Not that it's a competition, but... Los Angeles wins the winter of 2015 by a landslide. While everyplace else in America digs out, cuddles up and stays in, we Angelenos are laid back at the pool, with temps around 72, wishing that one pesky cloud would move out of the way. Not to gloat or anything. Okay, well, maybe a little. It's time to consider the ultimate spots to soak up the sun in smug style during this otherwise brutal season in the U.S.
Gorgeous hotel pools abound in L.A. but there's something special about swimming up, up and away. Were this an all-out luxury pool battle, I would need to consider the classics: The Bel-Air Hotel, Casa Del Mar, The Beverly Hills Hotel and Shutters-By-The-Beach. Any of those will do the trick when it comes to making East Coast friends on Facebook want to murder you. Since that's the case, why not give them just a little extra nudge by setting your by-the-pool experience against the backdrop of the Hollywood sign and beyond. Here's where to dip in like a champ:
The Most Exclusive
It's almost too elegant to swim at the Peninsula's posh rose-scented sanctuary, which is why the Garden is more a power spot for breakfast and lunch than a place to dive in. The dress code says casual but it's usually
9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-551-2888
The Splashiest
For $600 a day in a private poolside cabana, you get every imaginable amenity: Meals by José Andrés, plasma screens, videos on demand, cool scented towels, fresh fruit pops and a staff that mists you with Evian. It's good to play king for a day in even if your name isn't Sam Nazarian.
465 S. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-247-0400
The Coolest
Upstairs at The Ace Hotel Downtown.
Again, there's not much swimming in the little concrete box-of-water atop the downtown Ace Hotel but who needs cannon balls with a dashing young crowd like this? The pool itself is said to be inspired by the one artist Donald Judd has at home in Marfa, Texas. As if that's not hip enough, a D.J. spins vinyl while servers in stunning arm tattoos dispense frozen cocktails and Mediterranean light bites. Smiling is optional.
929 Broadway, Los Angeles,
The Chairman of the Board
The pool at Montage Beverly Hills.
Above it all in almost every way, guests can do, well, anything they darn well please at the gorgeous oasis overlooking Rodeo Drive. The salt-water pool invokes a spa-like atmosphere but really the experience is customized, at least for those willing to fork over $ to cover cabana packages. "Unwind" includes two 30-minute massages. "Indulge" spoils guests with plush robes, paintboxes for children, and chocolate-covered strawberries and bubbly for the adults.
225 N
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