Hotel Bel Air and Beverly Hills Hotel – Sanity Staycation!

Hungering for human connection and needing fresh outlooks from home gardens, may I suggest the private suites and bungalows at Hotel Bel Air and Beverly Hills Hotel? Let me share a hospitality secret: The Dorchester Collection properties are one of the few firms who have retained and paid their entire staff, your first escape should not be to a downsized property which is now trying to open up, it results in too many people wearing too many hats… i.e. is the bellman also subbing as a housekeeper? Social Distancing was invented here long before the pandemic Bungalows and Suites ooze privacy and seclusion.

Beverly Hills Hotel Pool

Guaranteed five-star ambience and in a sheltered environment, a stay is enhanced with our Diamond Club Membership amenities. Guaranteed one category upgrade at time of booking for rooms, one category upgraded at time of arrival for junior suites (subject to availability). $100 hotel credit per stay for suites. Daily Full breakfast for two.

Hotel Bel Air Pool

Just weeks before the pandemic closures, I had business and client meetings in Beverly Hills and during that all too brief superb sojourn, I plotted a Hotel Lifestyle for myself. One of my dearest local clients strolled across the bridge over Swan Lake at the Hotel Bel Air, she exclaimed: I’ve crossed into the portal of happiness and enchantment, relaxation and calm! We chatted this morning and agreed the cozy private booths at Wolfgang Puck could easily be safe for a long evening of scrumptious food and rose bubbly. Or, assuming I stay in my sumptuous pool suite, we could carefully catch up across the loungers under the swaying palms.

Presidential Suite Hotel bel Air Private pool
Bungalow Bath Beverly Hills Hotel

Staycation – Just a short distance from breathtaking mountain ranges and sun-drenched beaches, it’s the ideal destination when you need a change of scenery and to take a break from it all. Whether you prefer the glamour and glitz of The Beverly Hills Hotel or the exclusivity of Hotel Bel-Air, both properties feature luxurious accommodations steeped in comfort and privacy. Acres of gardens, many suites with private pools, seclusion in plush surroundings.

Secluded dining at The Beverly Hills Hotel

Dorchester Collection Let us look after your safety – a long list of safety procedures for your stay. https://www.dorchestercollection.com/en/looking-after-your-safety/

An hour south by air to the tiny, ease in, ease out, Burbank Airport and you always guaranteed sunshine. One of the most luxurious, if not the most iconic 5-star luxury hotels in Los Angeles – the home of royalty past and present is royally perched on Sunset Boulevard. The Beverly Hills Hotel has years of narrative legends are stored in the vaults, most will tell you a side street is the main entrance – no bungalow visitor of importance ever strolls the iconic red-carpet hotel entrance. Power lunches or al fresco poolside dining on a pink lounger, 80-year-old palm trees swaying gracefully in the background. Suites with patios, enjoy a mini sunbath outdoors. The rooms are flooded with sunshine and plush furnishings. Bathrooms are old school, i.e. huge stylish spaces with enough room to practice your Oscar speech in front of the wall of mirrors. Comfort comes in the form of huge fluffy towels, a beautifully deep soaking tub and separate shower. Your suite is surrounded by twelve acres of tropical gardens and exotic flowers. The famed bungalows, if these walls could talk! Originally added to the gardens for families who wanted to bring their own staff, the bungalows now celebrate a legendary heritage. Sounds like a familiar situation, pack the kiddos, reject the daily routines and give everyone a reason to celebrate being alive and well.

Dessert Beverly Hills Hotel

The West Coast sisters in the Dorchester Collection of lovely hotels reside in a small pocket of Beverly Hills – like sisters, they each exude unique personalities. I happened to visit both in February. Equally enjoy them for innumerable reasons.


Hotel Bel-Air, despite the close proximity to downtown Beverly Hills shopping and culture, is surrounded by twelve acres of lush gardens and tucked into a pocket-sized canyon. Amid towering palm and silver leafed eucalyptus trees, the Spanish Colonial design is subtle and elegant. Suites with garden patios, private plunge pools are enchanting. Move up to the hillside rooms and relish the sweeping views of the canyon from your secluded plunge pool and deck. Amid towering palm and silver leafed eucalyptus trees, the Spanish Colonial design is subtle and elegant. A hidden sanctuary amongst the wooded hills, untouched by the clamor of life beyond the gates of Bel-Air. The most quintessentially private and exclusive hotel, delivering low-key elegance since 1946. Suites with garden patios, private plunge pools are enchanting. Move up to the canyon rooms and relish the sweeping views of the canyon from your secluded plunge pool and deck. On my last visit, yes, I escape here as often as possible, a bit of spring mist kept the fireplace in my suite crackling most of the day, a cozy enclave where I cocooned and worked in between meals with my clients.

The Dorchester team is passionate about creating the exceptional moments that turn into lasting memories. To add a special touch to your stay, staff can prepare a bespoke picnic basket, bring the spa to you with an indulgent bath or even give you the ingredients to mix up your own cocktails. This is your chance to escape from it all, without ever leaving the hotel. All experiences can be booked prior to arrival or arranged anytime during your stay.

