Los Angeles
California


The Experience

If you're looking for Hollywood starlets or a lobby with a nightclub vibe, check into the Chateau Marmont or Sunset Tower. Opened in 1946 and set out over 12 canyon acres, this Old World mission-style property and its iconic pink villas keeps its effortless fame tightly wrapped around a discreet atmosphere. Today, it still has the storied feel of a country estate rather than a hotel. There was a $20 million nip and tuck in 2004, but like all good plastic surgery, for the most part you can't see the scars. Instead, you'll see whimsical garden designs and floral decor that can border on kitsch, but the Bel Air doesn't put on airs -- there's a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.

The Rooms

Rooms are one-of-a-kind and of various sizes, but are not all of the same caliber. With slowly fading fabrics and dated furniture, some need a shot of Botox. And with standards starting at a paltry 360 square feet, focus on the extras: Ask for a wood-burning fireplace, private outdoor patio or outdoor hot tub. Upgrading to a suite gets you almost twice as much space, while specialty suites offer touches like a private entrance through a white picket fence, or a view of a lush, 8,000-square-feet herb garden. And if you come back time and again, things get even better: Longstanding guests can customize their rooms, from colors to features.

The Service

Discreet and unassuming; staff have hosted the likes of Nancy Reagan, Oprah and Lauren Bacall, but even noncelebs are treated as though their own moment of fame has arrived.

The Highlights

The rolling lush grounds are sprinkled with Spanish fountains and flowering bushes -- a beautiful retreat from the city's highways. Don't miss a meal at the Terrace, under the hotel's archways and surrounded by bougainvillea, or inside at the Table One dining room, where groups can watch the chef. In 2005, the hotel opened a wine-tasting terrace above the property's herb garden, but the real action happens around the oval-shaped pool, surrounded by hanging palms and blooming flowers that cascade down to a wealth of inevitable stargazing.

-- Ondine Cohane

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