Polished Rolls-Royces driving down palm-lined boulevards, sweeping ocean vistas and sun-drenched beaches sprinkled with boutique shops and restaurants are just a few hallmarks of L.A.’s Westside.
Serving as the residence of many celebrities, the portion of Los Angeles that stretches west to the Pacific Ocean contains several communities that are small in size but large in name recognition.
Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Marina del Rey, Santa Monica, and Malibu each have their own trademark appeal, and destinations in West Los Angeles—from Century City to Bel-Air—are widely known as centers of commerce and culture, with big-name television and film studios and cultural and artistic masterpieces such as The Getty Center.
Due to their close proximity to each other, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Marina del Rey, and West Hollywood banded together last year to form the L.A. Westside Tourism Partnership, designed to help both leisure and business visitors travel with ease between each destination.
“By forming the coalition we can really give a meeting planner the best of all worlds,” says Alison Best, director of sales for the Santa Monica CVB. “We are doing some joint itineraries, and CVBs are working more closely together.”
Beverly Hills
Conveniently situated just a few miles away from the bustle of downtown Los Angeles and home to one of the world’s most-recognized strips of asphalt, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills is synomous with success.
“What is magical about Beverly Hills is that we are a city and we are under six square miles,” says Kathy Smits, director of the Beverly Hills Conference and Visitors Bureau. “So for a group, you can check into your hotel, you can walk to shopping, you can walk to spas, you can walk to just about everything, and when you are trying to coordinate a meeting there is nothing better than having your group know where to go.”
Meanwhile, the pristine cosmetic makeup of Beverly Hills is evident on every street corner, and according to Smits, money is flowing into the city like never before.
“Overall, we are just seeing a tremendous amount of investment in Beverly Hills,” she says. “We really have a sparkling city right now.”
City improvements include upgrades to hotels such as the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel (formerly the Regent Beverly Wilshire), which finished a renovation last fall; the Beverly Hilton, which recently completed an $80 million upgrade and houses 60,000 square feet of meeting space; and Le Meridien at Beverly Hills, which closed for upgrades in June and plans to reopen early next year as a new Starwood-branded property named SLS Los Angeles.
Among the other group-friendly properties are the Avalon Hotel, Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive and the Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows.
Retail-inspired off-site options include hosting a reception on the rooftop terrace of Brooks Brothers, located on Rodeo Drive, or renting out Two Rodeo, a scenic area of Rodeo Drive where outdoor events are set under the stars and beside exquisite shops and spas.
West Hollywood
Imagine sitting down to see a no-name comic and out jumps Chris Rock, ready to do an impromptu (not to mention unadvertised) routine in front of a group of shocked fans.
This happened recently at The Comedy Store, a popular comedy club on Sunset Boulevard (a.k.a. the “Sunset Strip”) in West Hollywood, according to Bill Hynes, vice president, sales and marketing at the West Hollywood CVB.
“You never know who is going to be where,” he says.
Featuring comedy clubs as well as nightlife venues with the hottest acts in the music industry, the winding Sunset Strip is a trademark of West Hollywood, a 1.9-square-mile city that offers meeting planners 1,955 hotel rooms, 50,000 square feet of meeting space, 130 group-friendly restaurants, and 300 shops and boutiques.
“The location is ideal; it is right in the middle of everything and you have easy access to wonderful restaurants, shopping and nightlife. If you are looking for something that isn’t your typical cookie cutter-type of meeting, this is the place to look,” Hynes says, adding that groups often like to host off-site events at venues such as L.A. Food Works and Epicurean School of Culinary Arts.
The Bel Age Hotel, which is scheduled to reopen early next year as the new London West Hollywood, is a popular option for groups, as well as the recently renovated Le Parc Suite Hotel, Mondrian Los Angeles, Le Montrose Suite Hotel, and the Hyatt West Hollywood and Ramada Plaza West Hollywood, both set to finish renovations by the end of the year.
Groups can also take advantage of the Pacific Design Center, a 14-acre campus of buildings with plenty of space for gatherings.
West Los Angeles
The West L.A. region, consisting of Culver City, Century City, Venice, Westwood, and Bel-Air, traditionally attracts corporate, incentive and executive meetings averaging around 200 room nights on peak, says Michael Krouse, CMP, senior vice president of sales for L.A. Inc., The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“The type of customer that goes to that area is definitely looking for a high-end meeting experience,” he says, adding that a surge of hotel development and renovations is making the destination more attractive to groups. “We have a lot more product than ever before.”
