Hotel 850 SVB

Lately Los Angeles has been in the travel news for its edgy, urban offerings in Downtown and points east. But the more traditional luxury that’s particular to Hollywood’s high-end hotels has by no means gone out of style. If you’ve been to the Sunset Tower, then you’ll agree that hotelier Jeff Klein has a track record with this sort of thing, and it’s no surprise that news of his new Hotel 850 SVB West Hollywood at Beverly Hills, a residential-style luxury boutique hotel in West Hollywood, has met with much enthusiasm.

It’s set in (and behind) a century-old bungalow on San Vicente Boulevard, just off Santa Monica, in a slightly paradoxical location — it’s a residential street, but it’s barely a block from the Pacific Design Center in one direction and the Sunset Strip in the other. With just 23 rooms and suites it’s aiming for an atmosphere that’s even more private than the Tower, and the accommodations are impressively luxe and quite stylish, in a welcoming, low-key way.

Also departing from the Sunset Tower is the concept of Hotel 850’s public spaces. Safe to say a major Oscars afterparty would be contrary to the purpose of this place. What it does have is a cozy lobby lounge and a living room where you can relax, take a meeting, or get some work done. The best space, however, is the roof deck, with its outdoor fireplace and its views of Hollywood. In a city where there’s more than enough public attention to go around, privacy may be the greatest luxury of all.