Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, A Four Seasons Hotel

Character and identity

Anchored at the foot of Rodeo Drive in a 1928 Renaissance Revival landmark, this 395-room grande dame splits between the original Wilshire Wing and the 1971 Beverly Wing, linked by a cobblestoned passage lit with Edinburgh gaslight lanterns. A recent David Collins Studio refresh layers fresh California palettes (light grey, marble, Art Deco curves) over Old Hollywood bones. CUT, Wolfgang Puck's flagship steakhouse in a Richard Meier-designed white room, sets the dining tone, with all-day The Blvd and Cut Lounge alongside. The Five-Star spa runs to 13 treatment rooms, and a Sophia Loren-inspired Mediterranean pool sits on a secluded terrace. Service is polished and accommodating.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're really buying is the address and the social theatre around it: CUT, Rodeo Drive at the door, and a lobby scene that still draws Lamborghinis to the porte-cochère. Book a David Collins-refreshed room in either wing for the everyday stay; splurge on one of the KES Studio specialty suites if you want personality. Worth timing around a CUT reservation and a spa half-day.