Mr. C Beverly Hills

It’s all the proof you need that the wave of chilly minimalist boutique hotels has finally broken. Mr. C looks the way you want a Beverly Hills boutique hotel to look — clean and crisp, sure, but classic as well, the sort of place that, in spite of its contemporary sheen, takes you back to a (possibly mythical) golden age of Hollywood glamour. Imagine a stylized black-and-white version of a Parisian luxury hotel, transplanted to sunny California, and you’re most of the way there — though the shell of the former Tower Beverly Hills remains, inside it’s utterly transformed.

The C in this case is presumed to stand for Cipriani; the family of restaurateurs, it seems, is trying its hand at hospitality, and Mr. C is a supremely confident first attempt. Old monochrome film stills heighten the elegance in the rooms, and the upper floors take in expansive views of Beverly Hills and greater Los Angeles, while down at ground level, a selection of bungalows offer added space and privacy.

Given the ownership situation you’d expect a special emphasis to be placed on Mr. C’s social spaces, and you’d be right. The pool, flanked by cabanas, features its own bar as well as food service, and spa treatments are available on request. The Mr. C signature restaurant, however, is where the real action is, serving tried-and-true Cipriani favorites in the dining room and cocktails in the lounge late into the night.

How to get there: Mr. C Beverly Hills Hotel is a 20-minute drive from Los Angeles International Airport. The trip can take up to an hour depending on traffic.