A brief menu of personal individually priced options: Let us bring the bar to you with everything you need to shake up your own cocktails. It’s a chance to channel your inner mixologist and create our signature Pepino’s Revenge. Served alongside fresh house-made tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole. Picnic on your Patio – Experience the delight of dining al fresco with a delicious picnic from Wolfgang Puck on your private guestroom patio. Our menu includes your choiceof a bottle of white wine or champagne, artisanal cheese and charcuterie, a Mediterranean mezze platter, Santa Monica farmers’ market crudités, plus a selection of sandwiches and sweet treats.
Yoga in your room – For a welcome dose of workout motivation,we’ll bring yoga to your room at any time that suits. Fresh juice and healthy snacks are the perfect post-yoga treat.
All employees and guests are required to wear face masks or face coverings and maintain a minimum of 6-feet distance when interacting with anyone while on property. If you need a face mask, the hotel will provide them upon request.

To comply with social distancing guidelines, the following are open with limited occupancy: Polo Lounge, The Cabana Cafe, The Beverly Hills Hotel pool, Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air, the Hotel Bel-Air spa and the Hotel Bel-Air pool.

Private pool at Beverly Hills Hotel Bungalow

This is an especially stressful time, why not indulge in pampering and escape from the frenzy? Hotel Bel-Air and The Beverly Hills Hotel, two scrumptious properties, Five Star Luxury! Consider a dash away to the extraordinary, far from typical, Dorchester Sister hotels. A quick bay area/Burbank or LAX flight, the perfect mini escape, disappear and catch your breath for a few days, order in, hole up in a bungalow or suite or pony up for the grand Presidential Suite with pool, avoid the hysteria in superb comfort!

Wolfgang Puck restaurant at Hotel Bel-Air | Dorchester Collection
Wolfgang Puck, Hotel Bel air
Wolfgang Puck restaurant at Hotel Bel-Air | Dorchester Collection
Social Distancing has always been in place at Hotel Bel Air!

I am actually considering a partial hotel lifestyle, once we enter into ‘normal’ life again. A la Heloise, Elaine Stritch and Howard Hughes, who had a fondness for Bungalow 3 at The Beverly Hills Hotel, a 30-year fondness, in fact!

Call us for all the generous amenities bestowed! Admit it, you need and deserve a papering safe escape!

Sunday Brunch for two at Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air
Swan Lake Hotel Bel Air

Marvelous Montage Beverly Hills

Comfort, physical and mental, while travelling is paramount and I frequently stay in the same fabulous five star properties when I travel. So easy for me to invite my LA based clients to a sumptuous property.

LA traffic terrifies me, thus planting myself in one place, albeit a gorgeous resort hotel, has proven to be a refined and traffic free method for conducting meetings.

Mixing it up on my last visit, more off site events, made me rethink LA logistics. Walk to my events and avoid the notorious traffic? The Five star Montage Beverly Hills was the perfect choice. Faultless selection for many reasons, I was to learn. Blistering heat wave outside, I was ensconced and comfy, in a perfectly cool room with a marvelous view of the hills in the distance. I’ve stayed here before and love the location in the midst of the Beverly Hills Golden Triangle: luxury retailers and extraordinary restaurants. The arrival courtyard is tucked off North Canon Drive, easy access from LAX, yet it feels hidden and secluded.Beverly Canon Gardens - Montage Beverly HillsInspired by the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and Mediterranean styling predominant in Beverly Hills, Montage captures the sophisticated residential ambiance of Southern California’s glamor estates of the 1920′s and 1930′s. Restful interiors, impeccable service, lavish baths, many dining options including my favorite roof top pool and cabanas. A bit too hot for the pool area this trip, but I rediscovered one of the best hamam’s this side of Istanbul. Spa Montage is 20,000 square feet of pampering. Transform your well-being with a delicious spa afternoon or merely slip downstairs, order spa lunch, dip in the mineralized wellness pool centered in a lavish, light infused, relaxation atrium, followed by sessions in the eucalyptus steam rooms, dry redwood saunas and indoor whirlpools. Voila, despite the outdoor heat, I was rejuvenated, refreshed and ready for an evening at nearby Bouchon. A short walk across a grassy courtyard, an evening people magnet. Al fresco dining is a way of life in Los Angeles and no better place to nibble if you missed the pool top café due to heat.

Karyn Millet - Corner SuiteThe spacious rooms are more than comfortable, so many hotels forget that one might actually want to read in bed with light. Not a problem here, and the lighting system doesn’t require an engineering degree! Large closets, luxurious bathrooms, complimentary wi-fi, afternoon tea accompanied by piano tunes, spa, barber shop and full-service hair salon on premises, really, why would you leave the  grounds?

Hidden bar, £10  a must stop, tucked discreetly above Scarpetta, £10 welcomes true connoisseurs to an intimate lounge specializing in the world’s most precious whisky. The Macallan Single Malt, enjoy the rare and globally celebrated distiller based in Speyside, Scotland. Sample and savor The Macallan’s rarest and most prized tipples – some aged as long as 64 years.

At £10, guests can also enjoy the finest spirits, complemented by handcrafted cocktails composed of the freshest ingredients and served in Lalique crystal glassware. With flawless expertise and graciousness, £10 bartenders present The Macallan authentically, hand pouring the whisky over an ice sphere of water imported from the Scottish Highlandsmay.  And you can order a specially-paired tasting menu to go with it.

Classy departure: chilled bottled water to brave the heat and the doorman waves adieu.