The 73-year-old Polo Lounge at Dorchester Collection's Beverly Hills Hotel has been reintroduced after a two month restoration program. Led by designer Adam Tihany, the refresh to the Polo Lounge is said to pay homage to its heritage and iconic design elements.
The room celebrates California's “relaxed lifestyle” with its green and white stripes and similar color scheme still intact. Updated carpets and upholsteries reflect the hotel's residential feel, and a new hostess stand has been added. Fixtures, lighting and furniture were replaced, and ornate mirrors, historic images, and renewed rich, dark paneling adorn the walls. In the patio's outdoor space, enhanced heating, sound systems and improved lighting were added. Flower settings, vintage lamps, Riedel glassware, and new linens were similarly added.
Executive Chef Kaleo Adams' menu offers traditional American fare. Afternoon tea complete with a “tea expert” has been reintroduced on Friday and Saturday, and alcohol infused options such as The Earl Grey Cream Old Fashion has been added. Wine lists are also now offered on iPads. The Polo Lounge's live entertainment continues with a live Jazz trio to accompany brunch on Sunday, guitar and vocal entertainment for dinner, and the piano during lunch.
The Polo Lounge has a rich history and storied past. Charlie Chaplin had a standing reservation for Booth 1, which remained empty if he didn't show up. In the 1940's, Marlene Dietrich was a frequent hotel guest and one-time resident. In 1972, H.R. Haldeman, White House chief of staff to President Richard Nixon, and John Ehrlichman, assistant to President Nixon for domestic affairs learned of the Watergate break-in while breakfasting here.
In addition to the new lobby and refreshed Polo Lounge, the hotel's restoration program continues at the pool cabanas and Cabana Café, followed with all guestrooms and suites being updated by the summer of 2014.
Dorchester Collection is a portfolio of the luxury hotels in Europe and the US. The current portfolio includes:The Dorchester, London; The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills; Le Meurice, Paris; Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris; Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan; Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles; Coworth Park, Ascot, UK; 45 Park Lane, London; and Le Richemond, Geneva.
