Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel

Review of Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel

BusinessClass.com review by Varun Sharma

The Beverly Wilshire started welcoming guests in 1928. Nearly a century later, it is widely regarded as one of the finest hotels in the world. It features 395 rooms and suites, the Wolfgang Puck Michelin-starred steakhouse CUT, THEBlvd – home to most delicious all-day dining in Beverly Hills, spa, outdoor swimming pool, celebrity stylist … and ballrooms that have appeared on nearly every television set in the world. 

The BW has been managed by Four Seasons since 1992. Guests can therefore expect faultless service and superb facilities at this hotel but it offers so much more – celebrity and history. 

The property was built on the former site of the Beverly Auto Speedway. The original building withstood major earthquakes and even doubled as an air raid shelter during World War II. In 1971, The Beverly Wing was added, along with the hotel’s Mediterranean-style swimming pool, which was modelled after Sophia Loren’s pool at her private Italian villa.

During awards season – which includes the Oscars – the Beverly Wilshire is home from home for the international A-list – musicians and actors - but is also the preferred address for royalty, politicians – and indeed luxury travel aficionados. The hotel’s guestbook is filled with familiar names but Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and Warren Beatty actually lived at the hotel for long periods of time. The hotel offers every facility and amenity imaginable but also privacy – which in La-la-Land is sacrosanct. 

Despite a glamourous past and whether you are a celebrity or not, what can be expected is VIP service with every guest treated as extra special.

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Location

9/10

On a pedestrian stretch of Wilshire Boulevard at the foot of Rodeo Drive and in the heart of Beverly Hills, the Beverly Wilshire occupies a fabulous location, perfectly placed for meandering down the three-block, Walk Of Style and pit stops between shopping hauls. 

From the hotel, you can make like a star and shop in the epicentre of LA’s exclusive luxury boutiques that include Chanel, Prada, and Dior and, high-end department stores including Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys - New York.

Beverly Wilshire is also within easy reach of the tourist must-visits - Sunset Strip is a short cab ride, Santa Monica Beach is 30-minute drive and Hollywood Boulevard just 15 minutes away. The hotel offers postcard-worthy views of the city including the Hollywood sign on a clear day. 

Los Angeles Airport (LAX) is around 30 minutes away by car.

Accommodation

9/10

The Beverly Wilshire hotel features 395 rooms comprising 258 guest rooms and 137 suites, arranged over 10 floors in the Wilshire Wing and 14 floors in the equally grand contemporary Beverly Wing. A cobblestone drive and above that - a sky corridor - link the two.

Bright white corridors with sculptured ceilings and arches lead to luxury rooms featuring all the modern conveniences expected from this amazing property, ranging from signature rooms up to spacious suites where sliding wooden doors separate the bedroom and living space.

Grand curtains frame windows, neutral carpets, and a restful colour scheme of creams and caramels is punctuated with bright colours and patterns on the bed cushions. Art Deco touches of chandeliers and wood panelling complete the elegant décor. 

Some rooms and suites - the best in house- have pretty, furnished wrought iron balconied terraces perfect for enjoying an al-fresco breakfast or drinks overlooking palms and the nearby green residential and affluent conurbation of Beverly Hills.

Oversized bathrooms are swathed in Italian marble and feature walk-in showers and separate soaking tubs. Salvatore Ferragamo amenities are standard in all rooms. 

The Beverly Wilshire is home to Los Angeles’ most expensive suite – the Penthouse, which sits on the 14th floor and spans approximately 465 square metres. The private, key-accessed top floor of the Beverly Wing, features two rooftop terraces, overlooking the Hollywood Hills from the Royal Suite or the legendary Drive from the Rodeo Terrace. The private balconies offer a dazzling vista that spans the 50 kilometres from downtown LA to the Pacific Ocean.

Service & Facilities

10/10

From the moment you arrive, the Hollywood-smiles of the bellhops and enter the highly polished marble lobby with its tiered chandelier and stunning flower displays, you can feel the history and the presence of a century of legends.

