LA is the North American capital of luxury, with world-class shopping, dining, entertainment, and accommodation to very comfortably meet the needs of its premium pleasure-seeking clientele. There’s a reason why the A-list movie stars live out here, besides the work opportunities, and that’s A-list recreation. If you only indulge for a short time in La-La Land, base yourself in Beverly Hills – home to more five-star hotels per square mile than any other West Coast city. Here’s how to do it the Upscale Living way.
Stay at Beverly Wilshire
The Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, is a city legend – Tinseltown’s icon. It opened in 1928 and over the last century has seen the who’s who of Hollywood come and savor its glamorous suites, restaurants such as CUT by Wolfgang Puck and THEBlvd Privé, and an award-winning spa. You may recognize it from the 1990 blockbuster Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts, and for those that do and want to experience romance magic – a lavish ‘Pretty Woman for a Day VIP package is also available.
Easily one of our favorite stays of all time, we fell head over heels for the outdoor Mediterranean-style pool, modelled after Sophia Loren’s 16th-century Roman villa offering. Our suite, with a double-width furnished balcony, had sweeping views over the city and hills, and soaking in Eau De Magnolia products in the marble bathroom was heaven. Its all Four Seasons signature service, glam and luxe at its best – so you really can’t go wrong with any of the property’s perfect 395 rooms and suites.
Shop on Rodeo Drive
While you’re on one of the world’s most famous intersections – Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard – it would be a waste not to burn some plastic. Rodeo Drive has all the luxury brands you need on your trip to the City of Angels, including Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Cartier, all shaded with glorious palm-trees along manicured streets. Lalaluxe is available should you require exceptional personal shopping and styling – the team has handled VIPs from royalty to celebrity and are well versed in just about any request you have for them.
Drive around in a Lamborghini Huracán EVO RWD Spyder
You’ll see that locals around Beverly Hills have a taste for the finest things in life – so you won’t be out of place if you decide to sightsee via sports car. The Lamborghini Huracán EVO Rear-Wheel Drive Spyder is an open-air celebration of lightweight engineering, with rear-wheel drive, a specially tuned Performance Traction Control System and a 5.2-liter naturally-aspirated Lamborghini V10 engine. The soft roof comes down within 17 seconds – even when you’re driving up to 50 km/h. The greatest drive with a roar to match, go from 0-62 mph in 3.5 seconds along the beach (we cruised Malibu, which was only 40 minutes away) – there’s even enough front trunk space to squeeze in Stripes Company beach mats and other daily essentials. Pick paint code Arancio Borealis for a sun-kissed whip. MSRP is $229,428 and rental costs vary.
Eat at Culina Ristorante
Whilst we absolutely adore both CUT and THEBLVD at Beverly Wilshire, it’s also worth exploring the other pretty Four Seasons property, a six-minute drive away, to sample delights from Culina Ristorante. This is uber-trendy hangout is a multi-award-winning culinary experience that captures the cosmopolitan vibe of LA. The modern Italian is casual chic (you can wear smart jeans or a summer dress out here – it’s not too stuffy), and the portions are generous. The Branzino Interno, for example, is big and juicy enough to share with your west coast pals. Order a couple of bottles of their brilliant Napa wines and clear the evening – you don’t need two venues for dinner and drinks.
Yacht in Marina del Rey
Marina del Rey is LA’s premier waterfront destination and a must-visit for boat enthusiasts. It’s where the VIPs of town take to the water on private yachts and luxurious sailboats. There are over 4,600 boat slips, and you’re guaranteed to witness some of the most incredible vessels in the world on this harbor. Visitors can charter a boat (The Marina del Rey CVB has a list of trusted companies) or partake in activities including jet skiing, kayaking, paddleboard yoga, parasailing, and much more. For those who aren’t interested in getting wet, it’s equally a romantic backdrop for a stroll or dinner at one of the open-air restaurants. Try Cast & Plow – true waterfront dining that is not common in other Westside LA beach cities.
Get pampered at The Beverly Hills Hotel Spa.
Recently refurbished and redesigned, The Beverly Hills Hotel Spa features four single treatment rooms, a duet suite for couples, nail suite, a relaxation lounge, and steam showers in the locker rooms. The Phia Aromatherapy Massage is really wonderful for jet lag (assuming you arrive by plane). It uses a customized blend of all-natural botanicals in a soothing massage with muscle tension releasing smooth quartz tool. Go relax in the gardens afterward, they’re beautiful, and things are surprisingly calm outside, so the spa experience need not end when you leave the treatment room.
Arrive and depart via PS LAX
PS is the most incredible way to travel in and out of LAX (for residents in LA, you really should get a membership). However, the service is available to both members and non-members alike. Members on domestic arrival can opt for PS Direct, where they’re chauffeured right off the tarmac in a BMW 7-Series sedan, bypassing airport and PS terminal, and taken straight to their hotel or home, private jet style. Guests arriving from an International flight will go through private customs and immigration processing in the PS terminal, then escorted to a gorgeous PS suite while awaiting luggage.
Departing guests, well, will want their flight to be delayed. They’re taken through, luggage in tow, a personalized guest service, sped through TSA screenings and customs, and left in one of twelve designer suites with access to a salon and spa (Covid restrictions may apply) and plenty of entertainment. They may choose to freshen up in the en-suite bathroom, admire the curated art collection (which is available for purchase) or enjoy a meal, snacks, and beverages already in or brought to the room. Whatever you want – just let the team know. PS just partnered with LA hospitality megastars The H.wood Group, so we recommend skipping the fast-food request and trying their in-house goodies. When the wait is over, guests are escorted by BMW straight to the cabin door. This is the safest, lowest-contact way to fly commercial. We tried it once, and now we’re hooked!
