If the walls at the Sunset Tower Hotel could talk, perhaps they could tell us just what Hollywood luminaries such as Errol Flynn, Marilyn Monroe, Howard Hughes and Elizabeth Taylor got up to when they stayed there in the 1930s and 1940s. Perhaps they could also confirm or deny the rumour that John Wayne kept a cow on the back terrace.
Either way, when Jeff Klein bought what was formerly the Argyle Hotel and set about refurbishing the 1929 art-deco gem on Sunset Boulevard, his aim was to preserve the hotel's history and create a modern, "grown-up" hotel.
These days, the new Sunset Tower has been given back its original name and its Los Angeles celeb factor. Buxom starlets have simply been replaced by the likes of designer Marc Jacobs and Hollywood's lugubrious man-of-the-moment, Bill Murray, spotted shuffling around the lobby, basking in comfort and anonymity.
Location
The Sunset Tower sits right in between the Mondrian and the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard, so there's no shortage of action -- salubrious and otherwise -- day and night.
Turn left out of the hotel and you're greeted by scores of shops, cafés and restaurants, making it tempting to perch on a patio and people-watch all day in the California sunshine.
Nighttime entertainment is equally varied: Many guests prefer to hang in at the hotel's buzzy Tower Bar, while others head to nearby venues (such as the aforementioned Marmont and Mondrian) for drinks, dinner and further star-spotting.
Ambience
Unlike either the super-showy or shabby-chic hotels on the same strip, the Sunset Tower offers simple elegance and unpretentious luxury.
"I wanted to create a less stuffy Claridges," owner Jeff Klein says. "And you won't find the Paris Hiltons and Lindsay Lohans of this world drinking cocktails here."
Instead, designer Paul Fortune's subtle touch takes cues from art deco -- the use of luxurious woods and soft, muted colours -- but wisely steers clear of any attempts at revival. This is a hotel whose strength lies in its ability to remain in the background. A strength that makes high-design boutique hotels look rather passé.
Clientele
A-list Hollywood is too low-rent for this place. You're more likely to spot proper talents such as Joaquin Phoenix and Sofia Coppola.
As for any prima-donna antics, forget it: When one washed-up 1970s model had a tantrum in the restaurant, she was thrown out and told never to come back.
Rooms
Many of the 74 rooms here offer spectacular views of Los Angeles through floor-to-ceiling windows. Indeed, if you stay in one of the bigger suites higher up, you may decide to forgo the huge flat-screen TVs and simply pull up a chair to watch the city below.
In the rest of the room, the seriousness of the elegant bespoke wooden furniture, rich striped fabrics and crisp linen sheets is broken up by quirky black and white photos of not-so-famous actors hamming it up for the camera. Amenities include an iPod docking station and Wi-Fi connections, plus luxurious bathtubs and yummy products from C.O. Bigelow chemists.
Food and drink
The Tower's 80-seat restaurant, run by Hollywood-handsome chef Piero Morovich, serves light Californian cuisine such as golden beet carpaccio, seared monkfish, roasted organic lemon chicken and handmade pizzas -- as well as good old-fashioned lamb chops (with mascarpone polenta and bordelaise sauce). This fare is so popular that non-guests have trouble securing a table, though come cocktail hour both artsy moviemakers and smart wheeler-dealers find themselves a spot to order up rounds of strong martinis.
Service
It's nice to be in a hotel where staff aren't sycophantic, but will bend over backward to help:
When we fancied tea and cookies and they didn't have the cookies, for instance, the pastry chef baked some especially and sent them upstairs as a surprise.
Being privately owned means that the proprietor is also on hand to chats with guests.
Bottom line
The Sunset Tower is a welcome break from over-designed, affected hotels.
This isn't a place that needs to declare itself "hip" because its grand history speaks for itself -- and has been successfully carried forward to the present.
Hotel vitals
SUNSET TOWER HOTEL
Essentials: 8358 Sunset Blvd.; 1-800-225-2637; http://www.sunsettowerhotel.com. Located between swish Beverly Hills and rougher downtown L.A.
Rates and rooms: Doubles from $260; suites from $400; penthouse from $1,725.
Top draws: The full-service Argyle Salon & Spa includes spacious treatment rooms that offer total serenity and privacy.
Needs work: Some of the carpets in the common areas were puckering shortly after the hotel's grand opening.