To kick off our eight nights in California we spent two nights at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. This is generally regarded as one of the top hotels in the area, and it’s most definitely the most luxurious points hotel in the Los Angeles area.
Continue reading: Review: Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Couple of comments
1) You should check the nightstand top drawer for outlets. I missed them the first night, but housekeeping displayed them for us after cleaning our room. Our room had a different layout, but I found there were more than enough outlets in the various drawers by the bed and cabinets by the desk
2) The gym is decent, but Equinox is a 12 minute walk down Wilshire, so I used that instead
Otherwise spot on review. Its hard to see how this hotel remains 95,000 points going forward
I live walking distance from this hotel and have been to the rooftop for lunch and a guest room for a meeting, but I was really interested in reading a full review to see if the complete stay lived up to what I've experienced briefly passing through. In my opinion this is the best located hotel in Los Angeles for people who don't want to rent a car or Uber everywhere, with the BH triangle and Century City within walking distance.
A little disappointed in the room service breakfast though...you could have had the hotel car take you down to John O'Groats...
Did you notice them playing games with award availability? I’ve seen many dates with only ADA rooms available
Have the Aspire also and will likely trek to L.A. next year. Have been wondering about this Waldorf for a while. Thanks for the fresh review and pics, hotel certainly looks swank.
Did you not take a picture of the house car/s? You let us car enthusiasts down 🙁
A little off topic but wanted to share an amazing HH redemption. I just booked three rooms for three nights for the Kentucky Derby at The Seelbach Hilton Louisville. Paid rates for the stay would have totaled $14,625 which I was able to book for 630,000 points. Works out to 2.3cpp or about 4x the 0.6cpp I normally value HH points. The Seelbach doesn't look nearly as nice as the Waldorf BH; however, when Springhill Suites are pulling up at $500/night 30 miles outside Louisville you know there's some dynamic pricing going on that weekend.
What is the standard (free) Hilton Honors breakfast? I'd use the $50 credit for one margarita and guacamole on the roof. Excellent use of your free weekend night by the way.
Rico - there is none. Gold and Diamonds get $25 per guest for a F&B benefit per night instead
@ Rico -- As explained by Anthony, the $50 credit is the breakfast benefit, but it can be used on anything. On one hand it's not really enough for breakfast, but at the same time it's nice that it can be used on anything.
@ Ben Holz -- Hah, funny story. So first Ford was going to Barry's Bootcamp, and he got the Phantom. I brought him downstairs, and he pointed out that I would basically be embarrassing him if I took a picture of the car as he was getting into it. Then oddly I felt the same way when I had "my" drive. So I was determined the next morning to get a picture of the outside when I wasn't actually driving in it, but go figure the car actually wasn't there then.
Sorry to disappoint, you know how much I like documenting this stuff!
@ Ben -- Indeed, they do play games with award availability. So had to book an ADA, but then informed them that we didn't actually need that.
@ Anthony -- Figured there had to be a story about the outlets. That makes sense, thanks. Will update the post to reflect that.
@Anthony Thanks for the info. OK, I'd probably grab breakfast somewhere else then still use the $50 credit for one margarita and guac on the roof.
Those prices are absurd, even for a Waldorf in LA. $24 for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc lmao.
Nice benefit for that credit card though. I'm cheap and I'd still value that stay pretty up there. Not at the cash rate but still a lot.
How far out did you have to book? I am not finding any availability whatsoever on weekends for the next 6 months. They are pricing it out at over 200k points for a premium room (which I will not be allowed to use the weekend certs for)
They had the Phantom and also a Maybach when I stayed there last year! Wonder why they got rid of the Maybach- was great to ride in both!
@Phil--Make sure you select the option to show accessible rooms. They play games where they only make those rooms available at the standard rate, and hide them by default.
@Phil
You can book an ADA handicap accessible room and then simply call the hotel to move you to a standard room at check in.
Never understood all the fuss about this property. Prices are outrageous, the view on a highway... Beverly Hills one of the most boring area of California
I'd rather use these 95000 on Conrad in Osaka or Tokyo with executive lounge access and stunning views.
I found recently you are more satisfied with Hilton even they are huge devalued of their points+money option. As you are already lifetime Platinum of Marriott Bonvoy, you may seriously consider jump ship to Hilton Honors for your lifetime Diamond
Why would you accept 50$ instead of breakfast? Breakfast is the official benefit.
I mean, you know perfectly the rules of all elite programs, but seemingly you are fine with hotels not respecting them. I had this experience once in the US, and i insisted on providing breakfast.
