The Maybourne Beverly Hills
An anomaly of Los Angeles is that such a sprawling city persistently affords views of the hills on the horizon. You’re in a metropolis, but nature is ever in sight. Travelers unable to visit the placid peaks can check into the Maybourne Beverly Hills to be transported from the urban hubbub.
You drive into the roundabout entrance through stone pillars and feel you’re entering a country villa. The Beverly Cañon Gardens, a colonnaded and manicured open space that flanks it, adds to the sense of sanctuary. Drop off your bags and go straight to the ninth floor. On one side is Dante’s Pool, serene with its lounge chairs, tables and fully outfitted, private cabanas, big enough for six. Now the view of the city is at eye level. The solitude is such that you forget the bustle and luxury shopping below.
On the other side of the hall is Dante, the restaurant, with its own panorama of the Hollywood Hills. From one of the cool blue banquettes or from the terrace, take it all in while savoring something from the long and well-conceived Martini list or one of the seven Negronis. It is all aperitivo to a menu including wood-fired pizza and crudo del pescatore that smacks of the Italian coast.
If you linger until 5 p.m, descend to the second-floor Whisky Bar. The dimly lit, wood-paneled retreat hides one of L.A.’s most treasured collections, with whiskies of the dearest and oldest stripe, including a Macallan 40 and Pappy Van Winkle 23 as well as other non-whisky spirits of equally high caliber.
Impressive, yes, but without a smoke the space would be a shame. Happily, that’s not a problem. One of the few places to smoke in Beverly Hills, the bar also offers 1,000 well-curated cigars. Choices include Padróns, Ashtons, Fuentes, Olivas and Davidoffs. The nose-bleed prices mirror those of the spirits collection. But the sort-of good news is that you’ll have no problem exceeding the minimum $50 per person cover for the privilege of ensconcing yourself in one of the private, well-ventilated smoking nooks. (Only guests of the hotel may purchase cigars; a cutting charge applies to cigars brought from the outside.)
Retreat to your room or balconied suite (rooms start at $1,095) and find a bright and luxurious space to recharge courtesy of a recent renovation. Awake and begin the process over with breakfast in the piazza setting of The Terrace, amidst the babble of a fountain.
