Our favourite hotel, The Beverly Hills Hotel, part of Dorchester Collection, celebrates its 110th anniversary this year. With its romantic turrets, lush gardens and candyfloss pink walls, the Pink Palace is an icon of Los Angeles is like something from a fairytale. Stars of the silver screen gravitate here like moths to a flame, from Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor to Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Aniston.
It is celebrating its 110th anniversary with a series of special activities, celebrations, and events – from anniversary cocktails and an extraordinary spin on the famous McCarthy Salad, to the Beverly Hills Manicure and an Elizabeth Taylor x Bert Stern exhibition.
When the ‘Pink Palace’ opened in 1912, the hotel was the first official landmark in Beverly Hills before the city itself was founded in 1914. It quickly became a second home for Hollywood royalty including Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, Buster Keato, Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon and The Beatles. Stars came here to party, to hide away in the bungalows and to celebrate their Oscar wins or album launches.
Oh if the walls of The Beverly Hills Hotel could talk, the magic it has witnessed. Booth 1 at the Polo Lounge was Charlie Chaplin’s personal favourite and The Beatles once snuck in via the pool area so the paparazzi couldn’t catch them.
It is also the place where Marlene Dietrich, a regular guest and one-time resident of the hotel forced them to change the “no slacks for women” dress code by refusing to wear a skirt.
The Beverly Hills Hotel has played a huge role in so many lives, a home away from home. One night was never enough, many guests would go on to take up residence at the hotel, including billionnaire Howard Hughes who stayed on and off in one of the bungalows for 30 years.
Celebrate 11 decades of magic in style with one of The Beverly Hills Hotel’s special offerings this year.
Bert Stern x Elizabeth Taylor Exhibition:
The Beverly Hills Hotel served as a backdrop to Elizabeth Taylor’s life in California dating back to her childhood. The Beverly Hills Hotel’s famed bungalows was where Elizabeth Taylor stayed following six of her eight weddings. After her passing in 2011, Elizabeth Taylor’s family hosted a private memorial service in the star’s favourite Bungalow 5, which has been recently renamed ‘Elizabeth Taylor’s Bungalow 5.’
Guests and locals will have a chance to discover a variety of images featuring Elizabeth Taylor photographed by Bert Stern in a rare exhibition taking place in the lobby at the hotel. The hotel’s commission from the exhibition will go to the Elizabeth Taylor Foundation.
Available until 30 September.
Anniversary Cocktails:
Toast to 110 years of legendary history, the bartenders at The Beverly Hills Hotel have created a tempting selection of cocktails at the Polo Lounge and The Cabana Cafe.
Try ‘Elizabeth’s Chocolate Martini’ or the ‘Mary Pickford’ with rum, pineapple juice, Luxardo Maraschino and grenadine. Other cocktails include, ‘The Rat Pack’, ‘The Pink Lady’ and ‘The Trailblazer’.
Available until 31 October.
$1912 McCarthy Salad:
The hotel’s most celebrated dish is the McCarthy salad, first created in the 1940s for frequent guest and polo player Neil McCarthy. For a special twist on this signature recipe, guests can give their salads a Hollywood upgrade for $1,912.
The upgraded salad will be adorned with gold leaf, fresh lobster and caviar, and served with a celebratory bottle of Dom Pérignon in a beautiful Bernadaud French porcelain commemorative bowl, which guests can take home with them.
The design is inspired by the hotel’s Martinique print that has adorned its walls since 1949. A portion of the proceeds will go to the LA Conservancy, in honour of the hotels’ legendary architect Paul Revere Williams.
Available until 30 December.
Beverly Hills Manicure and Nail Design:
The Beverly Hills Hotel Spa manicurists have taken inspiration from the hotel’s iconic aesthetic to create whimsical new designs featuring the pink and white stripes and banana leaf print adorning the hotel walls.
Guests will indulge in a 60-minute Beverly Hills Manicure followed by custom nail design by one of the expert technicians. Priced at $110.
Available until 30 December.
The Beverly Hills Hotel
9641 Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
