Luxurious ‘self- restoration’ in Beverly Hills

D espite its enormous cinematic history, Beverly Hills is less than 15sq km in size. That’s about two Phoenix Parks laid side by side, though it’s more like two Phoenix Parks jammed to bursting with presidential homes, rather than just the one. It is a little city in its own right, surrounded by the larger cities of Los Angeles and West Hollywood.

The 25th anniversary of Pretty Woman, the film that showcased Beverly Hills in all its style and luxurious indulgence, falls this year, and the Beverly Hills Conference and Visitors Bureau (lovebeverlyhills.com) is keen to promote its colourful city as a luxury travel destination, which is why I found myself suddenly landed amid the glamour.

We arrived late one evening, jetlagged, at the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, and the setting for Pretty Woman (fourseasons.com/beverlywilshire). A tall, unbelievably elegant woman sauntered past in a thigh-slit pencil skirt, and I realised that it was Kate Upton.

I squinted down at the wrinkled jeans I’d flown in for almost 11 hours , and realised that Beverly Hills really is another world.

The next morning, I fell out of bed, passed Kate Upton again – who still looked radiant – and found myself on a tour of Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills' famous shopping district. Despite the fact that a shopping trip down Rodeo Drive isn't feasible for most of us – $500 might buy you a pair of Chanel sunglasses and a smoothie – it is worth visiting.

The new Louis Vuitton store designed by Peter Marino thrills some and angers others, but a trip inside will soothe the soul of any fashion lover. A pair of bespoke men's loafers will cost from $2,500, and you can have a handbag made in the style, colour and finish of your choice – price on request. For more affordable shopping, we visited the altogether less flamboyant Beverly Drive, which runs behind Rodeo Drive, and features some nice small shops and boutiques which escape the predictability of the designer stores.

Strange architecture is, after lush greenery, the most prominent motif of the Beverly Hills landscape. In a country that lacks the architectural antiquity of Europe, and a city that suffers no financial restraint, architecture doesn't play by the rules of uniformity, or sensitivity to the landscape. There is no new land for housing available in Beverly Hills, so if you want to build a house, you wait for an existing mansion to go on the market, demolish it and build something on the site.

The result is a bizarre pastiche of styles, so there are mock Palladian houses nestled feet from ultra-modern, minimalist creations. The only thing homes have in common is ostentatious dimensions, so strolling the leafy residential streets of Beverly Hills in the sunshine is not only entertaining, but also one of the only inexpensive ways to spend a pleasurable afternoon there.

If you tire of the affluence, focus on the plant life. Bougainvilleas of alien proportions, enormous, fragrant hedgerows of rosemary and clutches of cacti that look like crook-backed old men shuffling out of the sun are around every corner. There about 700 licensed, certified gardening crews working for the city, and each street is planted with a different tree.

Though there are just 35,000 residents in Beverly Hills, the city maintains 30,000 trees on public streets. When our feet tired, we took a rest under Beverly Hills’ oldest resident, an enormous, gnarled Morton Bay fig tree, which has sat in its spot near the Beverly Hills sign since the city’s inception.

The other free and vastly engaging activity in Beverly Hills is people-watching, and I happily frittered away an afternoon sitting languidly in the sun doing just that, before strolling back to the hotel with a rumbling stomach. Beverly Hills is a special exception to California’s driving culture.

The constant presence of the sun, beauty of the streets and size of the city make walking the best option. Just ensure you pack sunscreen and a good pair of sunglasses – Beverly Hills is no place for an unprotected Irish complexion.

Despite the disconcerting number of lean bodies lithely traversing the spotless streets, Beverly Hills has its own thriving food culture, which adheres firmly to the city’s ethos of luxury.

Amid the relaxed, modern setting of Ocean Prime on Wilshire Boulevard, I lost myself in the best steak of my life. With a side of truffle macaroni cheese – a luxurious inversion of classic comfort food – it was the perfect combination of rustic and over the top. You’ll generally see a couple of celebrities jabbing at a salad. Order the macaroni cheese anyway; I certainly did.

Beverly Hills is among the world’s top destinations for luxurious self-restoration. The worldwide spa market continued to grow during the recession, and despite being valued at $94 billion, it’s still growing. On our second day, we visited The Beverly Hilton hotel, famed for its annual hosting of the Golden Globe Awards.

After a lunch stop at the hotel’s Circa 55 restaurant for a taste of old Hollywood glamour and some of the best (and biggest) desserts I’ve ever had the privilege and terror of tasting, including a six-layer dark chocolate truffle cake, I headed to the hotel’s Aqua Star Babor Beauty Spa. With just five treatment rooms, it has the serene atmosphere of a small spa, despite its location in one of Beverly Hills’ most visited hotels.

For a quick fix, you could opt for their renowned Red Carpet Ready Facial ($195 for 80 minutes), which was exclusively designed for Aqua Star. If you happen to find yourself attending the Golden Globes, this facial uses a combination of hot stones, aromatherapy massage and hydrating products to give skin a quick-fix lift and glow. Not having been invited to the Golden Globes, I settled for the Skin Performance Facial (€125 for 50 minutes) which gives skin a general workout with some clever massage, and involves some nice, hydrating products from German spa brand Babor.

For our final night in Beverly Hills, we moved to The Montage Beverly Hills hotel. Two minutes from Rodeo Drive, it is nestled next to the idyllic Beverly Canon Gardens, a small, beautifully landscaped park used by visitors and residents for picnics and lunch-hour naps.

My skin benefited mightily from a stint in the hotel’s Turkish bath style, co-ed mineral pool, but sun worshippers will prefer the swimming pool. Located on the roof next to the sun-drenched breakfast area, it has a view that makes the $20 pot of coffee with breakfast almost worth it. Prices start from $595 per room per night (montagehotels.com/beverlyhills).

On North Canon Drive, Spaghettini and the Dave Koz Lounge is reimagining dinner entertainment. In a total inversion of the Irish dinner dances of old, this place focuses on great Italian-inspired food and live music.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner to the blustering sounds of Phat Cat Swingers, a 10-piece big band, who belted out comfortingly recognisable classics. I expected the crowd to be on the older side, and there were indeed a few suspiciously old men dancing with very young blondes, wearing engagement rings the size of quail’s eggs, but there was a younger crowd too.

By the bar, a few young couples danced energetically, while most of us just relaxed and enjoyed our dinner. It was an experience of a kind we don’t have at home, but the food shouldn’t be underestimated. See spaghettinibh.com for a line-up of upcoming acts, and don’t forget to order the cassarecce with squid ink, shrimp, wild greens and tomato. If you leave without trying the peanut butter and chocolate ganache for dessert, you’ll regret it as long as you live. Sinatra and peanut butter desserts – there are few better ways to spend an evening.

Getting there

Aer Lingus operate daily flights between Dublin, Shannon, Cork, Belfast and London Heathrow. Fares start from €39.99 one-way including taxes. See aerlingus.com for more information on fares and schedules.

Air New Zealand return flights from London to LA in economy from £476/€665 per person, and premium economy from £1,218/€1,700. For the most up to date fares to LA, see airnewzealand.co.uk