Royalty, Reagens (Nancy lunched there most Fridays), rock stars and celebrities bedded down, lunched and partied in style at one of the most exclusive hotels in Los Angeles, (and perhaps So Cal), up to two years ago at least when the Hotel Bel-Air shut its gilded doors for a fitting face lift.
The town has been waiting anxiously for the iconic property-- that sits hidden from the world, but just a couple of miles up a winding road from Beverly Hills--to reopen. Now, it's about to happen! But not without much hoopla and bellicose picketing by former staffers that were laid off.
A member of the equally prestigious Dorchester Collection's the hotel goes back in business on October 14, 2011. A mere shadow of itss former self, after extensive refurbishmenst and redesigns, most are wondering whether the charm of the old-world-style property will be lost in translation. Your LA Travel Diva's on it and will report back.
Transformed by world famous designer Alexandra Champalimaud and Rockwell Group with an eye to keeping much of its originality in tact, along with the ducks in the picturesque lake, the hotel still sports splashes of Bel-Air Pink on its Spanish Colonial facade.
It now has 103 guestrooms (which are priced at a special $595 during the opening). There's also lavish suites, offered, a "Loft" and hillside accommodations, many with sweeping canyon views, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, grand pianos, and spacious decks.
A much-welcome fitness studio and 4,134-square-foot Spa by La Prairie were added to the mix, while the renowned oval swimming pool, a beloved amenity of the hotel for more than 6 decades, remains in tact.
Much to the chagrine of some, including this writer, the sophisticated dinining room/terracerestaurants are gone replaced by dining venues and new additions that expand the dining opportunities, like a signature restaurant, Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air, offering Puck's eponymous California cuisine with European and Mediterranean influences.
According to an insider, who prefers to remain anonymous, the rooms are done in monochromatic beige with hints of colors and have no resemblence to the classic style that permeated the property. Another source said it's kind of Hollywood modern.
Regulars at the Hotel Bel-Air bar will be glad to know it remains in tact retaining that comfy lounge ambiance. Many people lost their jobs during the renovation and will be picketing the hotel this week, other staffers were let go more recently, but the signature swans remain, thankfully unscathed to float around the luscious lake that greets people as they arrive on property.
For more information and reservations, if the $595 room rate special doesn't shock you, go to: http://www.hotelbelair.com.
If you want to drive over for the look, head west or east on Sunset Blvd., depending on where you're driving from, and turn north on Stone Canyon Drive until you reach 701 on the left side of the street.
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