Review: Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

Review: Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

NAME: Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
LOCATION: Beverly Hills, CA, USA
DATE: November 2019
REVIEW RATING:
BEN SAYS: Easily one of the best city hotels in the United States, and a particularly good use of Hilton Honors points
60

EXTRA PERKS AVAILABLE Enjoy breakfast, upgrades, & more

Want to take advantage of Hilton Impresario benefits at no extra cost (when paying for your stay with cash), including a room upgrade, free breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He doesn’t charge booking fees, and may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.

To kick off our eight nights in California we spent two nights at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. This is generally regarded as one of the top hotels in the area, and it’s most definitely the most luxurious points hotel in the Los Angeles area.

Booking The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

A standard room at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills retails for 95,000 Hilton Honors points per night, which is a good deal when you consider that paid rates here are typically $700+ per night including tax.

In the case of our stay we didn’t even use points, but rather we used some reward certificates. Ford and I both have the Hilton Aspire Card, and had expiring Hilton weekend free night certificates. I redeemed one for the first night and Ford redeemed one for the second night.

See this post for the best credit cards for earning Hilton Honors points, and see this post for the best hotel credit cards for earning free nights.

If you are paying cash for a stay at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, I’d recommend booking through Virtuoso. You’d pay the same “standard” rate, and would receive a room upgrade subject to availability, complimentary breakfast, a $100 property credit once during the stay, and more.

You can book Virtuoso directly online, or can work with a Virtuoso advisor (for example, you can contact Ford at [email protected]).

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Review

I’ll break the review of the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills into several parts, and will cover our arrival & check-in experience, our room, the lobby, the pool, the gym, the awesome dining venues, the service, and more.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Arrival & Check-In

We took an Uber from LAX to the Waldorf Astoria (we took an UberBlack so we could be picked up curbside, rather than having to deal with the disastrous LAXit situation). The drive from the airport at around noon on Saturday took just over 30 minutes.

Speaking of the Waldorf Astoria & Uber, this is very important. If you are picked up at the hotel, don’t tag your location as being at the Waldorf in the Uber app. For whatever (very stupid) reason, it will automatically reset your location to the Beverly Hilton. Instead tag your location as the Jean-Georges Restaurant, which will have you picked up at the right place.

Anyway, the Waldorf Astoria is located at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard. It’s just a few blocks from Rodeo Drive and all the famous Beverly Hills shopping, and is also just a short drive from the Sunset Strip. So personally I think it’s an unbeatable location for a weekend getaway to LA.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills exterior

The Waldorf Astoria has a cool circular driveway, and upon arrival we were greeted by a bellman and escorted to check-in.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills exterior

We were checked in by Roy, who was incredibly professional. Sometimes front desk agents don’t share enough info, while other times they share way too much info. This was the perfect check-in experience:

  • One night the reservation was in my name and the other night it was in Ford’s name, but he managed to combine them so we wouldn’t have to change keys after the second night
  • He confirmed Hilton Honors Diamond perks, including that Diamond members receive a $50 credit per day that they can use towards just about anything, including breakfast (this is in place of a “formal” breakfast credit)
  • He explained the basics of the hotel, including the car service, hours for the pool and restaurants, etc.
  • He escorted us to our room, but didn’t overshare the features

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Room

We were assigned room 1015, located on the 10th floor (the hotel has 12 floors, plus the rooftop). Upon exiting the elevator we turned right, and then our room was immediately there to the left.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills hallway


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills room exterior

As you can see based on the hotel’s floorplan, the hotel has an unusual shape, and as a result there are rooms of different sizes. We definitely got one of the smaller rooms, though it had a fantastic view.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills floorplan

I believe we got a deluxe king room with terrace and view (which is an upgrade due to the floor and view), though I’m not 100% sure.

While the room wasn’t huge, we loved it. The room featured a large entryway with the bathroom to the left.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills room entryway


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills room entryway

Further into the room was the bedroom area. To the right was a plush king size bed and a chaise.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills king room

Across from that was a table with two chairs, which could double as either a dining table or a desk. Then there was a wall-mounted TV.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills king room

The table had both an Alexa, as well as an iPad through which you could order room service, and make just about any other request. It completely replaced any brochure.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills king room

I have exactly one criticism of the room, and that’s the location of the outlets. This is still a fairly new hotel (it opened in 2017), yet somehow there aren’t convenient outlets next to the bed or the desk. You literally have to move furniture to plug something in next to your bed, which is ridiculous.

