48 Hours at two of Los Angeles' most legendary addresses

Full reviews of both Dorchester Collection properties in Los Angeles, with my take on what advisor-led travel gets you

Ed. note: This stay was arranged in partnership with SmartFlyer and the Dorchester Collection. As always, I only share experiences that I genuinely love, and all opinions and recommendations are entirely my own. Thank you for reading and supporting my work!

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I’d already been in Los Angeles for a couple days thanks to a United Airlines media event, which meant a full day of flying across the country (plus a demo flight!), back-to-back presentations, hands-on experiences, and pretty much non-stop socializing. On top of that, it’d been actual months since I’d felt the sun on my skin. So when I had the opportunity to tack on a couple more nights after the work just to be in the warm embrace of LA, I had exactly one agenda: get horizontal somewhere next to a pool and stay there as long as possible.

What followed was one night each at The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air: both part of the Dorchester Collection, both arranged through my partnership with SmartFlyer. The Dorchester Collection, a very exclusive group, operates some of the world's most significant hotels in cities like London, Paris, Milan, Rome, and Dubai. In the United States, they have exactly two properties. The entire American footprint of one of the world’s most selective hotel collections fits within a single Los Angeles zip code—and I stayed at both within 48 hours.

One is the kind of place you go to see and be seen. The other is a private estate that also happens to offer room service. Both are legendary, but nothing about them is alike.

Read on for:

• A full review of both stays, including the pool experience at each property and why they’re not interchangeable

• The room upgrade that wouldn't have existed if I'd booked direct

• The one property between the two I'd return to without hesitation, and why

• What you can expect when you book through SmartFlyer

At a Glance

🌴 The Beverly Hills Hotel: The Pink Palace on Sunset Boulevard, aka Old Hollywood’s living room. There’s nearly a century of mythology built into this property between the banana leaf wallpaper that anyone would recognize, the Polo Lounge, and a pool that has probably witnessed more industry deals than most boardrooms. On property: a full-service hair salon, the iconic Fountain Coffee Room, cabana dining at the Cabana Cafe, and 23 private bungalows dotted throughout the gardens. This is the buzzy one, a place to see and be seen. (starting rates ~$1,200/night)

🦢 Hotel Bel-Air: Tucked into 12 acres of landscaped gardens in the hillside overlooking Beverly Hills. You cross a footbridge over a stream that opens to a small pool of swans to get to the entrance; it feels as if it functions like a moat, which really sets the tone. The city seems to stop existing almost immediately. You feel insulated, like you’re half a world away. Luxury here looks like king-sized beds dressed in Fili d'Oro Egyptian cotton, an iconic oval pool heated to 82 degrees year-round, a patisserie, and dining that moves seamlessly from the elegant restaurant to the al fresco terrace to the piano bar. This is the private one, a place to relax and recuperate among nature. (starting rates ~$1,000/night)

Both are part of the Dorchester Collection: one of the most selective luxury hotel groups in the world, with just over a dozen properties chosen for cultural significance and individual character rather than scalability. You’ll find them in London, Paris, Milan, Rome, Dubai. And in the United States, there’s just two: both in Los Angeles, both on my itinerary. Beyond their shared collection, the two properties have almost nothing in common, which is exactly why staying at both, back to back, is such a revealing exercise in understanding what luxury actually means to you.

Nothing captures the philosophy of each hotel better than how they choose to greet you

Booking through an advisor

Booking through a SmartFlyer advisor gets you things that booking direct won’t. Like early check-in, which at both of these properties I was able to secure by noon and 1pm respectively. This alone makes all the difference when you’re only staying one night at a property and want to maximize your time there! They were also able to secure a room upgrade for me at Bel-Air, which moved me from a deluxe room into the Canyon Suite: a MASSIVE difference. There can also be welcome amenities on arrival, and critically, your reservation is flagged before you arrive, which means the hotel knows who you are and has thought about what your stay should look like before you walk through the door.

Unfortunately, none of that is guaranteed when you book direct, even at this price point. That’s the practical use case for choosing to work with an advisor when staying at properties like these—not the fantasy of having someone else plan your trip for you, but the concrete difference it makes to what you actually experience and feel when you get there. I’ve learned that personalization in hospitality makes all the difference between a 5-star stay being memorable or mid.

Two properties, one amazing trip. Here's what two nights actually looked like, and what they taught me about what I'm really looking for in a hotel stay.

The Beverly Hills Hotel: the buzzy one

It’s truly wild to try to wrap your head around the fact that The Beverly Hills Hotel has been part of Old Hollywood lore for over 100 years now, since before Beverly Hills was even officially incorporated as a city.

Before you even realize you’ve driven under the porte cochere, your car door is whisked open by a bellhop who makes your luggage disappear on a golden valet cart. Like a magic trick, it arrives at your room the same time you do. A long carpet outstretched before you leads you up to the entrance; all that’s left to do is strut. And given the hotel’s guest list, it makes sense that of all colors, it’s red. For some guests, it’ll be their first and only time on a carpet this color. But in this town, for most, it’s old hat.

And it tracks that such a mythological hotel feels larger than life, even for those who haven’t stayed here. The sunny pink facade on Sunset Boulevard. The banana leaf wallpaper that’s sparked a thousand imitations. The Polo Lounge and poolside cabanas, where Hollywood’s been closing deals for a century. This is one hotel you feel you know before you ever step foot inside.

