Last November we paid a quick visit to sunny Los Angeles, staying at Hotel Bel Air and Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. The former is part of the Dorchester Collection, a luxury hotel operator that counts the famous Dorchester in London amongst its properties. It is set in the hills of Bel Air surrounded by 12 acres of gardens, guaranteeing its visitors privacy and tranquility. Of the 103 rooms on the property roughly half are suites. Our suite was particularly nice as it was located on one of the top floors and had a spacious sunny-side terrace overlooking the surrounding hills.

As you can see we received a hearty welcome, complete with champagne and a personalized plate of sweets. The jacuzzi and fireplace on the terrace were put to good use on the somewhat chillier nights.

This was the main pool - you'll be hard-pressed to find a bigger one in the hills! The hotel was very relaxing, the suite and bathroom were spacious and well equipped (electronic toilets, bath tub with TV screen, et al) and the restaurant's food was delicious courtesy of Wolfgang Puck. We definitely recommend the hotel for romantic retreats away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

We subsequently stayed at the famous Four Seasons in Beverly Hills on one of the top floors, giving us amazing views of Los Angeles to wake up to.

Jacuzzi time at the Four Seasons.

What is really cool about the hotel is that it has a house car with which it drives around guests to destinations within a two mile radius. The car is not just any car: it's a chauffeured Rolls Royce Ghost. This comes in very handy for shopping trips to Louis Vuitton on Rodeo Drive or to the new Nialaya flagship store on Melrose, or simply arriving at a restaurant in style and comfort.

This was the beautiful view of Los Angeles from our balcony. Rolex Daytona and Nialaya panther bangle on the wrist.

On our last day we visited a friend and owner of the Malibu Rocky Oaks estate. We had seen many pictures of MRO on Instagram but the reality was even more breathtaking. The wine-producing estate sits on 10 planted acres on a 37-acre plot, with as its centre-piece and on the top of the hill a Tuscan-style villa with views to die for. Though we have seen plenty of spectacular infinity pools, this one takes the cake:

We hope you liked this article, and be sure to check back as we will be returning to Los Angeles in April to scope out more beautiful settings and experiences!