(Update: some readers pointed out that apparently there are outlets in the bedside drawers, so that’s good to know. Too bad I never figured that out.)

Back towards the entrance was the minibar, a Nespresso machine, and some bottled water.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills minibar


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Nespresso machine


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills minibar

The bathroom was also back towards the entrance, and was quite large. It featured double sinks, a partitioned off toilet, a bathtub, and a walk-in shower.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills bathroom


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills bathtub


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills toilet


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills shower

Toiletries were the “Tuscan Soul” scent from Salvatore Ferragamo.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills toiletries

Across from the bathroom was a good size closet.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills room closet

Probably the highlight of the room was the large balcony with views of Beverly Hills (the actual hills, not the flats). There were two chairs on the balcony, including one with an ottoman.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills balcony


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills balcony

The views from the balcony were mesmerizing. I’d note that it was quite loud out there given how close you are to a major intersection, though the sound insulation is excellent, as we couldn’t hear a thing when the door was closed.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills room view


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills room view

About an hour after arriving we were brought a (sweet) welcome gift.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills welcome amenity

Wifi in the room (and throughout the hotel) was fast and free.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Lobby

The Waldorf Astoria has a beautiful lobby that gets really busy during the day, as this hotel isn’t just popular with guests, but also with locals going to the rooftop, etc.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills lobby


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills lobby


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills lobby

In the very back of the lobby is the Lobby Lounge, open daily from 12PM until 8PM. They serve light snacks and drinks.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills lobby bar


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills lobby bar


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills lobby bar

The hotel also has some shopping in the lobby.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills lobby

It’s also worth noting that the hotel has complimentary coffee and tea in the lobby in the mornings, which makes me a very happy camper.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills lobby coffee

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Pool

One of the things that really sets the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills apart is the huge rooftop.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills rooftop


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills rooftop

The pool is open daily from 8AM until 6PM, and is a good size, and there’s also a hot tub next to it. There are dozens of seats around the pool, along with some cabanas.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills rooftop pool


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills rooftop pool


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills rooftop hot tub


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills rooftop

The views from the rooftop are as good, if not better, than from the rest of the hotel.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills rooftop view

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Rooftop Bar

The most popular venue at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills for outside guests is probably The Rooftop By JG (“JG” stands for Jean-Georges, as there’s a Jean-Georges restaurant off the lobby).

The rooftop has to be one of the most picturesque venues in the area, and it was packed every time I walked by (which is why I took the below pictures just shortly before they opened). The rooftop is open from 11:30AM until 11:30PM on weekdays, and longer on weekends. There’s a cozy fireplace, and there are couches, proper tables, and a bar.

The Rooftop by JG Waldorf Astoria


The Rooftop by JG Waldorf Astoria


The Rooftop by JG Waldorf Astoria


The Rooftop by JG Waldorf Astoria

The menu read as follows:

We stopped here for drinks one evening, which were excellent. Check out that ice cube!


The Rooftop by JG Waldorf Astoria drinks

Jean-Georges Restaurant Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

Jean-Georges is the signature restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria, and it’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant itself is beautiful, and has a bar and lounge area inside and to the left.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Jean-Georges Restaurant

Then the main indoor dining area is to the right.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Jean-Georges Restaurant

Then there’s also a beautiful outdoor terrace.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Jean-Georges Restaurant


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Jean-Georges Restaurant

We had breakfast in the restaurant one morning (which is served from 7AM until 11AM), partly using our $50 daily credit. The breakfast menu read as follows:

I had a coffee to drink…


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills breakfast 

Then to eat I had the avocado toast and house made granola, while Ford had poached eggs.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills breakfast 


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills breakfast 


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills breakfast 

The breakfast was excellent. The other morning we had room service breakfast, which was also very good (usually I wouldn’t order room service breakfast in LA since there are lots of great places to eat, but to be perfectly honest we were a wee bit hungover, and that just seemed like the best option).


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills room service breakfast 

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Gym & Spa

The Waldorf Astoria has a 24/7 gym, located on the second floor. Note that only one set of elevators leads to this part of the second floor, and in our case it was the elevator further from our room. The gym was a good size, and had excellent equipment.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills gym


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills gym


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills gym


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills gym

The La Prairie Spa was next to the gym. We didn’t end up getting any treatments here. You can find the spa menu here.


Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills La Prairie Spa

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills House Car

The Waldorf Astoria has two house cars. They have an Escalade and a Rolls Royce Phantom. They’re available on a first come first served basis, and can take you within a three mile radius.

We used it a couple of times, and that sure is a nice feature, since it can take you to many areas of Beverly Hills and the Sunset Strip.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Service

I honestly can’t say enough good things about the service at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. It’s rare that I have strong feelings about service in a city hotel (especially in the US), but the service here was simply impeccable.

Where do we even begin? For one, I can truly say that just about every staff member genuinely wanted to make everyone’s stay perfect. For example, I was in the elevator trying to find the gym, and a hotel employee who I think was a maintenance worker got in. I asked him where the gym was, and he literally escorted me there, even though it required changing elevators.

Once a housekeeper was vacuuming on the floor we were staying on, and as soon as she saw me walking down the hallway she turned it off and waited until I entered my room.

The hotel was actually responsive with their chat service (see, W Aspen, it’s possible?). I was so impressed that they not only responded within minutes, but when it wasn’t available proactively suggested that they could pick me up on the return.

Service was equally good at breakfast and on the rooftop, and the concierge was also incredibly responsive.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills Bottom Line

I was delighted by the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. This has to be one of my new favorite city hotels in the US — the hotel itself is beautiful, they have a jaw-dropping rooftop (both the pool and the rooftop bar), the service is impeccable, and they even have a Rolls Royce Phantom house car.

I’d stay here again in a heartbeat, and can’t recommend a stay here enough, whether paying cash, redeeming Honors points, or using a free night certificate from Hilton.

If you’ve stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, what was your experience like?

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  1. A Guest

    Hi,
    I’ve been observing the Waldorf BH this last month and they don’t show a standard weekend room available until one or two nights beforehand. For example, they don’t show a standard room available for Friday the 6th until Thursday the 5th. Is this just because it’s near the holidays? I’m hoping to use a free weekend night in December.

  2. bfiring Guest

    Great review. I've been tempted to stay at this hotel for a while now, but keep going back to the Peninsula. In fact, I'm heading there tomorrow for 5 nights. While the modern decor of the WA is more my style, I keep going back to the Peninsula because of the impeccable but discreet service and it's quiet location. They will always give me a specific room which allows me to sleep with the french...

    Great review. I've been tempted to stay at this hotel for a while now, but keep going back to the Peninsula. In fact, I'm heading there tomorrow for 5 nights. While the modern decor of the WA is more my style, I keep going back to the Peninsula because of the impeccable but discreet service and it's quiet location. They will always give me a specific room which allows me to sleep with the french doors open all night overlooking the back gardens. Blissful in every sense of the word. My biggest problem with the WA is that the location is incredibly noisy unless you keep the sliders shut. Curious to know if others who have enjoyed the Peninsula BH have tried the WA?

  3. tuotuo Gold

    A little confused.Did you drive from LA to SF(Napa Valley) then back to Big Sur?

  4. Jamie Gold

    It looks amazing. I stayed next door at the Beverly Hilton as a Diamond member. The rooms were very dated however the inclusive breakfast was amazing and although the pool is a lot smaller, it was great for people watching too.

  5. Super Guest

    Lucky - I saw you and Ford at Rocco's! No surprise you were both hungover lol

  6. schar Guest

    Incredible review Ben, but like others pointed out, would've loved a picture of the cars and your Mastros dinner too (butter cake, lobster mashed potatoes-omg!!)

    Make sure to try the Montage in Laguna Beach-the most beautiful area and grounds of any SoCal hotel I've ever been to!

  7. Kendor Member

    @Lucky - Do check it out, the Hyatt Huntington Beach is a beautiful and extremely well-managed property. (disclosure: I have no connection to Hyatt or this property beyond simply really liking it.) As for your likes and dislikes, my take is that Huntington Beach is an area, not just a beach, an easily-accessed continuum from Laguna Beach in the south, to Crystal Cove State Park, to Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Dog Beach, Bolsa Chica Beach...

