The welcome
Compared to the brand’s other hotels, this Peninsula looks more like a large mansion, set back from South Santa Monica Boulevard off a small circular driveway and surrounded by landscaped grounds. Check-in is easy, and soon after being shown to my room, a fresh juice of my choosing arrives on a silver platter. I’m most delighted by my pillowcase, which is monogrammed with my initials (something that the hotel does for frequent or VIP guests).
The neighbourhood
Near the relatively quiet intersection at Wilshire Boulevard, The Peninsula is up there with the nearby Beverly Wilshire in the Hollywood firmament, albeit a little more removed and hence more private (the villas will appeal to families from our region). Rodeo Drive is a 10-minute walk away, or take a ride in the complimentary Rolls-Royce.
The room
My deluxe room is like a bright, small apartment, with French doors and a Juliet balcony overlooking the tops of lemon trees. My bed is decorated with a princess canopy, in the same flower-print fabric as the curtains. The room has a fax machine and printer (a Peninsula standard), and if the Bose CD player doesn’t do the trick, you can borrow a Beats by Dre Bluetooth speaker and wireless headphones.
The service
Warm and smoothly efficient, from the white-capped page boys on up. The concierge works the phones to get me a coveted spot at celebrity manicurist Olive & June and prints detailed directions for a morning walk in Runyon Canyon.
The scene
A mix of Old and New Hollywood, with power breakfasters in The Belvedere restaurant and platinum-blonde ladies who lunch under umbrellas at The Roof Garden, near the cabana-lined rooftop pool. In the run-up to the Oscars this month, the Peninsula is a hub for celebrities, where designers, seamstresses and a jeweller set up shop to style them for the ceremony. The Peninsula Academy also offers guests Hollywood-themed experiences for an extra cost.
The food
The Mediterranean menu at The Belvedere, which underwent a revamp last year, includes well-rendered Middle Eastern dishes such as shakshouka (US$18 [Dh66]) and grass-fed lamb tagine with golden raisin couscous ($40 [Dh147]). The charred Caesar, with crispy Brussels sprouts and kale ($19 [Dh70]), is the best and most inventive dish I have had in ages. Afternoon tea in The Living Room, with musical accompaniment by a harpist, is the kind The Peninsula is known for; order the Imperial Tea ($78 [Dh287]) and it comes with a caviar canapé and a Peninsula “page boy cap cake” wrapped to take home. Breakfast is served in The Belvedere or The Roof Garden: try the heaping huevos rancheros with corn tortillas ($22 [Dh81]).
Loved
The list of Best Picture Oscars, dating back to 1929, which you can order to watch on the Blue-ray Disc player. Mine was delivered with popcorn that had real truffle shavings.
Hated
My room didn’t have a Nespresso machine or similar, but there was complimentary coffee for takeaway in the lobby.
The verdict
One of The Peninsula’s most unique properties, this A-list oasis makes you feel at home in Beverly Hills.
The bottom line
Rooms at The Peninsula Beverly Hills (beverlyhills.peninsula.com) cost from $690 (Dh2,534), including taxes, Wi-Fi and flexible check-in/out.
This review was done at the invitation of the hotel.
mgannon@thenational.ae
