GO FOR THE GLAM IN L. A.
It is surprisingly easy and fairly affordable to inject a little California glitz into a getaway
During a recent visit to Los Angeles, I found myself with a free Saturday morning and decided to check out Atwater Village, a neighbourhood I had read was gentrifying.
Some hip restaurants and places like Proof Bakery ( No. 4 on the New York Post’s top bakeries list) and Kaldi Coffee ( popular with aspiring writers and the L. A. Times) had opened there recently and trendwatchers were predicting Atwater might become a new hot spot.
I took an Uber from my hotel, W Los Angeles — West Beverly Hills on Hilgard Avenue — and discovered that L. A.’ s legendary traffic jams are not limited to weekday rush hours.
My driver knew some shortcuts and we avoided most of the lanes that were at a dead stop, but the traffic reminded me of the opening scene of La La Land, where frustrated drivers jump out of their cars and sing, dance and do backflips on the gridlocked freeway.
Los Angeles is a big city — some 1,200 square kilometres spread over 80 diverse districts and neighbourhoods. The Entertainment Capital of the World — and the economic engine of Southern California — has been mythologized in songs, films and TV shows for decades. Consequently, it’s easy for visitors to become disoriented because many street names and locations sound familiar — even if you’ve never been there before.
But beyond its legendary glitz, grit, celebrity scandals and generally larger- than- life reputation, L. A. is a real city with so many great things to do that planning a visit might make your head spin.
Whether you plan a themed trip ( celebrity lifestyle, galleries and museums, hipster shopping, etc.) or just hit the highlights, a little research goes a long way.
Not being an A- lister myself, I wasn’t able to fly into the new private terminal at LAX. But my visit with a group of travel writers did have a touch of glamour.
No place does glamour better than L. A. and a surprising amount of it is accessible to all. Here are a few examples:
Stylish stay
We stayed at the W Los Angeles — West Beverly Hills, which ticked many of the boxes I like in a hotel — spacious modern luxe rooms, outdoor pool with private cabanas, laid- back Bliss spa, and on- site eats and sips at the contemporary STK steakhouse, the relaxed Living Room Bar, the poolside Hideout, and 24/ 7 room service.
The Westwood location — on the doorstep of Bel- Air, Brentwood, Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles — is a nice break from the intense hubbub of some neighbourhoods. Surrounded by single family homes on manicured streets, hotel guests can walk to Westwood Village, and there are museums, theatres, restaurants, a botanical garden and the UCLA campus nearby.
While you’ll be out and about most nights, the lifestyle- themed W — which recently had a US$ 25million makeover — has lots of opportunities for a fun night in, too. Most notable is the Extreme Wow Suite, where up to four people can live like stars in a glam- fantasy suite with a wet bar, living room, dining room and private screening room big enough to throw a party.
The lobby level Living Room
Bar stages music, art and fashion events, and every Sunday there is the poolside Daydream described as a “Detox. Retox. Repeat.” event. ( Essentially fitness classes with pulsating DJ beats followed by brunch.)
Rooms rates started at US$ 241 plus taxes ( subject to change) for a Wonderful Studio with a king- sized bed, oversized desk and comfy sofa. See wlosangeles. com.
Soaring
To see L. A. and area in a short period of time, park the car and fly with one of several companies offering helicopter tours. We flew from Van Nuys airport with Group 3 Aviation, which has several sightseeing tours. Our Hollywood and the Beach tour was a thrilling, memorable flight to the coast and over the city, taking in sunset views of the Topanga Canyon, Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, Marina del Rey, the Getty Center, the Playboy Mansion, Sunset Strip, Griffith Park and Observatory, the iconic Hollywood sign, and much more.
The Hollywood and the Beach flight is US$ 275 per person. Other tours from US$ 185. See group3aviation. com.
Look the part
Not everyone has a personal stylist in their contact list. But if you’re planning a big night out and want to look like an A- lister, the professional hairstylists and makeup artists of beGlammed will come to your hotel and have you red- carpet ready in no time.
Prices are reasonable — from US$ 50 for hair blowout and drystyling, and from US$ 75 for full makeup application. The service operates in 22 U. S. cities and has recently opened in Toronto. See beglammed. com.
Take a You break
During a busy vacation, a spa treatment can be restorative, and there are plenty of facilities in health-and wellness-focused L. A. But the spa at Hotel Bel- Air — nestled in the property’s five hectares of gardens — offers a serene setting for its pampering treatments and fitness classes. Seed or chester collection. com and click through the tabs for the spa menu after clicking on the hotels tab.
Nourish
For a place where you can never be too thin, L. A. has a lot of great dining options, including:
Farm Shop, Brentwood: You can take out, sit down or stock up on locally grown, mostly organic goodies at this artisanal restaurantbakery- market. We ordered a slew of breakfast dishes to share — coddled eggs with smoked salmon, brioche French toast, steel- cut oatmeal with fruit and more. All delish.
A longtime fixture of the Brentwood Country Mart, Farm Shop recently got a high profile new neighbour. Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop Lab — the so- called lifestyle guru’s first standalone brick and mortar store — opened there Sept. 16 in a homey space. See farmshopca.com and brentwoodcountrymart.com.
Grand Central Market: Started 100 years ago as a farmers’ market, today Grand Central Market is where locals go for a quick bite at one of 40 diverse food vendors serving everything from Asian to Salvadorean cuisine. As well, the Grand Central Market Cookbook: Cuisine and Culture from Downtown Los Angeles has recently been released. More information at grandcentralmarket.com.
Cecconi’s, West Hollywood: Located at Melrose Avenue and Robertson Boulevard, many people go to this Italian restaurant hoping for a glimpse of the celebrities known to dine there. But really, the handmade pasta and seafood are more than reason enough to make a reservation. See cecconiswesthollywood.com.
The SmokeHouse, Burbank: Built after the Second World War, and near several studios, this familyowned restaurant grew up with the movie industry. During the 1960s, the retro steakhouse ( think dark woods, leather booths, hefty servings) was a favourite haunt of actors — who often arrived in costume — producers and other film industry folk. See smokehouse1946. com.
Chateau Marmont: Overlooking Sunset Boulevard from a leafy hillside, Chateau Marmont looks more like a French castle than a 1920s Hollywood hotel. Over the decades, the château has been featured in novels and film — and maybe the song Hotel California — and frequented by movie stars and rock stars ( more than a few behaving badly, a story in itself ). While it’s perhaps too pricey for most ordinary tourists to stay there, you can dine in the restaurant ( reservation required to get on the grounds). The terrace is quite moody after dark and the modern California cuisine is fab. See www. chateaumarmont. com.
Another place with star power, Hotel Bel- Air has been a Hollywood hideaway since 1946. Like Chateau Marmont, perhaps a little out of reach for the typical tourist, but with a restaurant and bar open to the public. Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel- Air offers a lovely leafy garden setting and seasonal menus of locally sourced ingredients. See dorchestercollection.com and click on the hotels tab.
Trip planning
For information on visiting Los Angeles, see discover los angeles. com.