    @Lucky - Do check it out, the Hyatt Huntington Beach is a beautiful and extremely well-managed property. (disclosure: I have no connection to Hyatt or this property beyond simply really liking it.) As for your likes and dislikes, my take is that Huntington Beach is an area, not just a beach, an easily-accessed continuum from Laguna Beach in the south, to Crystal Cove State Park, to Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Dog Beach, Bolsa Chica Beach and wetlands, and finally Sunset and Seal Beach. Indeed a continuous walking/biking path connects many of these areas. If you/Ford like running or biking, take the path south from the Huntington Beach Hyatt down the Newport Peninsula, across the tiny Balboa Ferry to the mainland, and ride 10 miles around the Newport Bay Nature Reserve. Or take the path north, past Huntington pier, and up to Dog Beach, where you can chat and play with dogs and dog owners.

    If you haven't seen the rocky coves and secret beaches north of Laguna Beach, also worth checking out: they're quite unlike the flat sandy expanse of Huntington Beach, more reminiscent of the Marin Headlands, volcanic Hawaii, or the rocky shoreline of west Ireland.

    We'll be your friend if you need a loaner in the Huntington Beach area. We'll even buy you a Wahoos Fish taco. ;)

  8. eric Guest

    Hi Ben, it was not my intention to insult you. Far from it! It was just so positive on all levels that it seemed paid. And I’m a big fan from your blog mainly because you have clear reviews which are not biased. I apologize if you thought it was offending.

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ eric -- No worries, and I appreciate you reading! For what it's worth, me not disclosing that this is a paid piece (if it were) would be illegal, and that's not something I'm about to do. :)

  9. eric Guest

    Ben big fan of your blog but I must say are you getting paid for this article. Your so positive. I tried to book this hotel but was unable to find award availability. Closer to our travel date something opened up and yes it was also the ADA room. I figured I get a Diamond upgrade to a “regular” room or maybe something nicer. After 2 days I noticed the hotel did charge my credit...

    Ben big fan of your blog but I must say are you getting paid for this article. Your so positive. I tried to book this hotel but was unable to find award availability. Closer to our travel date something opened up and yes it was also the ADA room. I figured I get a Diamond upgrade to a “regular” room or maybe something nicer. After 2 days I noticed the hotel did charge my credit card for the full amount the room normally would cost (If I remember correctly, they charged something of 900USD per night)

    I send an email to the hotel because if I pay with points why do you need to charge a ridiculous amount even weeks before I arrive? It’s not a small amount and also, I pay the extra’s when I’m on site. At least that’s what I’m used to. I got a very unfriendly response. It was policy and I needed to agree with this or my reservation would be canceled. WTF

    I felt unwelcome. What I’m not a millionaire so I’m not welcome? So I canceled the reservation and went to the Ritz.

    Looking at you review I did not miss much. Well the hamburger with fries for 50USD
    This hotel is overhyped. Playing tricks with award availability. Not costumer friendly (I know it’s LA)

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ eric -- Doesn't it seem a little unfair to accuse me of being paid for this article? Because I'm 100% not. I'm sorry you had a bad experience -- that really does sound disappointing. But that doesn't mean that I'm somehow being paid for an honest review of a hotel I really enjoyed...

  10. cariverga Guest

    @Jr It does. Read the T&C. Requires some "pushing" at times, but i always get suites.
    @Anthony Is muffin & coffee your expectation as a Diamond member? Oh my... Then again, probably none of yours is a "real" Diamond. I wouldn't accept anything except full hot buffet breakfast.

  11. Uwe New Member

    @Jr
    Not true.
    Hilton do upgrades to Suites for Diamond members - of course upon availability and booking situation.
    I've got upgrades to a one bedroom suite several times in BKK,SIN, TXL or MIA...even when my original booking was only for a standard room...Conrad and Waldorf Astoria included.

  12. Kendor Member

    SoCal resident here, quite used to high prices and yes, I can mitigate this sticker shock with my own AMEX Aspire card. That said, why oh why would you stay at this particular hotel in this particular boring part of LA? An hour south lies the Hyatt Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, which IMHO ties the Hyatt on the Bund in Shanghai as the best managed and most awesome hotel in the world. They'll take...

    SoCal resident here, quite used to high prices and yes, I can mitigate this sticker shock with my own AMEX Aspire card. That said, why oh why would you stay at this particular hotel in this particular boring part of LA? An hour south lies the Hyatt Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, which IMHO ties the Hyatt on the Bund in Shanghai as the best managed and most awesome hotel in the world. They'll take the Hyatt Card and generate the Autumn 2019 double points bonus, which you so seem to like, and you can revel at the sight of Ford screaming his way down "Sliders" biggest water slide, before enjoying the excellent point break and long, rideable tubes of Huntington Beach once block away across the PCH.

