The Luxe Side: Los Angeles
There is Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and just L.A. Savvy travelers, jetsetters, and movers and shakers know where to stay, where to eat, and where to go for entertainment.
Everything in the L.A. area—give or take—is a 30-minutes-or-less drive. However, due to heavy traffic on most major roadways, more times than not; it is better to give yourself extra time than take it for granted that traffic is running smoothly.
Despite the dense traffic, Los Angeles is among the most glamorous of the mega-desirable hotspots of the world. If the mission is about just staying and playing, it is impossible not to have a great time while doing it here. There are beaches, marinas, cultural events, shopping, dining, and wining aplenty. We are going to take a look at the luxury hotels, the best restaurants, and fun activities in Los Angeles.
Luxury hotels in Los Angeles run the gamut from boutique to vast. The three luxury hotels on this romp through L.A. include the Bel Age Hotel, the Four Seasons Hotel Beverly Hills, and the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza.
The Bel Age Hotel is a West Hollywood landmark that is being reborn as the London West Hollywood in 2008.
The hotel, which is now a property of the LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels, has an East Coast presence as well with the London NYC. Retaining the decorum and ambience that only the Bel Age could radiate, the LWH rings in a new era that is so retro fittingly. Award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay and the hotel’s supreme concierge service richly complement the hotel’s full-service spa and workout facility.
The Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza is closer to the urban side of Los Angeles. It is neither in the legendary Valley nor Tinsel Town. The majority of Southern California’s terrain is dotted with suburbs and beaches. However, the city proper is making a most-promising return to the limelight as various ecologically correct luxury residential developments are cropping up. The Omni features outdoor jogging paths, a fitness center, and a full-service spa. The spacious Club-level rooms are where the real luxury starts, but all quarters are refined and stately.
The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills puts guests within walking distance to the fabulous boutiques and specialty stores of Rodeo Drive. The hotel is an embodiment of the Hollywood highlife and its accompanying perks. There are poolside cabanas, a full spa, and numerous enticing amenities for guests. All 285 guestrooms have step-out balconies, and roomier suites are available.
Entertainment venues are many and varied in L.A. There are amusement and entertainment-theme parks, sports events, museums, concerts, theater, and many more family-friendly activities throughout Los Angeles. There also are clubs, lounges, bars, and other sources of adult-friendly entertainment too.
To experience the Hollywood phenomena and be treated like Hollywood’s favorite flavor of the month, check out the Tropicana Bar inside the Roosevelt Hotel. This legendary-status A-list getaway for drinks or a night out has been serving the community stalwartly since 1927.
It is a fortress of lush, tropical luxury located in the center of Hollywood near Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Maybe it is just the poolside bar and the mix of old and new decadence bonding seamlessly in this community of cabanas and a poolside-bar.
Many evening adult-entertainment activities such as dance clubs, sports bars, and comedy clubs, listed on L.A.s tourism Web site GreaterLosAngeles.com. There are many options for both daytime and nighttime fun and recreation.
For daytime yachtsmen seeking adventure, merriment or both, Marina del Rey—with its 6,000-slip marina—is a great spot for sailing or docking. Charter a yacht for a weekend from Marina del Rey’s Ronin Yacht Charters. Bareboat and full-crews charters are offered. The Marina’s social calendar is a whirlwind of yachting and boating events, as well as other events and social affiairs occurring year round.
Rise above it all at the Elevate Lounge. It is a nightclub set atop a 21st-floor penthouse overlooking L.A.’s Financial District. The lounge shares the top floor with the Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant. So, while there is a mouth-watering menu of Japan-influenced delicacies and entrees on one side, there is swank, indoor-and-outdoor dance club with the freshest D-Js, a large dance floor, and a VIP private-seating area.
Featuring the best restaurants in Los Angeles is an ongoing gastronomically delightful experience that will have to be revisited many times over to justly represent all the great restaurants the area has to offer. A quick look at menus of the Stinking Rose, the Water Grill, and Ocean and Vine are presented on this round.
The Stinking Rose is located on La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Garlic-infused foods are the house specialty as this is a garlic restaurant. Traditional dishes such as crab and prime rib and mussels are enlivened. Patrons can order a garlic martini or a bowl of Gilroy’s famous garlic ice cream.
The Water Grill offers up some of the best seafood dishes in Southern California. The Zagat Guide and the Robb Report have officially touted the works of executive chef David LeFerve. David, who has participated in more than 50 culinary competitions, changes up the Water Grill’s menu daily. The food is international by scope and otherworldly by most people’s palates.
Ocean and View is a beachside restaurant located in Santa Monica that features a distinctive Southern California cuisine along with a very relaxed atmosphere. It is spacious and has indoor and patio seating. The refined enclave for epicureans with playful personalities is the lounge/restaurant for Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.