insideKENT Magazine Issue 83 - February 2019 | Page 117

GETAWAYS CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ CONT. The Beverly Hills Hotel Where The Bel Air is the place the elite go to escape, The Beverly Hills Hotel is the place to see and be seen. The iconic signage at the entrance to the driveway off Sunset Boulevard heralded our arrival at the hotel that has been the go-to playground – a place where guests were “entitled to the best of everything, regardless of cost” – for Hollywood’s famous and infamous for over a century. We pulled up, valets and concierge appeared by magic and the signature red carpet enticed us from the front steps past large heritage framed photographs to the grand lobby beyond. So caught up in the magic and fanfare, my eldest whispered, “this is what it’s like to be famous” to a nodding and awestruck 4 year old. Inside was a hive of activity: business meetings, a photoshoot for a new fashion line, tours of the venue for event planners and a myriad of guests eager to experience the place deemed as one of the best to live like Hollywood royalty. A place where deals have been made in the renowned Polo Lounge restaurant, romances have been conducted in secret in the secluded bungalows and where guests have partied at the stunning poolside cocktail bar having caught the sunset from the terrace of Bar Nineteen12, named in honour of the hotel’s opening year. Walking into our glamorous high-ceilinged Junior Suite, the kids made the immediate bee-line to the huge pull-out bed, jumped in with their Beverly Hills Hotel teddy bears, switched on the flatscreen and ploughed into the huge bowls of popcorn and gummy bears and the jug of milk that had been left just for them, affording us much-needed ‘us’ time to relax and get ready for an evening of dinner and exploring. The next morning, we woke to more streams of LA sunshine and immediately headed through the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Polo Lounge with its dark green candy striped ceiling to the outdoor Polo Patio for breakfast. With pretty white iron chairs set against pale pink walls amongst an array of palm trees, green foliage and delicate pink flowers, it’s no wonder the patio is regarded as one of LAs prettiest outdoor dining spots. Morning dining here was a laid-back affair – newspapers, coffee, juice and a menu heaving with classic homely dishes including oatmeal, eggs Benedict and bagels, from which we chose the Polo Lounge signature homemade granola with macadamias, pine nuts and banana, and the huge stack of buttermilk pancakes with Tahitian vanilla butter. Whilst once again the children worked their way through a breakfast of fruits, scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon and maple syrup. One last start-the-day coffee, shades on, and we headed out into the glorious sunshine ready for the next part of our Californian adventure. Hotel Beverly Hills 9641 Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California 90210 [email protected] www.dorchestercollection.com/en/los- angeles/the-beverly-hills-hotel/ BevHillsHotel Beverlyhillshotel BevHillsHotel 117