    Pro tips: check out Thousands Steps Beach and some of the other coves near Laguna. And Ultraviolet and the claw machine place at the K-Mall near People's Park station on Line 2 whevever you guys get to Shanghai. Don't miss out

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ Kendor -- I'll have to check out the Hyatt Huntington Beach at some point, though personally can't say I love Huntington Beach as such. In this case the goal was just to see friends for a couple of days in the area. Can't say I have many friends in Huntington Beach.

  13. Mike Guest

    Good to at least to hear a luxury hotel in the US live's up to it's standard, heck if I had to pay that price - points or money - I would expect the service to be top notch and not like some of your other experiences/reviews at similar hotel level - eg W Aspen.

  14. Michael F Gold

    Great review, especially the gorgeous pics (and kudos to you for making the effort to take them when no one was around).

  15. Tim Diamond

    I forgot to mention a few things when I commented on this the other day...

    The hotel car service was quick and easy and we also ordered it within just a few hours. The rooftop restaurant gives preference to hotel guests for reservations. From the pool I walked over and got a table for 5 with just a few hours notice and it was a very busy Sunday.

    The double row of loungers is on...

    I forgot to mention a few things when I commented on this the other day...

    The hotel car service was quick and easy and we also ordered it within just a few hours. The rooftop restaurant gives preference to hotel guests for reservations. From the pool I walked over and got a table for 5 with just a few hours notice and it was a very busy Sunday.

    The double row of loungers is on one side only. They normally allow only two non-guests per room but they let a third in for us since only two of us were actually in the water.I

    And finally, they gave me a 2pm check out since our return flight was at 7:30pm. But they let us stay at pool until 4pm, held our bags and even let us shower and change in spa before leaving for LAX. And the pool boy gave us each a free drink that final day since we chatted with him for several days...speaking Spanish helped. Wonderful service. Yes, pricey but worth it for 95k points.

    There is a separate elevator to the side for non guests to use for rooftop access meaning that it's very calm in most of hotel.

  16. Jaso Guest

    LOL, I was at the WA too on Saturday night (23) with my kids. We used the Aspire free night too. We got pulled into the ADA room as well, but they moved use automatically to a room with 2 queens beds. Kids loved the quick ride to Rodeo in the Phantom. I took video inside, didn’t Care cause with kids you can do whatever you want. the kids had room service breakfast as well....

    LOL, I was at the WA too on Saturday night (23) with my kids. We used the Aspire free night too. We got pulled into the ADA room as well, but they moved use automatically to a room with 2 queens beds. Kids loved the quick ride to Rodeo in the Phantom. I took video inside, didn’t Care cause with kids you can do whatever you want. the kids had room service breakfast as well. Overall, excellent stay and will use certs again.

    Ps- Ford is great with the virtuoso bookings, first hand knowledge from this year and a 4 seasons stay.

  17. Lisfranc Guest

    I'm all for blowing money on stupid stuff but these prices are worse than Maldives Cheval Blanc/O&O.

  18. 1987 Member

    Pool is way too beige and has the "deal breaker" of two rows of lounge chairs. Yikes.
    Thank you for the amazing photos!

  19. Abe Guest

    I see people complaining about prices. I’ve stayed at this overpriced, over rated hot and they charge you $25 for a smoothie.

  20. Jimmy Guest

    I just think there are better options - Peninsula very near, Hotel Bel Air, Beverly Hills Hotel. Just more character with those. Save the points for areas with less opportunities to get something special.

  21. M Guest

    Ben, I love your reviews but next time you are in LA have breakfast at Sqirl.

  22. Rose Guest

    They bulldozed Trader Vic's, one of LA's most important landmarks, to build this tower of interchangeable bougieness.

    I really hope you take into account the damage this place did before giving them more business.

  23. Expathotelier Guest

    Ben, I know you're not a car guy but the hotel operates a Rolls Royce Ghost as the house car, not a Phantom. Still a Rolls, but not quite as grand (or expensive).
    Hotel looks awesome though!

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ Expathotelier -- Hmmm, interesting, we were explicitly told it was a Phantom. Is it possible they changed it to that recently?

  24. Jr Guest

    @cariverga. Hilton doesn't upgrade Diamonds to suites.

