Hotel Bel-Air - Dorchester Collection Reviews

The location and service were great! Prices have gone up like crazy over the past few years! Even with that in mind, I intend to visit again!!!

For celebrating a special occasion or looking for a cute activity, the afternoon tea at the Hotel Bel-Air is a special treat. Each item comes fresh and delicious. You have the opportunity to smell the tea leaves first before picking, and then you can enjoy the food. The menu changes but for us, we had wild berry jam, Devonshire cream, and blood orange jam with our buttermilk scones. Afterwards, we had an assortment of finger sandwiches (my favorite was the cucumber) followed by the sweets. The chocolate tart was my favorite and the cream puff was a close second. Overall, a great way to spend a couple of hours in a beautiful, relaxed setting.

Stayed here while visiting our daughter over Thanksgiving. We had a fantastic experience and I hope to return. The hotel is beautiful and historic but the rooms were updated to modern luxury. The bed was super comfy and the location was very quiet. We also had a patio off our room and enjoyed sitting outside in the nice weather. The overall vibe of the hotel was serene and peaceful. We loved the old school feel of the layout - the rooms are spread out versus being a multi-storied building. The grounds are absolutely beautiful. This was our first Thanksgiving away from home and I felt a little weird about that, but this was the perfect hotel choice for it. It just felt cozy and warm and not corporate, and the actual Thanksgiving meal they hosted was incredible. The food was delicious and dining on the restaurant patio with our daughter felt easy and happy. 10/10 would do this again if we travel over Thanksgiving. The following day we spent some time relaxing and having lunch by the pool and really enjoyed that. Our daughter visited the spa and said it was a great experience. There were some little baked snack bars that she still talks about today. The service was great and very professional everywhere (restaurant, bar, check in, spa). In sum, this hotel is a treat to stay at. If you can get a good rate, it is worth it, most especially if staying over a holiday when you want things to feel more personal and cared for.

Continues to be nothing but excellent and high class! Thank you for a wonderful weekend. Truly exceptional service from the check-in desk, concierge, bar staff, restaurant staff, and housekeeping. Thank you for confirming and setting the standard for true luxury hospitality

When she decamped to the Hotel Bel-Air to write without distraction, Ann Patchett wrote, "I think the best vacation is the one that relieves me of my own life for a while and then makes me long for it again." With thoughts of leaving behind dull care and indulging my creative instincts, I checked into the Hotel Bel-Air on a sunny Friday to kick off the long holiday weekend. Alyssa and Emma did an exemplary job of welcoming me and ensuring that I had plentiful diversions as I had arrived before the rest of my group and they were still preparing my suite. They ensured that a practitioner was called up to give me a 90 minute deep tissue massage, and Ashley at the restaurant got me sorted for breakfast as well. After my massage, I strolled on up to my residence for the holiday, a favorite two bedroom suite with a secluded outdoor terrace that was perfect for rallying the troops and getting some much needed quiet time as well. The rest of our party had arrived and checked into their suites nearby, so the location of my suite (177) was just about perfect. The welcome setup was charming and much appreciated. Dining in room, at the restaurant and at the pool were all terrific. In addition to Ashley, Lucas was also an excellent server. One must remember how rare it is to have a hotel pool with a true deep end. It’s one of the great things about this hotel, and our little party enjoyed it tremendously. The splendid isolation of this place is one of the things that makes it so great. That, and the winding paths through the trees and tropical foliage, along with the koi pond, the swan lake, the burbling streams, our favorite turtle and the plentiful bird life. The Hotel Bel-Air is one of the places you go to leave the world behind, to fall into the embrace of quiet calm and engage in writing, socializing or even just a little dolce far niente. Here, one is both visible and yet transcendently invisible. Staff continue to excel at that rare hat trick of attentive service while giving us plenty of space to just vibe. If you want to get away and still be close to the city, this is the place to do it.

The title says it all. The staff was truly the best. One restaurant server who wasn’t that busy took time out to show us the famous fish pond and turtle living in it. Front desk staff was also outstanding. The grounds are so lush that you feel like you’re light years away from the city.

