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Spa at the Beverly Wilshire combo's Hollywood glam with spa serenity.
January 17, 2011
There’s something very “Hollywood” about walking down Rodeo Drive and into the lobby of the landmark Beverly Wilshire Hotel, so when Jennifer Cooke invited me to drop by for a visit, I was thrilled.
Located at the junction of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Blvd, the Beverly Wilshire Hotel was built in 1928 and has been operated by Four-Seasons since 1992. The years have taken it through several renovations and the addition of a new wing, but it still has that grand and glamorous feel. Despite the many movie stars and celebrities who have stayed here over the years, the hotel today is mostly associated with the movie Pretty Woman (starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gear) and that’s exactly how this writer felt when she recently spent the better part of a day.
Their fabulous new pool area – opened in 2010 and where I lounged before and after my spa treatment – was modeled after Sophia Loren’s pool at her Italian villa.
There are half-dozen cabanas, several rows of lounge chairs, two Moroccan day beds set against walls covered in shimmering Mother-of-Pearl mosaic tile (picture on right), and potted plants and hybrid orange/lemon trees strategically placed to create a small sense of pool-side privacy.
It’s an extremely pleasant place to spend the better part of the day and the best news is that the pool area, the two-story gym and the pool-side restaurant are all accessible to the spa’s day guests. As a nod to the healthy-minded, the café also has a Wellness selection on the menu.
Conveniently located just around the corner from the pool and cafe, the spa is a pretty and serene space and, surprisingly, not at all intimidating. European, Indian, Thai and Balinese philosophies are all represented on the Espa-designed menu as are more modern treatments including the famed Kate Somerville Facial ($390 for 90-minutes). There’s even a little humour: the Fix Your Glitch Quick will treat your Crampberry Crises or Techi-Neck.
It’s not a large spa, just nine-treatment rooms spread over 8,000 square feet, but it has a spacious feel to it.
The ladies’ locker room has a private wet area with a beautiful, mosaic-tiled steam room, experiential showers and an ice fountain. The centerpiece of the locker room is a lovely vanity area – very glam. And the heart of the spa is a curved, dimly lit space embracing a large amethyst crystal.
The Tranquility Lounge – the room where guests wait for the therapist to come fetch them - is blissfully quiet with subdued lighting and very comfortable lounge chairs with faux fur throws. A treatment really begins in this room. Added value tip: Arrive early and take advantage of the Tranquility Lounge for a pre-treatment nap!
Prices here are in line with those at other luxury, five-star hotels: $165 for a 60-minute massage, $190 for a 60-minute facial, and $45 for a manicure.
One of their newest treatments is the Shellac pedi, a new product from CND. It’s a little more expensive for this special pedi - $150 instead of $85 for a classic pedicure - but what you pay for is a shinier, longer lasting pedicure - much like you get with gel nails.
Much to everyone’s surprise, mine included, the procedure seems a bit backwards – the treatment begins with the polish application and ends with a foot soak and foot brushing. But it seems to work. So far, after four days wearing the Shallac product, it still has then “newly polished” look.
It will be interesting to see if the look lasts the full month.
At the time of my visit the pedicure, manicure room is nothing special – chairs and equipment are simply set up in a converted treatment room, but Jennifer promises that by this summer the spa will have a fancy new pedicure and manicure space – beautiful and stylish in keeping with the rest of the spa.
And, if you REALLY want to do it up Pretty Woman style, check out the Malibu Beach Cabana Day Package. For $1,750, the package includes a full day in a private pool side cabana, lunch, 60-minute massages, a bottle of Champagne and spa robes – all for two, of course.
The Spa at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Los Angeles
Top of The Spa at the Beverly Wilshire