You also don't mind them not upgrading you to a suite... Hm..
Ben, I know you're not a car guy but the hotel operates a Rolls Royce Ghost as the house car, not a Phantom. Still a Rolls, but not quite as grand (or expensive).
Hotel looks awesome though!
They bulldozed Trader Vic's, one of LA's most important landmarks, to build this tower of interchangeable bougieness.
I really hope you take into account the damage this place did before giving them more business.
I just think there are better options - Peninsula very near, Hotel Bel Air, Beverly Hills Hotel. Just more character with those. Save the points for areas with less opportunities to get something special.
I see people complaining about prices. I’ve stayed at this overpriced, over rated hot and they charge you $25 for a smoothie.
Pool is way too beige and has the "deal breaker" of two rows of lounge chairs. Yikes.
Thank you for the amazing photos!
I'm all for blowing money on stupid stuff but these prices are worse than Maldives Cheval Blanc/O&O.
LOL, I was at the WA too on Saturday night (23) with my kids. We used the Aspire free night too. We got pulled into the ADA room as well, but they moved use automatically to a room with 2 queens beds. Kids loved the quick ride to Rodeo in the Phantom. I took video inside, didn’t Care cause with kids you can do whatever you want. the kids had room service breakfast as well. Overall, excellent stay and will use certs again.
Ps- Ford is great with the virtuoso bookings, first hand knowledge from this year and a 4 seasons stay.
I forgot to mention a few things when I commented on this the other day...
The hotel car service was quick and easy and we also ordered it within just a few hours. The rooftop restaurant gives preference to hotel guests for reservations. From the pool I walked over and got a table for 5 with just a few hours notice and it was a very busy Sunday.
The double row of loungers is on one side only. They normally allow only two non-guests per room but they let a third in for us since only two of us were actually in the water.I
And finally, they gave me a 2pm check out since our return flight was at 7:30pm. But they let us stay at pool until 4pm, held our bags and even let us shower and change in spa before leaving for LAX. And the pool boy gave us each a free drink that final day since we chatted with him for several days...speaking Spanish helped. Wonderful service. Yes, pricey but worth it for 95k points.
There is a separate elevator to the side for non guests to use for rooftop access meaning that it's very calm in most of hotel.
Great review, especially the gorgeous pics (and kudos to you for making the effort to take them when no one was around).
Good to at least to hear a luxury hotel in the US live's up to it's standard, heck if I had to pay that price - points or money - I would expect the service to be top notch and not like some of your other experiences/reviews at similar hotel level - eg W Aspen.
SoCal resident here, quite used to high prices and yes, I can mitigate this sticker shock with my own AMEX Aspire card. That said, why oh why would you stay at this particular hotel in this particular boring part of LA? An hour south lies the Hyatt Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, which IMHO ties the Hyatt on the Bund in Shanghai as the best managed and most awesome hotel in the world. They'll take the Hyatt Card and generate the Autumn 2019 double points bonus, which you so seem to like, and you can revel at the sight of Ford screaming his way down "Sliders" biggest water slide, before enjoying the excellent point break and long, rideable tubes of Huntington Beach once block away across the PCH.
Pro tips: check out Thousands Steps Beach and some of the other coves near Laguna. And Ultraviolet and the claw machine place at the K-Mall near People's Park station on Line 2 whevever you guys get to Shanghai. Don't miss out
@Jr
Not true.
Hilton do upgrades to Suites for Diamond members - of course upon availability and booking situation.
I've got upgrades to a one bedroom suite several times in BKK,SIN, TXL or MIA...even when my original booking was only for a standard room...Conrad and Waldorf Astoria included.
Ben big fan of your blog but I must say are you getting paid for this article. Your so positive. I tried to book this hotel but was unable to find award availability. Closer to our travel date something opened up and yes it was also the ADA room. I figured I get a Diamond upgrade to a “regular” room or maybe something nicer. After 2 days I noticed the hotel did charge my credit card for the full amount the room normally would cost (If I remember correctly, they charged something of 900USD per night)
I send an email to the hotel because if I pay with points why do you need to charge a ridiculous amount even weeks before I arrive? It’s not a small amount and also, I pay the extra’s when I’m on site. At least that’s what I’m used to. I got a very unfriendly response. It was policy and I needed to agree with this or my reservation would be canceled. WTF
I felt unwelcome. What I’m not a millionaire so I’m not welcome? So I canceled the reservation and went to the Ritz.
