Four Seasons Beverly Hills Gets Multimillion Dollar Nip & Tuck

We recently visited the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills (technically in West Hollywood, but right next door, who’s counting) to check out what a $33 million renovation looks like, and came away duly impressed.  Always elegant, the hotel previously had maybe just a smidge of dowdiness creeping in around the edges. The new look maintains the sophisticated sheen, but now also adds some sizzle befitting a hotel known for the parade of celebs who stay here, especially this time of year, when the Golden Globes, Grammys and Academy Awards arrive in quick succession.

A case in point is the Four Seasons’ Windows Lounge, long a watering hole for celebs, industry types and those merely cool enough to be in the know. The revamped lounge received some well-appointed nips and tucks, including a sumptuous, organic color shift to vernal green and deep browns.  Other elements raising the chic factor include a backlit photographic glass bar top that displays tropical foliage, a green onyx fireplace positioned in the lounge’s center, and elegant wooden wine cabinets stocked with coveted bottlings like a Chateau Petrus we just happened to notice. Another design element added to take advantage of the California sunshine is an adjacent expanded patio featuring wrought iron cabanas, newly planted orange trees and lush greenery. Upstairs on the 4th floor pool terrace, a personal favorite has also received a refresh: the open-air, downtempo Cabana Restaurant now features a revamped menu divided into both healthful and hedonistic categories such as “Antioxidant” and “Indulgence.”

Guest rooms and suites, though, are where you’ll find some of the most striking changes, with the new design evoking Hollywood’s Golden Era, while adding sleek contemporary touches. Elements include chinoiserie and upholstered headboards, champagne-toned linens, muted hues of warm camel, spring green with accents of plum, and in bathrooms, a flat-screen TV and modern glass shower enclosures.  Presidential suites go loftier to accommodate A-listers, now embellished with Swarovski crystal sconces and chandeliers, a custom-designed chef’s kitchen, walk-in closets and bold artwork. Other areas that received a revamp include the Ballroom, the infinity-edge pool, and the Spa.

Even non-guests, however, have something else to be excited about: the anticipated opening of Culina, scheduled for the first week of March. With a pronounced focus on classic, approachable Italian cuisine, the restaurant will be the first to operate independently in a Four Seasons’ hotel here in the US. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Culina’s menu will include antipasti, handmade pastas, thin-crust pizzas, meat and fish at a reasonable price point. Culina will also feature one of Los Angeles’ only “live-action” crudo bars, allowing guests to watch the creation of this traditional Italian raw seafood preparation (think Sicilian sushi). Consider our appetites whetted.