Beverly Hills isn’t just a place. It’s a feeling. A feeling of luxury. Of wealth. A place where dreams don’t just come true (because that’s Hollywood, baby) but a place where dreams live. It’s Cher Horowitz shopping on Rodeo Drive. It’s manicured lawns and valet parking. It’s also using the stiletto heel of your Louboutin to press buttons on the parking meter (a true story as witnessed by me). Its opulent and expensive and a little over the top – all qualities (and then some) you can find at The Montage Hotel.
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The Montage Beverly Hills
Image credit: The Montage Beverly Hills
Commanding a huge corner block on Canon Drive in the famed golden triangle, the 5-star property is equal parts classic Hollywood and modern L.A. It boasts 201 guest rooms, 55 suites, two restaurants, a spa and one hell of a rooftop pool (where the taut, toned, tanned Angelino’s can sip mimosas and be beautiful). Since opening in November 2008, it’s pushed the upper echelons of best-in-class luxury, having established many accolades and attracted many a celebrity, pro athlete and high-powered CEO in its time. If walls could talk, this place would certainly have something to say.
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The Montage Beverly Hills
Image credit: The Montage Beverly Hills
My arrival was timed for dusk, promptly as the sun slipped behind the Hollywood Hills and streams of golden lights illuminated the grandiose Spanish-Colonial facade. We pulled into the drive and a white-gloved hand helped me out of the car: “Miss Algar, we’ve been expecting you”. I had arrived, as it seemed, in Beverly Heaven.
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The Montage Beverly Hills
Image credit: The Montage Beverly Hills
The lobby was peppered with impeccable staff in the crispest of shirts and guests of both style and substance. A week out from Thanksgiving, a towering display of russet pumpkins and cinnamon-spiced candles filled the centre of the lobby. But only as I ascended to the seventh floor and opened the door to my suite (!!) did the real luxury commence.
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The Montage Beverly Hills
Image credit: The Montage Beverly Hills
The word “suite” feels rude when describing the room. Rich, decadent, the pinnacle of luxury, not a detail was spared: not the tiny chocolate Rodeo Drive sing replica, nor the gargantuan marble bathtub. Complete with private balcony (a feature in all rooms) and more square metres than I’d find in my apartment back home, it was a true pinch-me moment. Post bath and wrapped in a robe of the fluffiest order, I swapped the avenues for a night in, G&T in one hand, the television remote in the other. Because, as the saying goes, even angels need their beauty sleep.
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With eight hours of slumber under my gym tights, I was ready for brunch (as the locals say) at The Rooftop Grill. Armed with the Los Angeles Times, an almond cappuccino and the softest egg white omelette in the state of California, it was bliss. And on the topic of dining, The Montage has plenty of remarkable options (even with hot competitors nearby). Be sure to take a seat at £10 for the finest whisky and order the steak frites at Gilles. There’s also in-room dining for those who tired themselves out doing Runyon, and The Cafe for anyone who prefers lighter, more casual fare.
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The Montage Beverly Hills
Image credit: The Montage Beverly Hills
To wrap up my five-star stay, I descended the stairs to Spa Montage: a sparkling nirvana bathed in dappled light. The largest in L.A., it’s a spa of epic proportions with wellness and bliss centred at the core. Post massage, be sure to immerse yourself in the many mineral pools and work up a sweat in either the sauna or steam room. My advice is to arrive early and leave late – it is L.A., after all.
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In such a well-to-do area, it might be easy to assume such a place is for A-listers and private wealth clients only, but that’s just not true. The remarkably humbling thing abut The Montage, I found, was the people. They are gracious, kind, benevolent, attentive, whether you’re a Kardashian or otherwise. Think of the best service you’ve ever had. Then double it. Not even that really begins to cover the wonder that is The Montage in Beverly Hills. Turns out that 90210 zip code really is the place to be.
Visit montagehotels.com to plan your trip to Los Angeles.