This is an iconic hotel that lives up to the anticipation of staying here. The staff are amazing ! A highlight for us was breakfast each morning. The location is a little removed but the hotel car makes up for it . This is more than a hotel .. this is an experience!

We’ve loved this hotel for years — we live in LA and this is our perfect staycation destination (it may be in LA but feels a million miles away). Just got home from a bday staycation there and, as always, it did not disappoint. Everything was perfect and the staff are just so kind and friendly. Bravo! Special thanks to Emma Schur, who initially greeted us and took exceptional care of us during our stay. Grazie mille!

We were planning a trip to the Beverly Hills area in march, however when looking at room rates for the Hotel Bel Air, I must conclude that the hotel is drastically overpriced compared to similar five star hotels in the area. A 755 square foot patio suite at the hotel Bel Air costs a jaw-dropping $6,000 per night plus tax, while an 825 square foot Villa Suite with Patio and Jacuzzi at the Peninsula Hotel is at $2,800 per night. It would seem like the Bel Air is overpriced charging ober twice as much for a similar suite.

What I love most about this beautiful property is that you are in Los Angeles but the location feels like an exclusive private hideaway. If you want to venture out of Bel Air the hotel is easy to get around via a vehicle. The scenery and grounds at the hotel are stunning!! The pool, fitness facility, restaurant, bar, rooms were all five star plus. No complaints about the service which was absolutely perfect. I almost hate giving such a great review because I want this hotel to be my little secret (obviously it is no secret given the storied history and popularity of the hotel) I have stayed at other five star hotels in LA (The Peninsula, Waldorf Astoria, L'hermitage and The Beverly Hills Hotel) and Hotel Bel Air is the best. This is my third visit at the hotel and everything felt as new and luxurious as my first stay. This is definitely my happy place!! I hope to continue to be lucky enough to travel to this slice of heaven in the future.

Ok,…. Get this, go here be happy, if you cannot look inwards, something is wrong!!!! Btw, trip advisor is editing this, i simply meant to recommend, ok, best service, change out flowers daily. The largest pond with streams surrounding the property, look closely, birds , and more in the middle if the US( SWANS at that? ) California Parks Assoc. ! Go, go! Grandfather took me here when i graduated from UCLA MED and brought here, been loyal to there, since.

I chose to give the hotel a second chance after a less than stellar stay earlier in the year, and I’m very glad I did. What a difference a few months made, the new Living Room space is just beautiful and the high tea served there is the best I’ve encountered in the states. I was given a nice upgrade to light flooded suite with southern exposure and a working fireplace, and I had an excellent dinner and breakfast at the restaurant, as well as arranged an impromptu lunch with friends that was handled with grace and precision. I was so impressed by the effort that I chose to return again at the end of my trip, and while the bungalow given then was closer to the street and very dark, in the hotel’s defense, I specifically requested something different from the last time and now know I am not a pool villa person (to each their own). While I am not often in LA, I can attest that there is a true dirth in luxury hotels with many touting five stars without delivering quality service or food and Bev… so whenever I do come back again, I will definitely consider returning to the Bel Air, or at least trying their sister property again.

Had booked through the fine hotels with American express with a bunch of privileges including early check in, room upgrade etc. We checked in past 4 pm in spite of an early check in. The room electricity was not working with the switches not operatable. The hotel engineer was there for a full half hour in the room hampering any chance of relaxing or even using the washroom. After insisting on speaking for a change of room the manager John Pierce offered to change the room and a spa service to make up for the pathetic experience not expected at a property of this stature. The spa called with three time options and services which suited them, which I declined. In short checking in from their sister property The BeverlyHills Hotel this was poor handling of a returning custom. Can't wait to leave tomorrow and don't think want to return. The changed room had one chair as opposed to the couch in the earlier room and a smaller patio. Will not be considering this property in the future where working electric switches was not a ginen!!

I've experienced luxury before, but never quite like this. Here, luxury isn't just about high-end amenities (though those were plentiful). It's about the feeling of being completely at ease, of every need being met with grace and efficiency. The ambiance was soothing, the service impeccable, and the overall experience simply unforgettable.