Looking at you review I did not miss much. Well the hamburger with fries for 50USD
This hotel is overhyped. Playing tricks with award availability. Not costumer friendly (I know it’s LA)
@ eric -- Doesn't it seem a little unfair to accuse me of being paid for this article? Because I'm 100% not. I'm sorry you had a bad experience -- that really does sound disappointing. But that doesn't mean that I'm somehow being paid for an honest review of a hotel I really enjoyed...
@ Kendor -- I'll have to check out the Hyatt Huntington Beach at some point, though personally can't say I love Huntington Beach as such. In this case the goal was just to see friends for a couple of days in the area. Can't say I have many friends in Huntington Beach.
@ Expathotelier -- Hmmm, interesting, we were explicitly told it was a Phantom. Is it possible they changed it to that recently?
@ cariverga -- Maybe outside the US that's the case, but in the US there are all kinds of Hiltons that just offer "continental" breakfast, and for many hotels that means a muffin and coffee. So while $50 won't actually cover a "real" breakfast for two, I'll take that over a cup of coffee and a muffin, which is what I imagine they may otherwise do.
@ Pacificohk -- Yeah, I have been pleased with Hilton lately. I'm not sure there's any reason to actually be "loyal" to Hilton though, and go through the effort required for lifetime status, since you can just get Diamond status through their credit card.
@ Julia -- Fair enough, though I think it makes sense to instead compare the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills to the other points options in the city. For us the decision wasn't between staying at the Waldorf in Beverly Hills or Tokyo, but rather was between staying here or at another hotel in the area. And I do think this hotel even represents one of the best values using points (or certificates).
@ Phil -- I booked a bit over a month out. They often have more space open as the arrival date approaches, so keep an eye out on space.
Hi Ben, it was not my intention to insult you. Far from it! It was just so positive on all levels that it seemed paid. And I’m a big fan from your blog mainly because you have clear reviews which are not biased. I apologize if you thought it was offending.
@ eric -- No worries, and I appreciate you reading! For what it's worth, me not disclosing that this is a paid piece (if it were) would be illegal, and that's not something I'm about to do. 🙂
@Lucky - Do check it out, the Hyatt Huntington Beach is a beautiful and extremely well-managed property. (disclosure: I have no connection to Hyatt or this property beyond simply really liking it.) As for your likes and dislikes, my take is that Huntington Beach is an area, not just a beach, an easily-accessed continuum from Laguna Beach in the south, to Crystal Cove State Park, to Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Dog Beach, Bolsa Chica Beach and wetlands, and finally Sunset and Seal Beach. Indeed a continuous walking/biking path connects many of these areas. If you/Ford like running or biking, take the path south from the Huntington Beach Hyatt down the Newport Peninsula, across the tiny Balboa Ferry to the mainland, and ride 10 miles around the Newport Bay Nature Reserve. Or take the path north, past Huntington pier, and up to Dog Beach, where you can chat and play with dogs and dog owners.
If you haven't seen the rocky coves and secret beaches north of Laguna Beach, also worth checking out: they're quite unlike the flat sandy expanse of Huntington Beach, more reminiscent of the Marin Headlands, volcanic Hawaii, or the rocky shoreline of west Ireland.
We'll be your friend if you need a loaner in the Huntington Beach area. We'll even buy you a Wahoos Fish taco. 😉
Incredible review Ben, but like others pointed out, would've loved a picture of the cars and your Mastros dinner too (butter cake, lobster mashed potatoes-omg!!)
Make sure to try the Montage in Laguna Beach-the most beautiful area and grounds of any SoCal hotel I've ever been to!
It looks amazing. I stayed next door at the Beverly Hilton as a Diamond member. The rooms were very dated however the inclusive breakfast was amazing and although the pool is a lot smaller, it was great for people watching too.
A little confused.Did you drive from LA to SF(Napa Valley) then back to Big Sur?
Great review. I've been tempted to stay at this hotel for a while now, but keep going back to the Peninsula. In fact, I'm heading there tomorrow for 5 nights. While the modern decor of the WA is more my style, I keep going back to the Peninsula because of the impeccable but discreet service and it's quiet location. They will always give me a specific room which allows me to sleep with the french doors open all night overlooking the back gardens. Blissful in every sense of the word. My biggest problem with the WA is that the location is incredibly noisy unless you keep the sliders shut. Curious to know if others who have enjoyed the Peninsula BH have tried the WA?
Hi,
I’ve been observing the Waldorf BH this last month and they don’t show a standard weekend room available until one or two nights beforehand. For example, they don’t show a standard room available for Friday the 6th until Thursday the 5th. Is this just because it’s near the holidays? I’m hoping to use a free weekend night in December.