Stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel in California, USA
Pull up beneath the palms, cross the red carpet and check into one of Los Angeles’ most recognisable hotels. The Beverly Hills Hotel has been part of the city’s mythology for more than a century, with its pink exterior, banana-leaf wallpaper, pool, Polo Lounge and secluded bungalows becoming almost as famous as many of the people who have stayed there. It is the sort of hotel where the building itself is the experience, so this one is less about finding somewhere to sleep and more about spending a night inside a piece of Hollywood history. The hotel opened in 1912, two years before Beverly Hills was incorporated as a city. Its distinctive pink colour arrived in 1948, while the Martinique banana-leaf wallpaper became part of its visual identity following a 1949 renovation. Architect Paul R. Williams designed the Crescent Wing and remodelled several of the hotel’s best-known interiors. Today there are 209 rooms and suites, alongside the outdoor pool, spa and restaurants including the Polo Lounge. Stay for at least one night, but give yourself enough time to use the hotel rather than treating it as an expensive bed between sightseeing days. Have breakfast or lunch at the Polo Lounge, spend some time around the pool, and explore Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive nearby. Room types range from standard rooms through suites and private bungalows, so the cost can vary substantially by date and category. Book well ahead if the hotel itself is one of the main reasons for the trip.