As a certified luxury addict I’m obsessed with Beverly Hills Hotel

A lingering boycott over its owner, the sultan of Brunei, and his enacting of Shariah law in his country — and return to a time when movies indisputably commanded the culture. Outside the Beverly Hills Hotel, which houses the Polo Lounge, change is washing through moviedom with terrifying speed. (Hollywood’s prize system, long a crucial promotional platform, is crumbling, with the near-abandonment of the Golden Globes as only one example.) Inside the clubby Polo Lounge, however, very little has changed in decades.
It might as well be 1937, when Marlene Dietrich, wearing long gloves, could be seen dispassionately smoking a cigarette at the bar, her mink slung over a stool. “It’s one of the last surviving links to a time when movies still mattered,” said Terry Press, a former president of CBS Films and longtime patron.

The most meal at the Polo Lounge is the McCarthy, famous for its price ($44) and for being chopped so finely that one could almost drink it with a straw.

Polo Lounge — where avocado toast runs $36 — oozes the same extravagance it did in, say, 1998, when 57 million people watched “Titanic” sweep the Academy Awards

Near the Polo Lounge hostess podium, menus have recently been on display from Christmas dinners in the distant past, when moguls and stars apparently washed down “creamed calf’s sweetbreads en casserole” with “frozen apple toddy.”

Barbarians await at the gate. TikTok creators and Instagram influencers have discovered that the hotel’s lawn makes an interesting backdrop.
Mr. Mady, the hotel’s general manager, tensed up when asked about the social media crowd. “We’re not proud of that,” he said. “We’re trying our best to curb it.”

Marilyn Monroe preferred Bungalow 1 for its ultra-secluded location, while Frank Sinatra often called #22 home and John Lennon and Yoko Ono liked #10 (so did Donald Trump). Gloria Swanson holed out in a bungalow after one of her divorces (she had five of them), while Elizabeth Taylor loved them so much she spent 6 (out of 8) honeymoons there, usually in #5. Howard Hughes, who lived in a bungalow on-and-off for 30 years, never wanted anyone to know which one he was in so he booked several others under his name. The only person always privy to his real location was the hotel chef, who was often woken in the middle of the night to fix Hughes a late-night snack.

Over the last few years, the hotel has undergone an extensive project, courtesy of T&C master of design Alexandra Champalimaud, to renovate and redesign these iconic bungalows to pay homage to their respective guests. Sinatra’s Bungalow 22, for example, has a midcentury Palm Springs-esque interior (the singer had an estate there) furnished with a grand piano (naturally) and outdoor fireplace.

The bathroom of Monroe’s Bungalow 1 is stocked with Chanel No. 5 toiletries (since we know that’s supposedly all she wore to bed) while the library has her films. Bungalow 5, where Elizabeth Taylor spent a lot of time with Richard Burton, is one of the most luxuriously appointed of the bunch, with its own jacuzzi and pool, plus chandeliers and other touches made to mimic the many magnificent jewels Burton bought for her.

The latest to join the party is Bungalow 9, which has been inspired by Charlie Chaplin. Among the themed amenities are a library of his books, a cocktail kit (a drink in his honor was created around 1920 at the Waldorf Astoria that called for sloe gin, apricot brandy, and lemon juice served in a highball with club soda), and a welcome chocolate dessert inspired by his movies.

The two bedroom space is done up in clean lines and beige tones with subtle hints at the silent movie star’s quirky personality through eclectic prints, paintings, and objets.

Guide rate: $7000 / night

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Tour of the Beverly Hills Hotel