On the last leg of our Southern California trip we decided to splash out a little bit and stay at the Four Seasons at Beverly Hills. I must admit that, while the hotel has failed to impress me, it is undeniably an excellent place which no doubt deserves its high rating and category.

All in all it has been a great experience and whereas I can't help feeling the hotel lacked "something" as opposed to other high end places I have stayed in, it deserves all the praise it gets from reviewers. To sum up the pros and the cons:

PROS:

-Sensational staff, both at the hotel's entrance, at front desk (Nadia and Kaisha-not sure about the spelling, sorry- in our case) and at the hotel's bar and restaurants (some of them spoke Spanish to boot). You certainly feel special.
-The lobby, lounges, elevators and hotel's gardens are exquisitely designed. And the tasteful atmosphere was further increased but the hotel's discreet albeit charming Christmas decoration.
-Superb hotel bar, cocktails prepared with expertise and great beer selection in a very cosy atmosphere. Don't expect celebrity-like clientele, though, at least during the evenings.
-Tasty breakfast with plenty to choose from, exquisitely prepared. The Culina restaurant, where breakfast was served, had a great setting as well.
-Excellent location, close to Wilshire Boulevard, within walking distance to both the Rodeo Drive area and Robertson Boulevard, as well as the bars around Santa Monica Boulevard. If you felt energetic, you could also walk to the Sunset Strip by following Doheny Drive. For those who are not avid walkers like us the hotel provides a complimentary car to areas located within 1 mile of the property (we did not use it, even if walking in LA can be a daunting experience).
-Very good pool and fitness facilities.

CONS:

Not too many to choose from but I think they are worth highlighting due to the hotel's costs and category.

-First of all, I found the hotel's outside appearance does not do it justice. Having visited other Four Seasons around the world or walked by other high end hotels in LA, I must say this one's outside look is quite disappointing, it reminded me of those concrete blocks you can find along the Southern Spanish coast. Of course what matters is what the hotel is like on the inside, but I think I should point this out.
-Room: we opted for a superior room and I feel we should have upgraded to another category. Don't get me wrong, the room was spacious (with a balcony) and spotlessly clean and well-kept, but for some reason I think it felt dated, I assume we were assigned one of the older room and it certainly had a tired apperance that could be noticed both in the furniture and in the bathroom (leaking shower, for instance).

However, as I said, it has been a more than satisfactory experience in a hotel that, I think, is definitely 5-star albeit not ultra-luxurious. Very recommended.

This hotel is classic, chic and timeless. Rooms are on the small side but beautifully appointed and immaculately clean. We upgraded to a corner room on the eleventh floor and were rewarded with a wraparound balcony with stellar views of the Griffith Observatory, downtown LA, Beverly Hills and the Hollywood sign. We hobnobbed with A-List celebrities, including several Oscar winning actors. Well located but yet feeling tucked away and private. A real gem.

The Four Season LA is probably one of the warmest and friendliest hotels i have stayed in. First time in "The City Of Angels", and made all the nicer by the hotel and its staff. We had a great stay. The food was very good, the room and beds were very cosy and comfortable. We were made to feel very special. Everyone is treated the same, and that is a rare and wonderful thing to find in L.A. We were so spoiled, it has made it very difficult to want to stay anywhere else!

When you stay in a Four Seasons Hotel you have very high expectations for a remarkable hotel stay. This was, unfortunately, not the case at The Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. Let me tell you about three unacceptable experiences. I booked an appointment for a pedicure at the spa on Sunday ( a not inexpensive one, might I say). I entered the spa which was dark, soothing, and smelled great to wait for my technician. She arrived and ushered me out of the spa into what used to be a guest room and said, "this is where we will be doing your pedicure" . How did I know had been a guest room, you ask? The flat screen TV was still on the bureau and my pedicure chair was the upholstered chair that was in my guest room upstairs. My foot rest, the towel-covered hassock also found in my guestroom...my legs kept cramping at the weird angle. They had pulled out the bed, than goodness! I soaked my feet in a big bowl on the floor. Think of snipped toenails flying into bedroom rug...wait its too disgusting - don't think of that. I must say in spite of the horrendous room and discomfort, I did get a good pedicure.

Now here's another...before I wen to breakfast that morning, I called downstairs at 9:45A and asked to have my room made up by noon! I was assured that would not be a problem. Guess what - not done! Got back - no service

Here is the crowning glory. I was scheduled to be picked up for a business appointment on Monday morning at 7:00A and called down and placed my wake-up call before I went to bed. I awoke startled at 6:30A to realize that they had never called me to wake me up!

A Four Seasons Hotel, really!!!!! I, of course, called the Manager to tell him of my three mishaps and he apologized and sent up wine and cheese but who wants the lousy wine and cheese? I can get that at home. I wanted a true Four Seasons experience. I even got to LA two days before I had to go to work to soak that experience up!