Historic Hotel Bel-Air re-opens in L.A.
Original front door of Hotel Bel-Air. Photo courtesy of Hotel Bel-Air
After nearly two years and millions of dollars of renovations, the historic Bel-Air Hotel in Los Angeles re-opens its doors today.
The hotel, once a hotspot for top celebrities ranging in status from Grace Kelly to Britney Spears, just finished its refurbishment and redesign in an effort to bring modern-day Hollywood back into the historic digs.
The hotel says designers worked to keep the hotel's original ambiance, while adding some new modern touches to the once trendy hotspot. The familiar Spanish Colonial architecture splashed in “Bel-Air” Pink” still remains, and Hollywood's glamorous golden days from the 1930s, 40s and 50s, are all conveyed through photographs, architecture, and design. The hotel has a total of 103 guestrooms and suites, many of which have canyon views, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, grand pianos, and spacious decks.
New guestroom suite at the Hotel Bel-Air.
The hotel added a new 4,134 square-foot spa with seven treatment rooms and a new fitness center, but kept the famous oval swimming pool (a signature element of the hotel).
Chef Wolfgang Puck and his restaurant group, the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, will oversee all of the luxury hotel’s food and beverage operations. His signature restaurant, Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air, will offer modern California cuisine with European and Mediterranean influences. There are also multiple glass wine cellars, private dining rooms, and plenty of outdoor patio space for guests to enjoy afternoon cocktails while seeking out celebs.
The hotel opening didn't come with complete fanfare, however. USA Today reported earlier this week that labor unions were planning to protest the hotel opening, and the hotel general left the hotel last week (no reason was given for his departure). Hollywood is nothing if not flanked with drama. Still, the hotel reps say the hotel is ready to open.
Want to check it out? Get your Tinseltown dollars ready. Through December 29, 2011, the hotel is offering a special preview room rate starting at $595 a night.
The author is solely responsible for the content.
About the author
Melanie Nayer is a travel writer who spent many years in the newsroom before jetting off to see the world. Her goal is to bring readers the best insider information More »Recent blog posts
- Dramatic Designs: B2Hotel's Library Lounge and Wine Bar
- Give Mom the day off with these Mother's Day hotel deals
- Ritz-Carlton debuts mobile app packed with personalized info, hotel insights
- Dining in: Top hotel room service
- Drunk passengers, playboy pilots and life in the sky: Flight attendant reveals secrets of the industry in new book