Professional and accommodating service is the hallmark of the Beverly Wilshire. The Concierge team alone has a combined total of more than 175 years of experience among them, and six belong to Les Clefs d’Or – the worldwide concierge guild. Many members of the supremely attentive team have been working at the hotel for over 40 years, priding themselves on an open-arm welcome.

The Concierge team receives more fifty-thousand requests each year to help make discerning guests' stays memorable and eventful.

If you are on a road trip, note that parking at the hotel is most definitely valet only. This is wise as the hotel attracts swarms of stretch limousines and super-cars. 

Looking and feeling good is a way of life in LA and the hotel’s fitness facilities are fantastic from the fabulous Mediterranean-style pool - complete with white loungers and shades - to the two-story Fitness Centre that overlooks it. Waiters around the pool bring towels and wheat grass shots. Modelled after the pool in Sophia Loren’s 16th century Roman villa, there are huge pots filled with bright-coloured blooms and aqua-coloured lanterns dotted around it. Personal trainers are available for one-on-one sessions. There is also a yoga room available. 

The signature Spa is a destination in itself and spans over 745 square metres, boasting nine treatment rooms - seven with in-room showers - and was the first Spa on the west coast to feature luxury skincare line, 111SKIN. The Spa offers fifty unique services from luxurious Red Carpet Ready facials to manicure and pedicures, massages, and delightful, signature 111SKIN customised treatments.

This urban refuge blending jewel-toned accents and organic materials including walnut and onyx has a calming effect with elements such as a curved water wall surrounding a large amethyst geode. Delicate aromas of essential oils and soft music offer instant relaxation. Luxury treatments promise to invigorate while the Black Diamond Facial uses lifting and firming techniques.

The Spa also offers a futuristic aromatherapy crystal steam room, ice fountain, experience shower and tranquility lounge. Lea Journo Salon offers high-end hair treatments for men and women in a relaxed setting. Lea is one of Hollywood’s most in-demand hairstylists and having her as your personal stylist is a once-in-a-lifetime pleasure. Finally, the hotel provides a nail bar. 

Children can expect the same VIP welcome as their adults, for stars aged 12 to 17, the staff make them feel special with a taste of pampering service at the spa. There are also child-friendly menus and thoughtful surprise gifts. A young guest of today, is the older guest of tomorrow. 

Style

9/10

The Italian Renaissance style, with French neo-classic influences is the design aesthetic that starts at the door with the Beverly Wilshire’s incredible façade, sky high palms, and chic striped awnings and continues throughout.

Arrival via El Camino Real, is down a cobblestone driveway lined with gaslight lanterns imported from a castle in Edinburgh. Everything about the style of this grand hotel is very impressive, its chic and classic style celebrates Hollywood history in the Wilshire Wing and the newer Beverly Wing adds contemporary flair in a more modern setting.

Artwork is sensational and while the hotel may channel old LA, it keeps firmly up to date with design innovations and splashes of contemporary colour such as moss green.

The Beverly Wilshire’s blockbuster history includes guest appearances in many a movie including, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Clueless, Sex and the City: The Movie, Valentine’s Day, and most memorably the setting of the now classic romantic-comedy - Pretty Woman.

Restaurants & Bars

9/10

A healthy approach to eating lays at the heart of LA cuisine and the Beverly Wilshire chefs use local ingredients including wild rocket, Asian pears, Juliet grape tomatoes, sweet black mission figs and Cipollini onions.

Flagship restaurant, CUT was awarded a Michelin star in 2019 - its menu centres around steak and seafood. Created by celebrity chef, Wolfgang Puck, CUT offers a contemporary twist on the traditional American steakhouse. Designed by Richard Meier – of Getty Museum fame -  CUT seats 104 dinners. This is the place to be seen and hotel guests have an ‘in’ to highly sought-after reservations at this, one of LA’s favourite restaurants. 

Dishes to go for include Maine Diver Scallops, dressed with a dollop of yuzu aioli and Keluga caviar atop brioche toast or American Wagyu Filet Carpaccio with white truffles, bearnaise sauce and Parmesan. 

