On a recent Friday, it was crammed to the maple-paneled rafters with an astonishing cross section of L.A. West Side society. Behind glass screens, fires crackle in two fireplaces, while a harpist plucks the chords of Pachelbel's Canon. A gowned hostess is serving high tea to a group of gentlemen dressed in business suits and turbans. The loudest sound is the clinking of silver spoons against Limoges teacups. These worlds coexist happily at the Peninsula Beverly Hills, a thoroughly civilized hostelry almost equidistant between Rodeo Drive and Century City.
Suites boast faxes and CD players, and many have walk-in closets, private balconies, and kitchens.
The hotel also offers two floors of villas at the back of the property, each with its own entrance onto the lushly landscaped courtyard. The Peninsula's public-relations director confides that the villas are favored by guests who are undergoing plastic surgery at the renowned Lasky Clinic, adjacent to the hotel. Guests who wish to come and go discreetly from the clinic often request a villa with a private door onto the back street. One factor that separates the Peninsula Beverly Hills from its upscale competition in the area is its lack of large function space. The Peninsula's only large space for parties is the Verandah Room, a charming space that opens onto a garden courtyard and accommodates 90 for a sit-down dinner.