The Aster

The Aster is, before anything else, a private club, a much-needed oasis at the very public intersection of Hollywood and Vine. It’s the work of Salt Hotels, whose principals built their careers working with hoteliers like Ian Schrager and Andre Balazs, creating a similar private-club vibe in hotels like Chateau Marmont and the Chiltern Firehouse. The obvious way in is to become a member — but the Aster’s 35 suites are open to overnight guests as well, and it’s perhaps no surprise that they’re up there with the finest suites in town — a bit bohemian, a bit retro, more than a bit warm and welcoming, understated in their luxury and, above all, memorable.

Naturally there’s more to any good hotel than the bedrooms, and that goes double for a private club. The Aster features a wellness program that goes above and beyond typical hotel fare, encompassing yoga and Pilates as well as weights and cardio equipment, plus treatments at the Salon. There’s a screening room outfitted with sofa-like seating, as well as a second screen on the rooftop, at the hotel’s Lemon Grove restaurant and bar, where members, guests, and locals dine and drink in the shade of the Aster’s lemon trees.