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I love LA and fortunately get to visit pretty often as my oldest son lives there, and thus have taken it upon myself to try and find the perfect place to stay; I recently thought The Beverly Hills Hotel could be it (read the review here), but the relatively new Maybourne (which replaced the Montage in 2020) is in such a great location, now I’m not so sure. The group that owns the Maybourne also owns The Connaught and Claridges in London, so they know a little something about running a luxury hotel, and it shows. The service was absolutely on point from the bellmen to the staff at reception all the way to the servers at breakfast.

The vibe at the Maybourne is definitely casual California juxtaposed with a great collection of modern art sprinkled throughout.

I booked a Junior Suite (through my sister at Fora) and while there wasn’t an upgrade available I did enjoy early check-in at 11 am, a hefty brekkie allowance as well as a $100 food & beverage credit. The room was a little “beige” for my taste, but everything was spotless, and our balcony opened up to the LA sunshine.

The biggest draw of the Maybourne is it’s proximity to Rodeo Drive and the ability to walk out the door and start exploring; an added bonus of staying in BH is the current installation of larger than life Robert Orlinski pieces which can’t help but bring joy.

After checking in to the room my first order of business was to meet a friend at the Beverly Hills branch of Erewhon which may sound trite but is literally a highlight for me. A sampling of salads followed by their vanilla soft serve- nirvana.

I left our dinners up to my Gen-Z son and his girlfriend, both very on top of what’s hot in LA. Opting for Italian is always a good choice, and our dinner at Antico Nuovo did not disappoint. As a gluten free diner I could only admire the tempting house-baked focaccia that was devoured in mere minutes, and had to make due with a short list of gluten free and vegetarian options (the menu is pretty meat heavy) but all that being said everything was tasty, particularly the broccoli chicory caesar (hold the bread crumbs) and the outstanding homemade honeycomb ice cream while the Italian focused wine list had many gems to choose from.

The Maybourne is also in close proximity to La Scala, a true classic which I have been visiting for over 45 (!!) years and to whom I give credit for a life-long addiction to chopped salads. Their salad isn’t as ground breaking as it once was, but it still is pretty great. I chose the tuna chopped and with a bit of extra salt and pepper I enjoyed every bite.

A special mention needs to go to the rooftop pool at the Maybourne (really serene) as well as the gorgeous restaurant/bar, a branch of New York City’s iconic Dante which is the perfect place for an aperitivo before heading out to dinner.

Our second dinner pick was Soban in Koreatown which was not only authentic, it was delicious. I had many more choices here versus Antico Nuovo and took full advantage, especially loving the tofu bibimbap as well as the colorful banchan.

We took advantage of the beautiful outdoor patio for breakfast each morning and while the food wasn’t groundbreaking everything was tasty and the service was attentive and professional.

One of the best parts of flying out of LA is taking advantage of PS LAX, a private suite experience that keeps you out of the chaos of LAX with the added benefit of peace and quiet and a tasty meal ( I had breakfast and my husband had lunch) before your flight. When it comes time for security you are screened in their small facility and then driven right to the plane which is about as good as it gets short of flying privately. Currently the PS experience is available in LA and Atlanta, but I am hoping more will open in the future.

Two nights in LA are never enough, but I am already anticipating my next visit!