  25. Anthony Diamond

    Cariverga - muffins and coffee are $17. There’s your breakfast

  26. cariverga Guest

    Why would you accept 50$ instead of breakfast? Breakfast is the official benefit.
    I mean, you know perfectly the rules of all elite programs, but seemingly you are fine with hotels not respecting them. I had this experience once in the US, and i insisted on providing breakfast.
    You also don't mind them not upgrading you to a suite... Hm..

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ cariverga -- Maybe outside the US that's the case, but in the US there are all kinds of Hiltons that just offer "continental" breakfast, and for many hotels that means a muffin and coffee. So while $50 won't actually cover a "real" breakfast for two, I'll take that over a cup of coffee and a muffin, which is what I imagine they may otherwise do.

  27. Pacificohk Guest

    I found recently you are more satisfied with Hilton even they are huge devalued of their points+money option. As you are already lifetime Platinum of Marriott Bonvoy, you may seriously consider jump ship to Hilton Honors for your lifetime Diamond

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ Pacificohk -- Yeah, I have been pleased with Hilton lately. I'm not sure there's any reason to actually be "loyal" to Hilton though, and go through the effort required for lifetime status, since you can just get Diamond status through their credit card.

  28. Julia Guest

    Never understood all the fuss about this property. Prices are outrageous, the view on a highway... Beverly Hills one of the most boring area of California

    I'd rather use these 95000 on Conrad in Osaka or Tokyo with executive lounge access and stunning views.

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ Julia -- Fair enough, though I think it makes sense to instead compare the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills to the other points options in the city. For us the decision wasn't between staying at the Waldorf in Beverly Hills or Tokyo, but rather was between staying here or at another hotel in the area. And I do think this hotel even represents one of the best values using points (or certificates).

  29. Staradmiral Guest

    @Phil
    You can book an ADA handicap accessible room and then simply call the hotel to move you to a standard room at check in.

  30. Greg Member

    @Phil--Make sure you select the option to show accessible rooms. They play games where they only make those rooms available at the standard rate, and hide them by default.

  31. DB Guest

    Looks spectacular but man those prices for pretty much everything are insane.

  32. mark Guest

    They had the Phantom and also a Maybach when I stayed there last year! Wonder why they got rid of the Maybach- was great to ride in both!

  33. Phil Guest

    How far out did you have to book? I am not finding any availability whatsoever on weekends for the next 6 months. They are pricing it out at over 200k points for a premium room (which I will not be allowed to use the weekend certs for)

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ Phil -- I booked a bit over a month out. They often have more space open as the arrival date approaches, so keep an eye out on space.

  34. Corey Sacken Guest

    Nice benefit for that credit card though. I'm cheap and I'd still value that stay pretty up there. Not at the cash rate but still a lot.

  35. Alonzo Diamond

    Those prices are absurd, even for a Waldorf in LA. $24 for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc lmao.

  36. Rico Gold

    @Anthony Thanks for the info. OK, I'd probably grab breakfast somewhere else then still use the $50 credit for one margarita and guac on the roof.

  37. Anthony Diamond

    Rico - there is none. Gold and Diamonds get $25 per guest for a F&B benefit per night instead

  38. Amr Guest

    Thanks for the review Lucky, very nicely done!

  39. Rico Gold

    What is the standard (free) Hilton Honors breakfast? I'd use the $50 credit for one margarita and guacamole on the roof. Excellent use of your free weekend night by the way.

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ Rico -- As explained by Anthony, the $50 credit is the breakfast benefit, but it can be used on anything. On one hand it's not really enough for breakfast, but at the same time it's nice that it can be used on anything.

  40. DLPTATL Diamond

    A little off topic but wanted to share an amazing HH redemption. I just booked three rooms for three nights for the Kentucky Derby at The Seelbach Hilton Louisville. Paid rates for the stay would have totaled $14,625 which I was able to book for 630,000 points. Works out to 2.3cpp or about 4x the 0.6cpp I normally value HH points. The Seelbach doesn't look nearly as nice as the Waldorf BH; however, when Springhill...

    A little off topic but wanted to share an amazing HH redemption. I just booked three rooms for three nights for the Kentucky Derby at The Seelbach Hilton Louisville. Paid rates for the stay would have totaled $14,625 which I was able to book for 630,000 points. Works out to 2.3cpp or about 4x the 0.6cpp I normally value HH points. The Seelbach doesn't look nearly as nice as the Waldorf BH; however, when Springhill Suites are pulling up at $500/night 30 miles outside Louisville you know there's some dynamic pricing going on that weekend.

