The 40 Best Luxury Hotels in Los Angeles

Almost every luxury hotel in Los Angeles has a pool, and many of them are on the roof. For laps with a view, we recommend Beverly Hills: at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, the heated rooftop pool on the 12th floor is long enough for laps, with 360-degree views and VIP cabanas. The Maybourne Beverly Hills has a saltwater lap pool on the 9th floor with Dante Poolside, and on the roof of The Peninsula Beverly Hills you swim in a pool of about 60 feet (18 meters) with ten cabanas.Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills · PoolSkyline from the water’s edge: the heated infinity pool of the Fairmont Century Plaza Los Angeles sits on the roof above Century City. Downtown, you swim at the Conrad Los Angeles on a roof terrace of about 16,000 square feet with views over the city, and at The Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles the pool and whirlpool are on the 26th floor.The Langham Huntington Pasadena · PoolLegendary pools at ground level: at the Hotel Bel-Air Los Angeles, the heated oval pool of 23 by 10 meters, where Marilyn Monroe was photographed for Vogue, has been there for more than 75 years. The pool at The Beverly Hills Hotel began in 1938 as the Sand and Pool Club and today has green-and-white striped loungers and private cabanas. At The Langham Huntington Pasadena you swim in the historic Lanai Pool from 1926, in the shadow of the Picture Bridge.

On the Pacific: the Terranea Resort has four saltwater pools above the ocean, including the Cielo Point Pool for adults 21 and over. In Marina del Rey, the heated saltwater pool of The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey sits right on the marina, with a whirlpool and cabanas. Tell our travel advisors whether you want to swim laps or lounge by the water – and we will find the 5-star hotel in Los Angeles with the right pool.

The big hotel spas of the city have room for a whole afternoon. For an extensive thermal area, we recommend the Fairmont Century Plaza Los Angeles: its spa covers about 14,000 square feet with nine treatment rooms, a hammam, a Himalayan salt room, a sauna and a sanarium. At The Maybourne Beverly Hills, the spa has a mineral pool and separate sauna and steam areas, and at The Langham Huntington Pasadena the Chuan Spa bases its treatments on the five-element theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine.The Langham Huntington Pasadena · SpaFor skincare with big names, we recommend Beverly Hills. At the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, the spa by La Prairie works with Skin Caviar in six private treatment rooms. The Peninsula Beverly Hills offers products by Biologique Recherche, a spa cabana with a cold plunge and a couples’ suite, and at L'Ermitage Beverly Hills the Joanna Czech Studio treats guests with the methods of the well-known skin expert.Terranea Resort · PoolIf you choose your luxury hotel in Los Angeles for a spa with an ocean view, book the Terranea Resort: its oceanfront spa has whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms and a heated 25-meter pool for guests 18 and over. For recovery and high tech, we recommend the Conrad Los Angeles, with an infrared sauna, recovery cabins and a Gharieni wavetable, and at The Sun Rose West Hollywood you can even book a massage by the Aescape robot.

Prices start at 174 € at the Hotel Figueroa Los Angeles and go up to 1,280 € at The Maybourne Beverly Hills; half of the hotels cost no more than 337 € a night. The table shows a selection of 25 luxury hotels from all areas and price ranges. You will find all other luxury hotels in Los Angeles, with their current rates, in the hotel list below.

What is included almost everywhere: breakfast – at 20 hotels as breakfast for two, for example at the restaurant Lumière of the Fairmont Century Plaza Los Angeles, and at 19 more as a daily credit of 20 to 60 US dollars. At all 40 hotels, the benefits apply from the first night.

Upgrade and check-in: an upgrade subject to availability is offered at 38 of the 40 hotels, usually on arrival; some confirm it at booking, such as The Peninsula Beverly Hills. Early check-in and late check-out are possible almost everywhere, subject to availability, and there via Peninsula Time even from 6 a.m. and until 10 p.m., if you share your times at least three days before arrival.

With the hotel credit, it pays to look closely. Most hotels add 100 US dollars, some for food and drinks only. If you book a suite, you receive another 100 US dollars at The Maybourne Beverly Hills from the Library Suite up and at the Terranea Resort in Ocean Suites, bungalows, casitas and villas for stays of two nights or more. At The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey the credit is for leisure activities, and at the Andaz West Hollywood a resort fee applies that is not included in taxes and fees.

Points and status: 32 of the 40 luxury hotels in Los Angeles belong to a loyalty program. Marriott Bonvoy has 15 hotels, IHG One Rewards and World of Hyatt four each, Hilton Honors three, ALL (Accor) and I Prefer two each, and the Leaders Club and Brilliant by Langham one each. You earn double Hilton Honors points at the Conrad Los Angeles, the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and the Cameo Beverly Hills.

When it is at its best: Los Angeles is a year-round destination, and many pools are heated – the rooftop pool at L'Ermitage Beverly Hills to 86 °F all year, the rooftop pool at The Shay Culver City to about 92 °F. During awards season the stars meet in The Club Bar at The Peninsula Beverly Hills; for those weeks, it is best to book early.

How long to stay: for a 5-star hotel in Los Angeles, we recommend five to six nights, ideally split between two addresses: first Beverly Hills, West Hollywood or Downtown for culture, shopping and restaurants, then a few days by the ocean in Santa Monica, Malibu or on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.