Hotel Bel-Air

When she decamped to the Hotel Bel-Air to write without distraction, Ann Patchett wrote, "I think the best vacation is the one that relieves me of my own life for a while and then makes me long for it again." With thoughts of leaving behind dull care and indulging my creative instincts, I checked into the Hotel Bel-Air on a sunny Friday to kick off the long holiday weekend. Alyssa and Emma did an exemplary job of welcoming me and ensuring that I had plentiful diversions as I had arrived before the rest of my group and they were still preparing my suite. They ensured that a practitioner was called up to give me a 90 minute deep tissue massage, and Ashley at the restaurant got me sorted for breakfast as well. After my massage, I strolled on up to my residence for the holiday, a favorite two bedroom suite with a secluded outdoor terrace that was perfect for rallying the troops and getting some much needed quiet time as well. The rest of our party had arrived and checked into their suites nearby, so the location of my suite (177) was just about perfect. The welcome setup was charming and much appreciated. Dining in room, at the restaurant and at the pool were all terrific. In addition to Ashley, Lucas was also an excellent server. One must remember how rare it is to have a hotel pool with a true deep end. It’s one of the great things about this hotel, and our little party enjoyed it tremendously. The splendid isolation of this place is one of the things that makes it so great. That, and the winding paths through the trees and tropical foliage, along with the koi pond, the swan lake, the burbling streams, our favorite turtle and the plentiful bird life. The Hotel Bel-Air is one of the places you go to leave the world behind, to fall into the embrace of quiet calm and engage in writing, socializing or even just a little dolce far niente. Here, one is both visible and yet transcendently invisible. Staff continue to excel at that rare hat trick of attentive service while giving us plenty of space to just vibe. If you want to get away and still be close to the city, this is the place to do it.

The title says it all. The staff was truly the best. One restaurant server who wasn’t that busy took time out to show us the famous fish pond and turtle living in it. Front desk staff was also outstanding. The grounds are so lush that you feel like you’re light years away from the city.

For celebrating a special occasion or looking for a cute activity, the afternoon tea at the Hotel Bel-Air is a special treat. Each item comes fresh and delicious. You have the opportunity to smell the tea leaves first before picking, and then you can enjoy the food. The menu changes but for us, we had wild berry jam, Devonshire cream, and blood orange jam with our buttermilk scones. Afterwards, we had an assortment of finger sandwiches (my favorite was the cucumber) followed by the sweets. The chocolate tart was my favorite and the cream puff was a close second. Overall, a great way to spend a couple of hours in a beautiful, relaxed setting.

This is an iconic hotel that lives up to the anticipation of staying here. The staff are amazing ! A highlight for us was breakfast each morning. The location is a little removed but the hotel car makes up for it . This is more than a hotel .. this is an experience!

We were planning a trip to the Beverly Hills area in march, however when looking at room rates for the Hotel Bel Air, I must conclude that the hotel is drastically overpriced compared to similar five star hotels in the area. A 755 square foot patio suite at the hotel Bel Air costs a jaw-dropping $6,000 per night plus tax, while an 825 square foot Villa Suite with Patio and Jacuzzi at the Peninsula Hotel is at $2,800 per night. It would seem like the Bel Air is overpriced charging ober twice as much for a similar suite.