  41. James S Guest

    $36 for two eggs is going to be a no from me dawg

  42. Ben Holz Gold

    Did you not take a picture of the house car/s? You let us car enthusiasts down :(

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ Ben Holz -- Hah, funny story. So first Ford was going to Barry's Bootcamp, and he got the Phantom. I brought him downstairs, and he pointed out that I would basically be embarrassing him if I took a picture of the car as he was getting into it. Then oddly I felt the same way when I had "my" drive. So I was determined the next morning to get a picture of the outside...

      @ Ben Holz -- Hah, funny story. So first Ford was going to Barry's Bootcamp, and he got the Phantom. I brought him downstairs, and he pointed out that I would basically be embarrassing him if I took a picture of the car as he was getting into it. Then oddly I felt the same way when I had "my" drive. So I was determined the next morning to get a picture of the outside when I wasn't actually driving in it, but go figure the car actually wasn't there then.

      Sorry to disappoint, you know how much I like documenting this stuff!

  43. Luke Vader Diamond

    Have the Aspire also and will likely trek to L.A. next year. Have been wondering about this Waldorf for a while. Thanks for the fresh review and pics, hotel certainly looks swank.

  44. Ben Guest

    Did you notice them playing games with award availability? I’ve seen many dates with only ADA rooms available

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ Ben -- Indeed, they do play games with award availability. So had to book an ADA, but then informed them that we didn't actually need that.

  45. Adams9802 Guest

    230 for a 32oz steak with a bone, so maybe like 24 oz of actual meat. Yikes!

  46. MP Guest

    I live walking distance from this hotel and have been to the rooftop for lunch and a guest room for a meeting, but I was really interested in reading a full review to see if the complete stay lived up to what I've experienced briefly passing through. In my opinion this is the best located hotel in Los Angeles for people who don't want to rent a car or Uber everywhere, with the BH triangle...

    I live walking distance from this hotel and have been to the rooftop for lunch and a guest room for a meeting, but I was really interested in reading a full review to see if the complete stay lived up to what I've experienced briefly passing through. In my opinion this is the best located hotel in Los Angeles for people who don't want to rent a car or Uber everywhere, with the BH triangle and Century City within walking distance.

    A little disappointed in the room service breakfast though...you could have had the hotel car take you down to John O'Groats...

  47. Anthony Diamond

    Couple of comments

    1) You should check the nightstand top drawer for outlets. I missed them the first night, but housekeeping displayed them for us after cleaning our room. Our room had a different layout, but I found there were more than enough outlets in the various drawers by the bed and cabinets by the desk

    2) The gym is decent, but Equinox is a 12 minute walk down Wilshire, so I used that instead

    ...

    Couple of comments

    1) You should check the nightstand top drawer for outlets. I missed them the first night, but housekeeping displayed them for us after cleaning our room. Our room had a different layout, but I found there were more than enough outlets in the various drawers by the bed and cabinets by the desk

    2) The gym is decent, but Equinox is a 12 minute walk down Wilshire, so I used that instead

    Otherwise spot on review. Its hard to see how this hotel remains 95,000 points going forward

    1. Ben (Lucky) OMAAT

      @ Anthony -- Figured there had to be a story about the outlets. That makes sense, thanks. Will update the post to reflect that.

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A Guest

Hi, I’ve been observing the Waldorf BH this last month and they don’t show a standard weekend room available until one or two nights beforehand. For example, they don’t show a standard room available for Friday the 6th until Thursday the 5th. Is this just because it’s near the holidays? I’m hoping to use a free weekend night in December.

0
bfiring Guest

Great review. I've been tempted to stay at this hotel for a while now, but keep going back to the Peninsula. In fact, I'm heading there tomorrow for 5 nights. While the modern decor of the WA is more my style, I keep going back to the Peninsula because of the impeccable but discreet service and it's quiet location. They will always give me a specific room which allows me to sleep with the french doors open all night overlooking the back gardens. Blissful in every sense of the word. My biggest problem with the WA is that the location is incredibly noisy unless you keep the sliders shut. Curious to know if others who have enjoyed the Peninsula BH have tried the WA?

0
tuotuo Gold

A little confused.Did you drive from LA to SF(Napa Valley) then back to Big Sur?

0
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  • November 21, 2021
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