About this hotel
General information
Hotel Bel-Air lies tucked into Stone Canyon among nearly five hectares of gardens planted with 483 specimen trees and more than 4,000 plants. A footbridge crosses the swan lake, and the mission-style main building began life as the planning office of Alphonzo Bell, who created the Bel-Air neighbourhood. In 1946 hotelier Joseph Drown and architect Burton Schutt turned the estate into a secluded hotel, and Hollywood has been coming ever since.
Part of Dorchester Collection since 2008, the hotel was reworked over two years by Alexandra Champalimaud and the Rockwell Group, and all 103 rooms and suites keep the feel of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Most open straight onto the gardens rather than onto corridors. Besides a restaurant, a bar, a pâtisserie and a lobby lounge, there is a Valmont spa, the famous oval pool and seven event spaces, indoors and out.
Location
The hotel stands at 701 Stone Canyon Road in Bel Air, about 1.6 km west of Beverly Hills and 800 m from Sunset Boulevard. Rodeo Drive and Century City are around 10 minutes by car, and Los Angeles International Airport and the beaches 30–40 minutes; the concierge arranges transfers.
Spa
The Spa at Hotel Bel-Air works with the Swiss brand Valmont for facials, massages and body treatments. It has seven treatment rooms, The Enclave — a private space for two with a marble soaking tub and a shaded patio — separate men’s and women’s steam rooms, a nail suite and a Joseph Hair & Beauty salon. Children under 12 can book nail services only, with a parent present.
Sports & leisure
Guests have 24-hour use of a fitness studio with cardio machines, weight machines, free weights and yoga mats. Days tend to revolve around the heated pool, picnics can be laid out by the swan lake, and the Bar & Lounge has live music every evening beneath Norman Seeff’s photographs. From 8am to 9pm the house car takes guests anywhere within 5 km at no charge.
For children
Children are welcome at The Restaurant and at the pool, which is open to families throughout the day (under-16s with an adult). An extra bed fits in most rooms, and some have a complimentary sofa bed.
Restaurants & bars
The cooking is modern Californian with a Mediterranean accent:
- The Restaurant at Hotel Bel-Air — seasonal, locally sourced cooking for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, with alcoves over the swan lake, a terrace, a private room for 18 and the tortilla soup that has been on the menu since 1980
- Bar & Lounge — cocktails, caviar and an evening menu by the fireplace and grand piano, with live music nightly; adults only
- The Living Room — the garden-inspired lobby lounge, serving afternoon tea from Friday to Sunday
- The Pâtisserie — a Parisian-style bakery led by executive pastry chef Christophe Rull, with coffee, pastries and house-made gelato in the courtyard
Light dishes and cocktails are served by the pool, and in-room dining runs 24 hours.
Swimming
The 23 × 10 m oval pool was built in the 1940s on the site of a former riding ring and has been the hotel’s emblem ever since: Marilyn Monroe was photographed here for Vogue, and Dean Martin opens the 1965 film The Silencers at its edge. It is heated to 27.8 °C all year and open to hotel guests only from 8am to 6pm, with loungers, shades, towels and sunscreen provided and seasonal treats brought round hourly in summer.
Pets
Up to two house-trained dogs can stay in a room, and are given a bowl, a bed and treats. Dogs must be kept on a leash outdoors and never left alone, and only service animals are admitted to The Restaurant.
Rooms
The 103 rooms and suites are dressed in Hollywood Regency style, with the hotel’s signature limestone floors, natural wood ceilings and fireplaces in many rooms. Most open directly onto the gardens, many with a patio or balcony, and the larger suites add outdoor plunge pools and whirlpools.
Each room has a king bed dressed in Fili d’Oro Egyptian cotton, a work desk with media hub, a marble bathroom with bathtub and built-in TV, a Nespresso machine, a Bang & Olufsen speaker, complimentary Wi-Fi and water at turndown.
Superior Room
A light-filled room at the heart of the hotel with a king bed and garden views, limestone floors and a wood ceiling.
Deluxe Room
A room hidden among the gardens with a king bed, a work area and a deep bathtub, looking onto greenery.
Deluxe Room with Patio
A Californian-style room with a king bed and its own garden patio; it can connect to a neighbouring room.
Grand Deluxe King with Patio and Fireplace
A king room with a fireplace in the sitting area and French doors onto a private garden patio.
Loft Studio
An open-plan studio above the spa with vaulted ceilings, a double-sided fireplace, a freestanding bathtub and a balcony; king bed.
Canyon Studio
A studio on the canyon hillside whose retractable glass walls open onto a large patio with fireplace and plunge pool; king bed.
Junior Suite
A bright suite with a fireplace, a spacious living area (some with sofa bed), a French oak ceiling and garden views.
Junior Pool Suite
A poolside suite with its own entrance, a private patio and a generous living area; king bed.
Bel-Air Suite with Patio
A mid-century Southern California suite with a working fireplace, a living area with sofa bed (some with a dining room), a private entrance and a garden patio.
Canyon Suite with Plunge Pool and Fireplace
A hillside suite above Stone Canyon Road with a sliding glass wall onto a patio with plunge pool and outdoor fireplace; canyon views.
Two-Bedroom Bel-Air Suite with Balcony
Two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a separate living room with sofa bed and French windows, and a private balcony, in vintage Hollywood style.
Premier Canyon Suite with Plunge Pool and Fireplace
A Golden Age-styled suite on the canyon hillside with a generous patio, a plunge pool and an outdoor fireplace.
Grand Suite
One of the hotel’s signature suites: a large living room with fireplace and wood ceiling, deep window seats and a private patio.
Swan Lake Suite
Set above the swan lake, with hand-embroidered wall coverings, a crystal chandelier, a bay window, a fireplace, a garden patio and a whirlpool.
Patio Suite
A bright suite with an unusual floor plan, a living room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a patio with whirlpool; garden views.
Grace Kelly Suite
A cream-toned, 1940s-inspired suite with a vaulted living room and fireplace, a patio with plunge pool, a whirlpool, a main bathroom and a guest half bath.
Stone Canyon Suite
A residential suite with a study, dining area, kitchenette, two marble bathrooms, a wood-burning fireplace indoors and another on the patio with whirlpool.
The Bell Suite
Named after Alphonzo Bell: a carved wooden vaulted ceiling, a fireplace, a kitchen and dining room for eight, a private lift and a balcony.
Two-Bedroom Chalon Suite
One of the largest suites, with a mural-painted living room and wood-burning fireplace, two bedrooms (one opening onto the patio), two marble bathrooms, a walk-in wardrobe and a terrace with whirlpool.
Presidential Suite
A secluded residence with a private courtyard and infinity pool: a vaulted living room with monolithic fireplace and grand piano, a study, a chef’s kitchen, a dressing room, two marble bathrooms and a patio with whirlpool.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.