boxwood on the Roof. The rooftop restaurant is located on the rooftop’s west side, and offers an al fresco dining experience open to guests and to the public.

The character of the hotel’s original design is honored, but it embraces new. The rooftop deck is now equipped to suit various experiences from newly-touched private cabanas with private seating, televisions, and mini refrigerators to intimate poolside sunning areas, a separate fire pit area, as well as cocktails and light bites.

THE SCREENING ROOM: IT WOULDN’T BE L.A. WITHOUT ONE

Lights up on The Screening Room, a high-tech new theater right off the lobby fit for industry screenings, or maybe just a movie night in style. Seats for 110, the room houses a 20-foot screen with Dolby digital, surround sound and 3D capabilities, plus a private elevator from the garage, and satellite live-streaming. It is the hotel’s best kept secret.

THE ROOM: A PANORAMIC SLEEP

Room décor is soft and muted. Designer David Collins, a friend of Madonna’s, is best known for his work in some of London’s most notable restaurants and bars, including Claridge’s Hotel Bar and the National Dining Rooms at the National Gallery.
All rooms boast either a balcony or terrace, and guests wake up to a sweeping view of Beverly Hills. Sophia took note and hung her head gracefully over the banister for some of her most gogeous shots by Tiziano Lugli overlooking Hollywood, and what was to be her most exciting award season yet. The room’s open-plan suite feels serene contrast to the hustle just floors below on Sunset Boulevard. Bathrooms are grand and enormous. Sparkling marble and mosaics line wading tubs and newly done showers with multiple shower heads for good company.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD’S $25K SUITE

The London teamed up with the renowned Vivienne Westwood, British fashion designer-businesswoman-punk and new wave fashionista, to design a luxurious bi-level penthouse that will literally take your breath away. The hotel group invested over $25 million in the top level suite’s renovation, and starting next month it will accept reservations for it, at $25,000 per night.

Guests are beckoned to stay in the largest hotel suite in Los Angeles, spreading over 11,000 square feet. A private access opens this penthouse from the tenth floor through a private corridor which latches opens to a large foyer, and then to a Grand Salon sitting room tastefully decorated with exclusive art and décor and customized furnishings. Inside can be found chic cushions and upholstery designed by Westwood, bespoke cabinetry and furniture, handmade tapestry, built-in bookcases, elegant mirror panels, and a big rug with the renowned squiggle pattern.

The penthouse also includes a full-sized kitchen, media room, a dining room, and a massive, 5,000 square foot, private outdoor terrace from where you can enjoy some of the most beautiful views of Century City.

SHOWERED CLEAN

Since its opening in 2008, the London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills has curated an atmosphere of British style intricately melded into a Los Angeles lifestyle. The 226 all-suite hotel underwent a property-wide renovation of its guest suites, meeting spaces, and additions to the London Bar. Its most recent refit is its 100-seat screening room, a state of the art fitness center, and 26 new suites including the 11,000 square foot two story penthouse inspired by Vivienne Westwood.

SERVICE: THE LONDON’S M.O.

Beyond the magnificence of this mega-suite, what sets the London aside from other Beverly Hills properties is its keen attention to detail. Service details are of special importance here: the chilled lavender washcloths by the pool, the remarkably resourceful concierge staff, the “welcome back” from the fedora-topped doorman every time a guest walks through the front door.At checkout, London guests are sent off even more young, vibrant, and hip from one of U.S. News’ most “raved about” hotels. In commemoration, the British flag waves gallantly beside the 50 stars and stripes, and the Hollywood sign signals a cheek in the corner of your eye.

For more information, visit thelondonwesthollywood.com.

Written by: Ellie June

Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

Sofitel calls its vision “l’art de vivre,” or the French art of living. Its message is to ensure that guests feel like they are staying the night in the comfort of a grand palace. Glamour ensues upon entrance as guests leave the sites and sounds of Sunset Boulevard to the City of Angels for an impromptu European escape. Positioned on the corner of La Cienega and Beverly Boulevard, opposite the Beverly Center, Sofitel Los Angeles is a home away from Paris mid-reverie of old Hollywood. With a keen eye for understated luxury, Sofitel urges its guests to travel, sleep, and eat in true French fashion.

Manger dans la Style

Estérel restaurant satisfies the appetite with a traditionally French farm-to-table style complimenting plates with fragrant, fresh herbs and Middle Eastern spices. Chef Peter Manfredini curates the menu with a Mediterranean palate in mind, stirring up dishes like fluffy zucchini beignets paired with a garlic aioli before its savory traditional main course, the cioppino—an assortment of seafood humming with tomato and onion basted in braised fennel and saffron.

