At the far western end of Beverly Hills, this 295-room property dazzles with European elegance and bright, Zen-like rooms. It’s a modern hotel with a twist: there’s an art-filled dining room, a luxury spa and a downstairs lounge that hosts different jazz and cabaret acts on a near nightly basis.
If your plane ticket has you landing at LAX, but you’re daydreaming about chic Parisian galleries and morning strolls down the Champs-Élysées, then this is the hotel for you. The French-owned Accor company operates Sofitel, and evidence of Gallic pedigree is everywhere: from the gleaming white port cochere to the sophisticated lobby with its free-standing staircase of smooth curving metal. In the hotel’s 295 rooms, the finesse continues, but with more restraint. Feather duvets and light oak walls offer a sense of lightness, while Bose sound systems and spacious, glass tiled bathrooms with Hermes toiletries tip things into the luxury category. At the pan-Mediterranean Estérel restaurant, where circular leather booths are surrounded by framed French paintings, it feels like you could be dining on the Rue Saint-Honoré. And don’t even think about skipping the glamorous Riviera 31 lounge bar—there’s jazz, cabaret, burlesque and themed cocktails, enough to make this posh Beverly Boulevard stopover feel like a night out at Hôtel Costes.
Location: This hotel sits at the intersection of Beverly Boulevard and La Cienega Boulevard, where Beverly Hills meets West Hollywood. Despite being mid-way between two key neighborhoods, there’s plenty of good shopping to do nearby on Melrose Avenue and the Sunset Strip, and the like of LACMA and The Grove are no more than a 5-minute Uber or Lyft ride away.
Nearby:
The Roger Room: A 5-minute walk from the hotel, this groundbreaking cocktailery from Jared Meisler and Sean MacPherson—who brought you West Hollywood staples Bar Lubitsch—is small, but the drinks pack a punch. Spot the neon sign, and feel instantly at home inside the 900 square foot space, which sparkles with a mirrored ceiling and cozy booths.
Sunset Strip: With its unique mix of sleaze and glam, you’ll be glad to have this mile-and-a-half stretch of restaurants (Mel’s Drive-In), clubs (Whiskey A Go-Go), and high-end boutiques just a mile and a half away.
Beverly Center: If you’re looking for a bit of normalcy to balance out all the high-end, this shopping mall is targeted toward the masses, with outlets like Marshall’s, Saks Off Fifth Ave and Uniqlo, and sits across the street from the hotel.
LACMA: A 10-minute drive southeast of the hotel, L.A.’s premier venue for cutting-edge contemporary art makes for a fun day trip.
Good for: Couples and groups of friends will have a swell time exploring the hotel’s enchanting gardens and fabulous jewel-toned lounge bar, which offers nightly entertainment. Meanwhile, European travelers will feel elevated by the smart, vibrant design, not to mention the 24-hour room service and acclaimed spa.
Amenities: Pool, hot tub, sauna, room service, free Wi-Fi, minibar, restaurant, bar, gym, laundry service, concierge, spa
Time Out tip: If all that pomp and circumstance starts to feel a little stifling, it’s worth venturing beyond the gilded walls. Nearby Melrose Avenue is rife with tempting boutiques, while West 3rd Street is the de facto lunch capital of mid-city LA. For guaranteed after-hours fun, hit the Peppermint Club, a swanky bar-cum-concert venue around the corner from the hotel which hosts a variety of bands on a circular stage under a ceiling of glittering silver discs.