News feed
Upon stepping off Sunset Boulevard and into the entranceway of the recently opened West Hollywood EDITION, the vibe shift is felt immediately. Not your usual hotel lobby, the EDITION’s entranceway is instead an area where you’ll see people playing pool on an oversized table or drinking at the sexy, gin-themed long bar taking up one of the far walls. With plush armchairs and couches dotted throughout, sky-high ceilings and an outdoor fire pit, the area is bustling with the exact cool, creative crowd you’d expect from an EDITION — and one placed exactly in the centre of it all, at that.
Located on the corner of West Sunset Boulevard and North Doheny Drive, where West Hollywood meets Beverly Hills, the latest EDITION instalment sits just a stone’s throw from the hottest restaurants in town and a four-minute walk to the always pumping WeHo Soho House. The EDITION hotels are known for using the cities they’re in as a starting point for their atmosphere and design, but perhaps none is executed quite so perfectly as this location. It’s young enough to feel fresh and exciting with an air of ‘I wonder who else is staying here right now’, while being sophisticated and casual enough to get work done by the pool without bother.
Speaking of the pool. LA knows the importance of its water offering better than most, with locals often forgoing heading west in its infamous traffic to hit the beach and opting instead to park up at one of the many luxurious loungers found dotted atop the hotels dotted across West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
The West Hollywood EDITION would’ve known there was stiff competition in that area, but if they were shaken, you couldn’t tell: its rooftop pool offers unparalleled views across the city and has mastered being both cool and inviting while at the same time, being unpretentious. You can spend hours with friends (and margaritas) and spot a famous actor or two — I spotted one of my favourite British actors poolside two days in a row — while still being quiet enough to read a book or squint at your laptop over sunglasses to get some afternoon emails done.
Almost as important as being able to nail a rooftop pool in LA? The poolside menu, which, as a legal requirement in LA, must include guac and corn chips. The EDITION earns bonus points for its ceviche and Ceasar salad (though, as with any hotel of its calibre, you’ll be paying for the taste). A few feet from the pool, there’s a rooftop bar with the same expansive views of the city where stylish young people enjoy the sunset. The bar specialises in tequila – it knows its crowd – and the melon margarita with a wasabi salt rim is a signature.
The rooms are, as expected, modern and chic. They’re light-filled, spacious and minimal with views over the bustling Sunset Boulevard below, and all its iconic billboards, and the Hollywood Hills above. Stylistic touches, such as faux fur throws on the bed and vintage Turkish rugs on the floor, as well as a carefully curated selection of coffee table books and recent magazines laid out beside an armchair, make the space feel curated.
White walls and furniture are complemented by pale wood accents with a huge – and incredibly – comfortable bed at the centre. The bathrooms, too, are spacious with a Le Labo collaboration moisturiser, body wash and shampoo, created specifically for the EDITION hotels on offer, marking the first time I realised it’s worth every penny to invest in good shampoo (my hair the next day had never looked better).
The EDITION’s restaurant, Ardour, can be found downstairs through the lobby. The spacious, earthy and leafy area is where both breakfast and dinner are served with an outdoor area open on warm evenings (which is always in LA). Helmed by celebrated Chef John Fraser, who trained with Thomas Keller at The French Laundry and was previously of Michelin-starred Nix restaurant, Ardour is skewed heavily towards vegan and vegetarian dishes with plant-based takes on Italian classics.
Do not, and I mean this very seriously, skip the milk bread. Nor the crab tagliatelle, or the onion rings and be sure to pre-order (at the beginning of your meal) the dessert — probably the most unique and standout dish of our dinner, and something recommended by our server, whose choices were spot on throughout — though nothing could be faulted.
The gym is big and packed with all the best equipment, including Peloton bikes and TRX gear on offer. On the same level is a boutique spa that focuses on mindfulness and wellbeing, with plant-based and CBD-inspired treatments (could you get any more LA?) on offer.
If I wasn’t so jetlagged you would’ve found me at the EDITION’s underground nightclub, Sunset, with a ceiling covered by 30 oversized golden disco balls. Looking back now, perhaps the famous actor was there after his poolside afternoon – a missed opportunity, but at least something to explore next visit.