Guests can seamlessly transition to drinks at Riviera 31. The seating room offers an intimate tableside cocktail preparation for a unique bottle service experience. Mixologist expert Frederic Zemmour dreams up his cocktails inside the sensual baroque-style lounge amidst ruby red and sapphire blue crushed velvet sofas under a grand Rococo ceiling. The menu’s most popular drink, La Rosa Picante, pairs its finest tequila with jalapeno, ginger, lime, and an unexpected splash of rose water for a deep, passionate flavor (much like the lounge’s dark and sexy color palette under quelled, romantic light). The tapas menu transitions by season and focuses on fresh flavors for guilt-free late night bites. Favorites include gourmet sandwiches and flatbreads to pair with a crisp aperitif.

Stepping through time [and even space], Le Jardin transports the romanticism of the South of France to Hollywood. Los Angeles nightlife brand, Sunset Entertainment Group, opens Estérel’s terrace to the secret garden come to life. A summer in Provence, channeling views of snowed mountain caps behind the lush of olive groves—this outdoor lounge is a soft and natural escape while subtly true to Los Angeles glamor. Le Jardin is a toast guests who wish to experience the pace of L.A.’s nightlife subdued under twinkle lights and jasmine vines.

Dormir Comme le Français

Inside this grand chateau, the choice comes down to a lotting 295 rooms on 10 floors including 26 suites and two Imperial Suites all featuring posh, glass-enclosed rainfall shower and French-milled bath amenities. Guests claim Sofitel’s plush feather top and duvet sleep system, affectionately named the SoBed, may just be the secret to creating an unrivaled sleep worldwide.

A Skinny on an Afternoon Dip

Think of Le Jardin but with a pool a.k.a. a dream among dreams. A smaller outdoor atmosphere, the pool at Sofitel Los Angeles is a nod to everything L.A., ideal for those in need of a private afternoon dip without the pressure to see and be seen. Rather, to see the inside of eyelids and be seen by a private cocktail server who’s refilled your rosé running low. Summer pool parties at Sofitel are private and exclusive apart from other Beverly Hills summer gatherings, which often notoriously end up on headlines the following morning. The privacy is unparalleled and rather underrated.

Mindfully Fit

What is not so underrated is Sofitel’s emphasis on a healthy lifestyle. Its fitness center is equipped with commercial standard cardio machines and weights of every range not for the faint of heart. The lobby is stocked with chilled Evian, organic ripened fruits to nourish, and Himalayan salt blocks set beside a three-foot tall Buddha statue curling mini dumbbells in hand. Sofitel’s gym staff calls the Buddha the gym’s resident cheerleader for gym-goers who dare to stay true to their workouts even on holiday.

So Spa, The Ultimate Spa

This is a French-infused spa with a touch of East Asia. Sofitel guests are globetrotters and the SoSpa welcomes them to experience services focused on energy rejuvenation. Deep red backlight illuminates dark, wooden walls and bamboo trimmings. Jasmines and lilies float atop water in the entryway pond. Services are range from mini-facials for those on a time crunch to full body massages tailored to slap the jetlag right out. The therapists at SoSpa are skilled in holistic principles and aim to serve guests with modern techniques while still keen on ancient practices.

Instagram-Worthy Art

By far, some of the most notable features of the Sofitel Los Angeles are found in its entryway. The grandeur of the sculptor called “Knot No. 11” by artist Damon Hyldreth, is a piece specifically commissioned by the hotel to represent the Gordion Knot, a symbol of swift and decisive decision making. The “Butterfly Coin Chair,” made of 1,480 American half dollars, is more fondly known as the most instagrammed place on the property.

Sofitel is Global

AccorHotels group is the only French luxury hotel brand with a presence on five continents. With 120 addresses in nearly 40 countries, Sofitel prides itself on another art—adapting to the city. Sofitel Marrakech exudes Andalusian magic with vibrant colors and stylish décor to keep with the hotel’s “art lounge” theme, while Sofitel Bali has kept tradition amidst a Balinese countryside with compliments of the hotel group’s French aroma lingering through hallways paned by natural light. Though properties can be found all over the globe, Sofitel’s most destined to retreats are London, Singapore, New York City, Marrakech, and the endeared Los Angeles at Beverly Hills.

Chic like the French; edgy like L.A. Sofitel, “L’Art de Vivre.”