Traveling to the West Coast? One of my top trips in 2011 was a California vacation, where we enjoyed days of blue skies, endless sunshine and lots and lots of lovely luxury , enough to soothe our East Coast souls for a few weeks at least.
Our first stop was at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, which has the nifty perk of offering up a complimentary Rolls Royce Phantom ride for shopping, dining and cultural destinations within a two-mile radius, which is enough to get you to the most posh shops on Rodeo Drive.
The buzz at the hotel these days is generated from its spa, which has added on a unique treatment that’s pretty much worth getting on a plane and flying to LA for: The Ultra Facial, which uses ultrasonic resurfacing, a calming little machine that does a bit of new wave micro-dermabrasion to smooth out your skin. Next comes the red-and- blue LED light therapy and some micro-current technology that lifts to the face and neck. It all sounds a bit technical but the bottom line was that our face did indeed look more youthful and glowing after the 90-minute treatment. Try just one session if you have a night out on the town or a series of them if you want more long-lasting effects.
We stayed in a One-bedroom Luxury Suite (880 square feet total); all accommodations in this category are set at the corners of the hotel so they have wrap-around terraces. We felt these were fun for looking out at the rooftops of the buildings in Beverly Hills and for the scenery that reached out to L.A. proper and Hollywood. In the evening, after a good soak in our suite’s huge tub, we slunk down to the hotel’s newly re-imagined Culina restaurant, which serves up modern Italian fare, including a take on Italian sushi.
After a day or so, we hopped in our rental car and headed to Orange County to visit Montage Laguna Beach. We left the Four Seasons around 3 p.m., which meant we had a bit of a drive that lasted about two and a half hours, thanks to the more-than-odd stop-and-go L.A. traffic. But it was worth it, especially when we saw that Montage is right on the beach with totally dramatic Pacific Ocean views (think waves crashing on the shore and a curving landscape with rocky inclines, it was so West Coast, we loved it).
Our first dining experience here was al fresco at Studio, run by Chef Craig Strong, who, with a little bit of assistance, also oversees the resort’s vegetable and herb garden. The next night, we visited with Chef Casey Overton at The Loft, who served up an amazing tasting menu that included a visit to his honey and cheese bar. In between, we managed to take in a little SoCal sun, opting for the quiet pool at Spa Montage. This act requires that you partake in a spa treatment and we say it’s worth it for the sublime bliss you’ll enjoy as you gaze out at the ocean in a child-free zone.
We loved our room at Montage; it had a large balcony, the bed was extremely comfortable and the bathroom was huge, with double sinks and a very large tub. Our quota for all things luxury was definitely met at this resort.
Next stop was just a brief ride away, and we’re talking, oh, 12 minutes or so, to The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, which is technically in Dana Point. We stayed in an Oceanfront Guest Room, which had a balcony. One neat feature of the room was a refrigerator, which we stocked with white wine and snacks from a nearby supermarket (worth a visit just to look at the gorgeous California-grown vegetables). For dinner, we tried and fell in love with Raya, the fine dining restaurant set off the hotel’s lobby. We had great California fare here and loved the venue’s floor-to-ceiling windows, which let us gaze out at the Pacific as much as we wanted. The highlight of our stay, however, was at the terrace bar, 180blu, which sits above the ocean and provides excellent views and cocktails. At night, there are fire pits and warming lamps and plenty of blankets to cozy up with in case the ocean winds have a cooling affect.
When to go: The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach runs from through July and August. During this festival, local artists display their original works of art and real people dress up to look identical to the ones in classical pieces of art. The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel has a room package for the event that includes seating for the Pageant of the Masters Stage Performance.
Both Montage and The Ritz-Carlton are very close to the heart of the artist colony of Laguna Beach, which is filled with great restaurants and galleries. Between the resorts, is Monarch Bay Plaza, a great little shopping area where we discovered Stella’s Serious Italian Restaurant & Lounge, a restaurant popular with the locals. Here, Gary King plays the saxophone each evening, strolling through the bar area and the restaurant’s enclosed patio area. Next door or so, you’ll find a casual Mexican restaurant called Olamendi’s, which has its own “fiesta” happy hour with frozen margaritas. A few doors down, Monarch Silks Boutique (949-661-9507), sells unique women’s clothing that’s carefully chosen so you’re not likely to find it elsewhere.
In other SoCal news:
We hear that Universal Studios Hollywood is adding two new attractions: "Transformers: The Ride-3D" in May, 2012. The thrill ride will include a flight simulator for special effects. Then there’s the much-heralded “Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” which has already seen huge success at Universal Studios in Orlando.
Luxury travelers, don’t forget that Universal Studios has a VIP experience that includes behind-the-scenes tours, VIP lounges and the chance to discretely cut to the front of the line on all the rides. There’s information all about it on the park’s website, www.universalstudioshollywood.com.
For more luxury travel news, visit www.luxurytraveladvisor.com
Comments