Some of that product can be found at newly renovated hotels such as the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, which also recently unveiled the sleek new X Bar; Sofitel Los Angeles; Luxe Hotel Sunset Boulevard Bel-Air; and Hotel Angeleno, managed by Joie de Vivre Hospitality.
Additionally, the InterContinental Century City (formerly the Park Hyatt), plans to finish an upgrade by the end of the summer, and Hotel Palomar Los Angeles–Westwood, formerly a Doubletree, will reopen as a Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group property this summer.
There isn’t a shortage of cultural activities in the area for delegates, who can take a tour of the newly reopened Griffith Observatory or hold an event in the Skirball Cultural Center, which debuted its new Noah’s Ark exhibit in June.
Marina del Rey
The backdrop of the deep-orange setting sun behind a sea speckled with 5,000 colorful sailboats is a relaxing, everyday scene in Marina del Rey.
With such surroundings, it is hard to believe that the town, totaling 800 acres (400 of which are underwater), is a mere four miles north of Los Angeles International Airport.
“The Marina is an oasis on the waterfront,” says Beverly Moore, executive director for the Marina del Rey CVB. “There is a gentle, casual [atmosphere], away from the frantic pace of the city.”
The boating-centric community lends itself to group options such as team-building regattas aboard sailboats with firms like Blue Water Sailing as well as yacht charters with companies such as FantaSea Yachts and Yacht Club and Hornblower Cruises and Events.
Moore says the destination usually attracts small to midsize corporate, medical and financial groups, with 1,000 guest rooms at newly refurbished properties such as The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey; the Marina del Rey Marriott; the Marina del Rey Hotel; and Marina del Rey International Hotel and Bungalows.
Santa Monica
Groups who like to wake up with a yoga class on the beach, take bike tours spotlighting historical and architectural landmarks, or stroll down the same pier Tom Hanks ran along in Forrest Gump feel right at home in Santa Monica.
Once a popular stop for tour groups, the revamped seaside locale now attracts corporate and incentive groups with its luxury accommodations and restaurants.
“What we have to offer has improved so much in the past five years. There has been a big shift in the quality of the accommodations we have. A few properties have gone from moderate to luxury,” says the Santa Monica CVB’s Best, highlighting The Huntley Hotel, the Sheraton Delfina Santa Monica Hotel and the Viceroy Santa Monica, all of which have undergone significant upgrades.
Properties currently in the midst of renovations include the Hotel Shangri-La, slated to reopen next year, and the Hotel Oceana Santa Monica, scheduled to finish upgrades by mid-summer.
Other major meetings-ready properties include Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, Shutters Hotel on the Beach, The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, Casa del Mar Hotel by the Sea, and Le Merigot–A JW Marriott Hotel and Spa.
Meanwhile, the new Madison Performing Arts Center, set to debut next May, will feature group space.
Dining is another highlight of Santa Monica, with standouts such as Melisse and Chinois on Main, and groups can arrange dine-arounds that incorporate eateries such as The Lobster, i Cugini and BOA Steakhouse.
Malibu
About 12 miles up the coast is the picturesque town of Malibu, with its 27 miles of beaches.
Groups can enjoy sweeping ocean views while getting down to business at Pepperdine University’s Villa Graziadio Executive Center or while entertaining themselves on the terrace of Duke’s Malibu Restaurant, on the private beach in front of Paradise Cove Beach Cafe, or inside private dining rooms at the Beau Rivage Mediterranean Restaurant and The Sunset Restaurant.
“Malibu is a teeny-tiny town. It has a very natural, slower-moving kind of pace,” says Rebekah Evans, executive director of the Malibu Chamber of Commerce. “It is not only an incredibly gorgeous location, you are right on the edge of the water, but we are connected to L.A. within 20 minutes.”
Hiking, biking and kayaking are popular after-business options for groups, and hotels in the area include the Malibu Beach Inn, which reopened in June after a multimillion-dollar renovation.
For More Info
Beverly Hills Conference and Visitors Bureau 310.248.1000
www.lovebeverlyhills.org
Century City COC 310.553.222
www.centurycitycc.com
L.A. Inc, The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau 213.624.7300
www.seemyla.com
L.A. Westside Tourism Partnership
www.westla.com
Malibu COC 310.456.9025
www.malibu.org
Marina del Rey CVB 310.306.9900
www.visitmarina.com
Santa Monica CVB 310.319.6263
www.santamonicameetings.com
West Hollywood CVB 310.289.2525
www.visitwesthollywood.com
