Dear readers:
You have not been e-mailing me of late. What’s up? Are you not happy with my dinners at Cecconi’s, my love for books on roadside America? Do tell. A blog is all about community building, so if I don’t hear from my peeps I feel lost, abandoned.
Frankly, I am nothing without you.
I want to hear from you, and pronto! Drop me a note at jolivernixon@deltaskymag.com and tell me what’s on your mind. The good, the bad and, especially, the ugly.
With that said, back to my La-La Land adventures: Whilst in LA, I love to stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where I flit about like Eloise at The Plaza at the hotel’s Fountain Coffee Room diner and poolside, but this go-around I checked into a new-ish hostelry, the Montage Beverly Hills. It’s always worth seeing what’s doing at somewhere new, n’est-ce pas? And I had heard rather lovely things about the Montage, so it was time to pay a visit.
And, gee whiz, the Montage Beverly Hills is truly lovely. The location—smack in the center of Beverly Hills’ shopping district on North Canon Drive just north of Wilshire Boulevard—couldn’t be better. And the hotel looks like it has been there for years—but in a good way—thanks to its throwback Mediterranean/Spanish Revival-style architecture, rich woodwork and glorious details.
The service is divine. The rooms are lovely and spacious: Our room had a gracious terrace, and we loved details like the monogrammed “N” and “L” pillows—one for me, Nixon, and one for my partner, John Loecke (see picture at left). There’s a terrific park just outdoors that hosts book readings and offers gobs of café-style chairs (plus, there’s an outpost of celebrity chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon just across the park from the hotel). There’s a terrific rooftop pool with knockout views and a Moroccan-inspired spa, the Spa Montage, where signature services include the body-sculpting treatment that envelops the body in mineral-rich mud and the anti-aging facial that left me refreshed and renewed and looking a few years younger. Plus, the hotel is Gold LEED certified, so you can satisfy your soul at the same time that you lap up the luxury.
If you want to be in the heart of Beverly Hills’ so-called Golden Triangle, the Montage is truly a must!