Affectionately known as the ‘Pink Palace,’ the Beverly Hills Hotel has served as unofficial hobnobbing headquarters for the industry elite since 1912. In the 1930s its Polo Lounge was a notorious hangout of Darryl F Zanuck, Spencer Tracy, Will Rogers and other lords of the polo crowd.

Marlene Dietrich had her very own 7ft-by-8ft bed installed in Bungalow 11, and billionaire recluse Howard Hughes went progressively off his nut during 30 years of delusional semi-residence. Elizabeth Taylor bedded six of her eight husbands in various bungalows. While filming Let’s Make Love, Yves Montand and Marilyn Monroe were probably doing just that; Marilyn is also reported to have ‘bungalowed’ both JFK and RFK here.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Frederick R Weisman Art Foundation

0.77 MILES

The late entrepreneur and philanthropist Frederick R Weisman had an insatiable passion for art, a fact confirmed when touring his former Holmby Hills home…

2. O’Neill House

0.84 MILES

Just north of Santa Monica Blvd is the rather eclectic O'Neill House, built in 1988. While it doesn’t have a famous architect, its free-form, art nouveau…

3. Paley Center for Media

0.95 MILES

The main lure of the Paley Center, located in a crisp white building by Getty Center architect Richard Meier, is its mind-boggling archive of TV and radio…

4. Greystone Mansion & Park

1.04 MILES

Known for inducing bouts of real-estate envy, this Tudor Revival mansion dates back to 1927. Hoover Dam architect Gordon Bernie Kaufmann designed the…

5. Rodeo Drive

1.07 MILES

It might be pricey and unapologetically pretentious, but no trip to LA would be complete without a saunter along Rodeo Dr, the famous three-block ribbon…

6. Anderton Court

1.13 MILES

Rodeo Dr is home to Frank Lloyd Wright's 1953 commercial-residential creation Anderton Court. The complex features an angular ramp leading up and around a…

7. Via Rodeo

1.22 MILES

One of the most popular corners of Rodeo Dr is this kitschy, cobbled outdoor mall, lined with mock-European facades and home to a small but exclusive…

8. Beverly Canon Gardens

1.26 MILES

Radiating a Spanish Colonial vibe, this soothing courtyard garden connects Beverly Dr with Canon. It was built by the developers of the Montage to create…