Montage Beverly Hills

On a prime swath of Los Angeles real estate, this Spanish-style 201-room hotel mixes old-Hollywood touches with modern glam. Mediterranean elements skip from star lanterns and hand-painted tiles to lacy grillwork and brawny furniture with dark wood frames and nailhead trim. Plush and persuasive as they are, Montage’s visuals are not considered to be its sharpest weapon. Neither is the 20,000-square-foot spa, with its sensual whiff of a Moroccan hammam; three restaurants; or 44-foot rooftop pool, which is attended by eight cabanas and faced with approximately 1.32 million individually hand-set mother-of-pearl mosaic tiles. The hotel’s success is based on its impeccable service and amenities. Guests “own” their rooms for 24 hours (the industry norm is 19 to 21 hours). The hotel also offers flexible round-the-clock check-in and checkout.

Room to Book: Those who book a superior suite or above not only get more spacious accommodations, they also have access to the hotel’s fleet of GPS-equipped Mercedes-Benz cars.