The Paramour Estate

This 1920s estate in LA’s hip Silver Lake began its life as a Mediterranean Revival mansion for a now-forgotten silent-film star. Later it was a girls’ school, and still later a convent for Franciscan nuns. And when interior designer Dana Hollister bought it, she intended for it to become the kind of luxury boutique hotel that we’re all familiar with. But the neighborhood had other ideas, and in the end, what it became is something much more unique: part film set, part event venue, part dream house for Hollister herself, and — most relevant for our purposes — home to nine of the most unforgettably stylish rooms, suites, and cottages in Los Angeles.

Services, of course, are minimal — beyond housekeeping service and breakfast in the Butler’s Pantry, you’ll live like it’s your own house. Comforts, though, are maximal: Matteo linens, Byredo bath products, Stumptown coffee, the works. And that’s not even considering the visual character of the place, which leaves even the most eclectic boutique hoteliers in the dust. It’s no accident that Ms. Hollister has spent two decades as one of L.A.’s top designers, and she spares no effort in this labor of love. If it’s a typical room for the night you’re after, then the Paramour Estate is a bit much — but if what you want is a stay you’ll remember forever, you’re in the right place.