Beverly Wilshire Hotel

Beverly Wilshire Hotel. . , 1920s , "A Greater Beverly Hills" shouted the Beverly Hills Citizen in a front-page editorial in 1928 about the newly opened Beverly Wilshire Apartment Hotel. "Yesterday a scattered community-field. Today a model city. Tomorrow the Heart of the Next Million." Constructed by visionary real estate developer Walter G. McCarty on the site of the former Beverly Hills Speedway, an American board track from 1919, Beverly Hills had only 1,000 residents and was still largely undiscovered by Hollywood's in-crowd. That, as we now know, would soon change... , , 1930s , Constructed in an E-shape in the Italian Renaissance style with French neo-classic influences using the finest materials, including Italian Carrara marble and special Tuscan stone, the Hotel was the tallest building in the city, spreading 250 feet along Wilshire Boulevard. It may seem commonplace now, but in the 1930s, to have liveried attendants taking one's car at the entrance way and driving it down a ramp to a 150 subterranean car garage was considered a marvelous convenience. , , 1940s , In 1945, Walter G. McCarty sold the Hotel to Arnold Kirkeby who added the Copa Club Swimming Pool (where our Beverly Wing stands now) which offered sunning pavilions and colorful cabanas, as well as tennis courts under the tutelage of tennis great Pancho Gonzales. , , 1950s , Beverly Wilshire continued gaining notoriety with celebrities swarming to the Hotel, and was the host to a multitude of photo and video shoots. We also had cultural icon Elvis Presley living here for several years while making movies at nearby Paramount Studios. , , 1960s , In 1961, the Hotel was purchased by a group of investors headed by Hernando Courtright. Here you see pictured Hans Rosenberg - our superstar doorman in the 60s and 70s - welcoming guests to our legendary Hotel. At the time, valet was at the front entrance, while room rates started at USD 16 and ran up to USD 60 for a three-room suite. , , 1970s , The 70s ushered in our new Beverly Wing which, when first opened, featured 12 floors - eight floors varying in style, highlighting early California influences, including some duplex townhome suites. Above them, four floors of penthouse apartments for permanent guests. The brochure promised: "Not a hotel, but an experience." Your arrival would begin on the private cobblestone driveway, El Camino Real, created by Italian artisans and lined with 38 gaslight lanterns imported from a castle in Edinburgh. You could enjoy a quick drink at the Zindabad Pub (where SpaTique is today) or enjoy a mix of Tex-Mex and chicken-in-the-pot at Hernando's Hideaway. , , 1980s , Regent International Hotels acquired the Beverly Wilshire in 1985 and quickly condensed the then 200 rooms of the Wilshire Wing to 147, creating more spacious accommodations. The Lobby Lounge (featured in the photo) is where our all-day dining restaurant THEBlvd is today, while the elegant Dining Room and The Bar are where CUT and CUT Lounge are now. In 1986, the Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places. , , 1990s , It was 1990 when the Hotel was the central filming location for the hit movie Pretty Woman. Soon thereafter, in 1991 the Hotel underwent major renovations totaling more than USD 65 million. In 1992, the Hotel became part of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts family. , , 2000s , The 2000s welcomed CUT, Wolfgang Puck's flagship steakhouse, and THEBlvd - making the Hotel the ever see-and-be-seen dining hot spot. We also opened the Spa at Beverly Wilshire in June 2006 by removing several sleeping rooms. The Wilshire Wing lobby underwent a "facelift", highlighted by the addition of a crystal chandelier imported from the Czech Republic, weighing 720 pounds and is worth over USD 35,000. , , 2010s , This is when we introduced Los Angeles' first Urban Glamping experience on our Veranda Suite, which was once the home to Warren Beatty in the 70s. CUT was awarded a Michelin star in the guide's return to California and the Spa at Beverly Wilshire became one of only a few Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Spas in all of Los Angeles. And we would be remiss not to mention our Penthouse is the largest in all of Los Angeles at 5,000 sq ft and complete with a 270-degree view of the city.