Hooray For WEST Hollywood
AUGUST 2023 ISSUE
Here, LAUREN ZISCHKE, Senior Entertainment Specialist from the TAG Agency on the Gold Coast, reviews a recent famil to West Hollywood.
WEST HOLLYWOOD is a pocket of LA that buzzes with its own energy, opulence and creativity.
It’s an area that not only embodies its history but screams it at every turn with each hotel shining its own bright light on the golden age, the rock n’ roll age and the new age.
Arriving in the City of Angels refreshed after experiencing Delta’s exceptional premium economy service, we embarked on a four-night stay in this glorious part of the city, West Hollywood.
My colleagues from TAG, Douglas Leitch and Sam La Rosa, along with Paola Zevallos of West Hollywood Tourism + Tourism Board, stayed for two nights at Mondrian Los Angeles to kick start our famil.
With its interpretive Alice in Wonderland theme, the property allowed us to ‘fall through the rabbit hole’ and start our exploration.
The rooms are bountiful in size, exquisitely lit and offer extensive views of the famous LA skyline. The onsite restaurant of Casa Madera is a must regardless of whether you’re staying here or visiting the area.
Mondrian’s pool and Sky Bar are the places to see and be seen, with an afternoon soaking in the rays allowing for a little R&R after a day of exploring.
After a restful night’s sleep, hitting the shops was top of the list.
I can’t recommend enough heading to The Grove and The Original Farmers Market. Yes, they are a short drive away from West Hollywood, but the perfect place to get in the ‘LA Mood’.
Although not as big as the neighbouring Westfield Century City (also highly recommended for those ready to blow their Travelex Card in one day!), The Grove has the most beautiful setting.
A good array of shops, a free ride on the antique trolley and an early brunch around a tranquil lake with music from jazz’s past makes The Grove yet another place to see and be seen.
Next door is the Farmers Market which houses must try foods that speak of LA’s colourful cultures and a French store that will have you questioning how much baggage you can really get on the flight home.
Our second stay was at Sunset Marquis, a living legend of a hotel that allows its music history to shine through. You can’t help but constantly think, ‘if only these walls could talk’.
The property is an oasis in the middle of West Hollywood and truly allows a sense of calm when traversing the shops of Sunset Plaza and diving into a multi-coloured cappuccino at The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker.
The rooms around the main pool will undergo an extensive refurbishment in the coming year, however the villas and private residences have already been touched with a flair of the modernisation that will soon cover the property in its entirety.
Lauren Zischke (second from left)
Again, there is a lightness to the villas, but also the hint of little luxuries, like the faux fur rug on the lounge, the cloud-like bed and the bathrooms that one could almost live in.
Sunset Tower Hotel and its infamous story of past resident John Wayne bringing his cow to the penthouse was a particular highlight when dining at their elegant onsite restaurant, overlooking a small yet charmingly set pool area.
The rooms have a warmth that allow the feeling of the golden age to shine through but still in keeping with today’s modern amenities.
Another property that allows a fun yet sophisticated rooftop pool setting is Pendry West Hollywood. The colourful pop of the property’s foyer right through to its heavily detail-oriented hallways and rooms have the right amount of quirkiness and luxury to appeal to all travellers looking for something different.
With spacious rooms, luxurious bathrooms and Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant, this property will delight even the most discerning of travellers. Did anyone say, Moet vending machine at the entrance? Talk about setting the tone!
For those who are carbon neutral-inclined travellers, you can’t go past 1 Hotel West Hollywood. Upon arrival and descending from the street to its naturally moody yet inviting lobby and bar area, one can simply only take in the beautiful setting.
All rooms have the wonderful bonus of live and healthy-looking plants. That, combined with its views, warm furnishings and healthy mini bar snacks, will reward guests with a sense of wellness throughout their stay.
To compliment the array of ‘spoilt for choice’ luxury properties in West Hollywood, the accessibility to other parts of the city makes the location perfect.
The memorable vistas of Runyon Canyon are only minutes from the area and perfect to walk off the previous night’s cocktails and soak in the rays and views to the water.
The famous stars on the Hollywood Strip and Mann’s Chinese Theatre are easily accessible and again a recommended easy walk from WeHo. Pro tip – first thing in the morning will allow for perfect viewing of the concrete imprints and finding your favourite stars. No crowds!
A visit to the city wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the newly opened Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
The unassuming building houses the history of the movies, including rare scripts, costumes, sets and even the opportunity to hold your very own Oscar.
It’s immersive and intensely interesting and one can’t help but feel surrounded by the magic of the movies. What’s more, the good news is that it’s only a 10-minute drive from WeHO.
West Hollywood has the history of thousands of stories from years past, but what makes it special is its ability to allow travellers from today to create their own tales that will go down in the history of their own exploration books.
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