Every year for our anniversary, my husband and I stay at a high end hotel. Since last year we stayed at the Beverley Hills Hotel we decided to try the Hotel Bel Air this time. While there are stellar reviews on this place, and it is often named as one of the top hotels in the US, I was less than impressed. I wish someone had told me the following details as it would have really helped me not to make such an expensive mistake as choosing the Bel Air: Extremely remote location, no lobby or central areas at all, it's all about the grounds, plants, flowers etc.. The non-suite rooms are located in a separate building out back, across a service road, facing either the main road (traffic-ish) or the dumpster area (no smells, just noise). We upgraded to the best possible non-suite room and that's where we were anyway. We did have a fireplace a super small patio area with a small table for two and two plastic outdoor chairs. If you want a fire, they ask you to call a bellman and we were beyond tipped out so did it ourselves. The room was nicely decorated, but quite small. The pool was nicer than the pictures on their website, but fill up fast on weekends as there are only about 25 of them. There is only one restaurant, and it is expensive. Our modest room service breakfasts (oatmeal, fruit, two eggs, coffee - for two - was $100 per day with their additional charges added on. The restaurant was good for dinner, but we took friends to the $65 brunch and it was the all time low point. Food had to go back twice (cold, then runny egg whites.). They actually removed one of the 4 brunches from the bill so only $200 for a bad brunch for 4. The entire staff, from start to finish, seemed edgy - but it could have been me. And really, nothing can compare to the thrill of the Beverley Hills Hotel for us. Think twice before staying here,spending this kind of money on a place we always wanted to drive away from really ruined our weekend.

Where to start.....The hotel is a throwback to old Hollywood Glamor. The service is impeccible from the moment you arrive. The rooms are tasteful and complete, and any need you have will be addressed by the management. The hotel bar is amazing and again, a throwback to a more classier era. The food is incredible. The property is one of the most beautiful places you will ever visit. This hotel will take you back to a place where service means something, and the beauty will make you glad you selected the Hotel Bel Air over one of the concrete jungles of today. You truely leave the outside world behind when you enter the property

Truly a place that knows its business. From start to finish, the experience is everything one would want. Arrive at the discrete entrance, an intelligent and interested employee sorts your car and your luggage whilst escorting you across the bridge to check in. The rooms are mainly in single level villas, spread along various winding pathways in beautiful and immaculate gardens - so there's noise neither from above nor nearby, and it never feels crowded as you make you way through the hotel. Every detail is carefully attended to - the valet parking noticed I opened the roof on my car, so afterwards always delivered it to me with the roof ready down, the rubbish cleared out, fresh bottles of chilled water in the cup holders. The pool attendant placed a towel on the ladder the moment I dived in - and had everything from fruit to sun lotion and magazines to hand in case you wanted it. The concierges really made the place. Tickets for the Getty Villa, arrangements for the best studio tour you can get, advice on good routes to destinations for seeing interesting stuff along the way, all this and much more. The best was to describe a type of skateboard I wanted to take back as a gift, but didn't know the name of - and come back to my room to find one sitting on the desk. Rooms are excellently specced out and every one of the staff was of the highest calibre - from the gardener I asked about some work they were doing to the parking staff, the bar waiters - and of course those concierges.

I am relatively new to this travel site and find it wonderful for information on locations around the world. I am trying to catch up on relaying my experiences on our travels this past year. We have had some wonderful experiences and have been very fortunate to find boutique hotels that offer so much more than the "chain hotels" of the past. Although this hotel has been around for some time, this was our first experience and we we were very pleased. My daughter and her husband live in Los Angeles and had an event at this hotel last summer. We along with other family members stayed here and we all just loved it! There is an "old hollywood" star quality to this place. It is hidden in Bel Aire but it is close to so much. Just minutes away from sightseeing and not far from the beach either. Not a beach hotel but I didn't realize how close we were. I believe it was approximately a 40 minute drive to the beach. The grounds were beautiful and we loved the piano bar and restaurant. Strolling around the grounds in the mornings, it was so peaceful. Just a lovely hotel with great service and a boutique ambiance. We loved it!