Live like the Little Tramp in quiet luxury
Kristie Kellahan discovers old-style glamour at West Hollywood’s The Charlie Hotel.
Judging by the flecks of glitter and random gold streamers I see on the white tablecloth beneath my avocado toast, it must have been one hell of a party. It’s 7am in Los Angeles on the day before the Oscars and I’ve scored a coveted window table for breakfast at The Tower Bar, aka celeb central.
While the views of sunny West Hollywood are impressive, I’m more interested in the scene unfolding in the restaurant as bleary-eyed showbiz people yawn their way in and order omelettes with a side of networking. Clearly a carb-free zone.
I eavesdrop on a whispered conversation about the party here the night before by United Talent Agency for its A-list stars. A wild time was had by all. If I’d arrived an hour earlier, I would have caught the tail-end.
Being fame-adjacent is part and parcel of a stay in West Hollywood. From Sunset Strip to Chateau Marmont and Dan Tana’s restaurant, this is a place where the stars have always gravitated.
The landmark 15-storey Sunset Tower, where the Tower Bar is located, was established in 1929 and became the chosen LA residence for everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to John Wayne. Now, the bar and restaurant is a haven for powerful players in showbusiness, a strictly-no-cellphones establishment that protects the privacy of those who don’t usually get much of it.
Housed in celebrity gangster Bugsy Siegel’s old ground-floor apartment, the 80-seat room is elegant with Art Deco touches and vintage photographs.
It satisfies a longing for the glamour and intrigue of old Hollywood, while offering a frontrow seat to the comings and goings of new Hollywood.
The same can be said for The Charlie Hotel. Located behind ornate gates on a quiet residential street in West Hollywood is a secret world of Tudor-style bungalows, fountains and charming English gardens. Once owned by Charlie Chaplin, it was a safe haven where his megawatt mates came to hide from the world and paparazzi. Famous names of today, including Natalie Portman and Liv Tyler, do the same.
Now a boutique hotel, there are 14 accommodation options within eight bungalows. All are configured like private houses or apartments, most have outdoor space and no two are the same. Perfectly private, it is one of the most delightfully un-hotel-like hotels I have stayed in.
The bungalows are named after the stars who once stayed here. Fans of the golden age of Hollywood will get a kick out of staying in The Marlene, The Clark or The Gloria. With period decor and classic black-and-white styling throughout, it’s not a stretch to imagine those stars loosening their girdles and kicking back with a martini. But today’s guests enjoy onceunimaginable luxuries such as flatscreen TVs, washing machines, full kitchens and superb beds with their dose of nostalgia.
The Marilyn is named for seductive Miss Monroe, who lived in the cottage in the 1940s. She stares out playfully from an oversized photograph framed in gold, a vision of glamorous beauty poured into a cut-to-the-waist dress. I like to think she would have approved of the sophisticated allwhite master bedroom.
The Charlie cottage, 120 square metres over two storeys, was where the diminutive Chaplin lived. Vintage typewriters and memorabilia are displayed, including Chaplin’s bamboo canes, said to have been unearthed in the basement.
As he shows me around the 1.88-metre front office, the manager stoops to enter the front door. At just 1.62m, Chaplin had no need for a lofty doorframe and reportedly liked to see his guests bow when they entered. Beamed ceilings, curved archways and stained-glass windows are from an earlier architectural age. Look closely at a leaded glass window and you’ll spot an intricate outline of Chaplin, bowler hat and all.
For those who can drag themselves away, it’s a five-minute walk to fine-dining, casual cafes and some of LA’s most happening bars.