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Where the A-listers lay low
It's difficult to escape the latest celebrity hotel hijinks these days: who canoodled by a posh pool, who partied at the bar waaaay past bedtime. Granted, most of this attention is entirely self-inflicted. But when high-profile types want some real downtime, where do they escape?
Off-the-radar properties have an innate appeal to A-listers, and the city of Los Angeles is blessed with several of them. For two months during production of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed on and off in the presidential suite at the Pacific Palms Resort in the San Gabriel Valley, and went virtually unnoticed.
In Pictures: Celebrity Hideaways
“We are outside the hustle and bustle of Beverly Hills and Hollywood,” said Michael Swyney, vice president of marketing for the property, a 650-acre newly renovated upscale resort that lies 23 miles from downtown L.A. “The property sits on top of a hill, a quarter mile above street level. It’s hard for the paparazzi to find us.”
The hotel counts Jim Carrey as a fan; he once had a treadmill delivered to his room. “We’re a diamond in the rough,” explains Swyney.
“There are always some stars who need to stay at the most expensive, fanciest places,” said Steve Scheck, general manager, of the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City. “But others just want to be comfortable, relaxed and feel at home.”
The Lodge enjoys a reputation as a pleasant an unpretentious establishment. There's plenty of parking, so valets aren't needed. The restaurant serves pure comfort food, and the staff is filled with old-timers. Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn were visitors, and Clark Gable used to go trout fishing on the hotel’s grounds. Beach Boy Brian Wilson likes to lounge by the Olympic pool (he was once heard there singing a ditty).
Or take the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, where every U.S. president from Lyndon Johnson to George W. Bush has stayed. You get the same top-notch service and accommodations as other hotels in nearby Beverly Hills and Hollywood, but in a much more low-key locale. The hotel's Century City neighborhood is home to talent agency giants Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and ICM, along with Fox Studios and Tom Cruise's United Artists. Chances are you’ll find an A-lister with their agent trading script notes at the hotel's signature restaurant Breeze.
Meanwhile in London, deluxe but understated properties like the Mayfair and the Stafford are drawing high profile guests. The reason? Clever architecture, and presumably plenty of non-disclosure agreements. At the Stafford, where Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly rendezvous, stars can avoid the main lobby and slip in and out through a separate back entrance that leads to a picturesque 17th century courtyard.
The Mayfair has suites with private elevators that lead directly to the street (not just to the lobby). Discrete touches like 24-hour butler service, furnishings from noted designers like Fendi and Cattelan, and custom-designed beds add to the attraction. Elton John and his partner David Furnish recently threw a party in the hotel's penthouse.
At the risk of ruining a good thing, we've compiled a list of celebrity hideaways that you may not know about, from De Niro's favorite upstate New York hideaway to a classic Italian hotel loved by Joaquin Phonix. Check out gems like the Hotel Casa Del Mar and the Dolphin Bay Hotel. Chances are they might not be a secret much longer.
In Pictures: Celebrity Hideaways