I was arriving from another hotel in town, so I was able to drop-in early. At any other hotel, you’d have to wait until the afternoon—sometimes as late as 4pm—for your room to be ready. But because I booked through Smartflyer, I was able to check in at Noon. I cannot emphasize enough: when you’re only staying somewhere for one night and want to make the most of your time, this kind of thing makes all the difference.

I was escorted up to the third floor to room 302, a deluxe room, and made myself at home. The details I loved: fruit platters and juice waiting for me alongside handwritten welcome notes, a king bed tucked into a cozy nook, a marble bathroom, and the logo crest embroidered on the robe and slippers. After dropping my things, I made a beeline for the pool, which I’d recommend you spend most of your stay here at.

The pool at BHH is social in the best way. There’s a buzz to it, a sense that something is always slightly happening, without feeling chaotic. I didn’t jump in, but had I dove under the water, I would have likely heard music, thanks to the pool’s underwater speakers. Instead, I went the gastronomy route, enjoying a truly massive club sandwich and splitting truffle fries with my friend Kathryn Zahorak who came to join me.

That evening I knew I had to go to Polo Lounge for dinner. Whether to sit inside or outside was a tough call—each offers a special kind of ambiance—but I opted for the courtyard to expose myself to as much of the lovely California weather as I could. (It was the right call.) This dinner was also a small milestone for me, being the first time I’d gone out to dine at a restaurant alone. I know! But there’s something about the Polo Lounge specifically that made it feel less strange. It’s a room that has absorbed a century of people being very absorbed in themselves. You really fit right in.

The next morning, I went back to the pool to get some work done before checking out (rough life!) and ended up staying longer than I planned just to keep soaking in the vibes. The energy there is infectious in the best way.

Hotel Bel-Air: the private one

Hotel Bel-Air is the other kind of LA luxury entirely: private, peaceful, personal. This place has its own kind of cinema, just with the pomp & circumstance stripped away. Here, serenity takes center stage.

It’s Dorchester, so of course the same luggage magic trick happens when you arrive. But instead of the red carpet beckoning you inside, there’s a footbridge that crosses over a stream. The moat-like feeling is the first sign that you’re stripping the city away; it’s the first layer of privacy you’ll see, but won’t be the last. To your right as you cross, if you’re lucky, you’ll spot swans. Which, to me, amplified the tranquility.

Around you: twelve acres of gardens, winding stone paths, flowers blooming in every direction, twinkling fairy lights wrapped around citrus trees heavy with fruit. You don’t feel the city at all—its traffic, noise, and chaos have all but vanished—which in Los Angeles might be the rarest luxury of all.

I checked in at 1pm and was delighted to hear I was upgraded from a deluxe room to the Canyon Suite: all limestone floors, wooden ceilings, and—incredibly—a huge outdoor terrace complete with a private spa pool and a fireplace, which I was not emotionally prepared for and which has since recalibrated my expectations for all future hotel stays. Where Beverly Hills Hotel is more old Hollywood glamour, Bel-Air is more Earthy, calm contemporary, which is very much my speed (Park Hyatt Kyoto & Chicago have similar design sensibilities). Other delights in the room were the TOTO toilet (IYKYK) and the bed dressed in Fili d’Oro Egyptian cotton, truly the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in (and I don’t say that lightly). Upon waking, I felt changed.

As an aside, I also need to mention: the macarons that were in my room as a welcome gift were the best I’ve ever had. I say this as someone who has eaten them in Paris. I don’t know what they’re doing in that patisserie but I felt like I was stealing eating them for free.

After a proper inspection of the room and all its offerings, the first order of business was, of course, to head straight to the pool. It's not the most famous hotel pool in Los Angeles—that title belongs to its sister property down the hill— but I think it has a better origin story. Its particular oval shape is distinctive: it follows the exact footprint of what was once a horse-riding ring.

After reading a few chapters in my book and finishing off a truly stunning poolside quesadilla (why does everything taste better next to a pool?), I got ready for the evening. As I had a late lunch, I skipped dinner and went straight for drinks.

The bar at Hotel Bel-Air is an old Hollywood institution in the truest sense. It was the sexiest backdrop for a night out: leather alcoves, large-scale portraits of famous personalities on the walls, someone playing jazz on the piano. I ordered the Ophelia (a delicious combination of mezcal, Aperol, pineapple, lime, and habanero) which I enjoyed with another friend who kept me company. A note: dinner at the bar is just as good as dinner at the restaurant, and the atmosphere is better. Sit close to the piano.

Which one I’d return to

If you're asking which one I'd return to again first, it's Bel-Air without hesitation. I'm drawn to places that are quiet and private, that feel tied to a specific sense of place even when, as is the case here, they exist slightly outside of it. The design sensibility is more my speed: warm, contemporary, the kind of interiors that feel considered rather than decorated. The Canyon Suite was unbeatable. The bed was the most comfortable I've slept in, and I travel enough that I don't say that lightly. The macarons. The TOTO toilet. Sipping mezcal to the soundtrack of live jazz piano. The Polo Lounge is iconic, but I think the bar at Hotel Bel-Air is better. Hotel Bel-Air is the kind of place that accumulates on you, detail by detail, until you realize somewhere in the middle of your second drink that you don't want to leave. The Beverly Hills Hotel is a legend worth experiencing, but to me, Hotel Bel-Air is the one worth going back for.

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Tori Simokov is a Travel Writer and Graphic Designer/Strategist based in New York. To get in touch, email tori@v1projects.com. Want more? Check out Instagram, TikTok, or shop her curated favorites.