Steaks of course, come in every CUT, cooked every which way - some slowly grilled over American white oak and glowing Embers of mesquite charcoal - with Japanese Wagyu another go-to ingredient.

Pastry chef Angela Tong’s Key Lime tart with lemongrass Chantilly cream and toasted meringue is a culinary masterpiece.

CUT Lounge - also designed by Richard Meier - is the perfect place for a cocktail. The Sidebar is named after the sleek bar itself and is a delicious take on an Old Fashioned.

THEBlvd is an all-day dining venue where breakfast, lunch and dinner are based around healthy Californian fare. The restaurant boasts a wonderful al-fresco dining area. The Blvd Lounge offers outdoor seating and is a great spot for people watching on Rodeo Drive. THEBlvd’s most popular cocktail is the Pretty Woman, selling more than four thousand every year. This cocktail – celebrating the 1990 hit movie starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts – is made up of Absolut vodka, Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne, Combier Crème de Pêche De Vigne liqueur, lemon juice, Aquafaba and raspberries. It is rather tasty…

The Pool Bar and Café offers dining al fresco, poolside and also has a bar where passing celebrities pop in for refreshment. This relaxed flower-filled space is perfect for a leisurely brunch of crab and egg white frittata, green salad with basil-crusted salmon or a Peruvian steak sandwich and spiced fries. Guests enjoy pitchers of sangria to make an afternoon of it.

Sustainability

‘Reduce. Reuse. Recycle’ is the mantra at the Beverly Wilshire, with Four Seasons employees and guests joining forces to preserve and protect the planet engaging in sustainable practices to conserve natural resources and reduce environmental impact. Initiatives include recyclable, paperboard water cartons; single-stream, commingled recycling; eco-friendly chemicals are used in the dry-cleaning process; switching to using plastic-free to-go packaging and back-of-house areas feature LED lighting, utilising less energy.

The Beverly Wilshire supports The Midnight Mission as part of the Chefs to End Hunger programme, is the host of blood drives and events for the American Red Cross; is heavily involved with annual October Breast Cancer Awareness fundraising and supports a variety of smaller local charities locally and indeed throughout Los Angeles.

Chefs to End Hunger donates excess food from its restaurants and banquets to food agencies around the Los Angeles area, serving meals to people in need.

What We Love

  • Everything! From the warm welcome to the suites to the personalised towelling robes … and most importantly service with a smile at every turn
  • That Hollywood feeling – “posing” for a photograph with Pretty Woman or sitting next to Will Smith in the Michelin-starred American steakhouse - CUT
  • The hotel swimming pool – makes you feel like you are in Italy and a guest of Sophia Loren – one can wish!

    Varun Sharma
    Editor-In-Chief
    BusinessClass.com

What They Love

  • Our History – Since opening in 1928, our legendary hotel has experienced an extraordinary journey of transformation and growing recognition. We’ve proudly welcomed Hollywood’s elite for nearly a century and have been the filming location for various movies. I relish the opportunity to share and celebrate this history with our guests – and let them know that as soon as they walk in the door, they too become part of our storied history. 
  • Our People – We have employees who have worked here for a month all the way up to over 50 years! It’s a true testament in my opinion of their love and passion for this Grande Dame. One of my favourite things to hear as the General Manager of this hotel, is a guest telling me the reason they come back time and time again is because of our people. 
  • Our Location – Located in the enviable heart of Beverly Hills, we put you right in the centre of the action! Whether you’re looking to enjoy designer shopping on Rodeo Drive, Michelin-starred dining, or easy access to Los Angeles’ best beaches, sports areas, museums, theatres, music venues, and iconic sites – it’s all just a short stroll or drive away.

    Peter Humig
    Regional Vice President and General Manager
    Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel

 

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About the author
Varun Sharma
Editor-in-Chief
With over 25 years of experience in luxury travel journalism, Varun is responsible for all the content you see on BusinessClass.com. He works closely with all the hotel and airline brands that appear on the website. BBC-trained, Varun has appeared in print, on radio, television, and now online media - having worked for outlets including the BBC, Telegraph (UK), MSNBC, Travel Channel and Cond...
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