The buzz is palpable at the totally revamped Fairmont Century Plaza, which reopened on September 27, 2021, with luxurious enhancements that position the Accor luxury property as the flagship for the Fairmont brand. The mid-century modern icon originally designed by famed architect Minoru Yamasaki, was dubbed the “Hotel of the Future” when it made its debut, in 1966, on land formerly used as 20th Century Studios’ backlot.
The international design firm Yabu Pushelberg extended that vision with a reimagined 16-story hotel that’s the centerpiece to the new $2.5 billion mixed-use development project and the cultural and hospitality hub of Century City, an upmarket, 176-acre, residential, office and shopping complex adjacent to Beverly Hills. The six-acre site reemerges with a public plaza behind the hotel lobby (former guests may recall it as the pool deck), which abuts 94,000 square feet of boutique shopping on the ground level of two newly constructed 44-story towers (housing 268 privately-owned luxury residences) and leads to the renovated Westfield Century City, which was completed in 2017.
To upgrade the hotel project, Yabu Pushelberg reduced the number of accommodations from 800 to 400 more spacious and luxurious units, including 49 suites, and 63 upper-floor, privately owned residences, each with marble bathrooms and a balcony. The tranquil décor boasts a pale palette and is warmed by iconic mid-century modern furnishings, including curved-back chairs, tear-drop and round tables atop three-legged, pedestal or round metal bases. Room amenities include pillowtop beds, Egyptian cotton sheets, complimentary Wi-Fi and designer toiletries.
The Fairmont Spa Century Plaza is spread over 14,000 square feet of space.
The large, light-toned lobby houses a multitude of separated seating areas with textural furnishings that replicate the circular curves of the soaring columns. The design team repositioned the escalators to the far side, so the space feels larger than ever and added a futuristic technical detail — giant window walls at the front and back of the lobby that retract into the floor — that blurs the lines between the indoors and outdoor spaces. All four elements enhance the lobby: Earth is represented by an abundance of greenery, including a living green wall in The Bar at Century Plaza, fire with a floating fireplace, a water feature and air, when the window walls disappear.
An impressive collection of contemporary sculpture and art from around the world decorates the public spaces, including the front drive where the signature piece, Laura, a serene, 23-foot tall mesh sculpture, appears to float atop the reflecting pool. Internationally celebrated Spanish artist Juame Plensa designed it to offer guests a moment of calm in the bustling city; a hotel partnership with Three Sages offers a curated Laura meditation.
Lumiere, A California Brasserie, is the all-day, ground-level French-inspired restaurant where EDG Design interpreted a traditional 1920s Parisian brasserie, here with an open kitchen, centered around a wood-fired hearth. Authentic details include penny-tile patterns, herringbone oak planks, chateau-size wooden doors, a zinc-topped bar and imported objets — an authentic Maitre D’ desk, bentwood coat rack and a repurposed, antique pastry case. In Writer’s Den, the exclusive private dining room for 12, guests call the bar via an illuminated button and receive service through a speakeasy-style window. The adjacent, plant-filled terrace provides outdoor seating.
Executive Chef Ramon Bojorquez is charged with creating a menu featuring local, seasonal ingredients to serve refined dishes and brasserie favorites. Restaurant General Manager Paul Quinn, aka “PQ,” ([email protected]/310-881-3126), who oversees the food and beverage operations, has accumulated an expansive wine list and inaugurated an ice program with Penny Pound Ice. PQ advises making restaurant reservations two to four weeks in advance. The Pool Bar and cabanas on the Rooftop Pool Deck are exclusive to in-house guests and residents, who can view the ocean, eight miles distant, the Getty Museum, the Hollywood Hills and, perhaps, even the private jets using Santa Monica Airport, four plus miles west.
A guestroom at Fairmont Century Plaza
Alden Millikan ([email protected]) leads the concierge team, including Clefs d’Or members, who arrange everything from access to the hotel’s Mercedes S580 house car, which is complimentary to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills’ Golden Triangle, to off-the-beaten-path experiences. Examples include the Rocky Oaks Experience — an exclusive helicopter transfer and vineyard dinner at Rocky Oaks Private Vineyard Estate in Malibu — and entrée to the newest hot spots or best speakeasy bar in Los Angeles. The four-legged Director of Pet Relations, Laurel, an 18-month-old black Labrador who eliminated all pet fees, greets lobby guests, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily.
Fairmont Gold has an exclusive Gold Lounge presence on the ground floor, access outside and all the hotel-within-a-hotel club experiences. Guests of its 70 guestrooms enjoy private check-in/checkout and dedicated Personal Assistants offering concierge service 24/7. One pioneering club experience is The Fairmont Gold Bar Cart, an on-demand martini cart, that delivers customized cocktails straight to guests’ doors.
Lobby escalators connect the 24,000 square feet of lower level event space and television screens near the escalators showcase the hotel’s amazing legacy hosting greats from the entertainment, political and business worlds at historic Emmy and Grammy Awards — and a Presidential State Dinner celebrating the Apollo 11 moon landing. The latest rendition of the Los Angeles Ballroom, at 13,078 square feet accommodates 1,500 guests and is one of the city’s largest. Up-to-the-minute technological enhancement prepare it — and an additional 6,000 square feet of multi-purpose space — for future ceremonies. The newly constructed driveway to the ballroom enhances privacy and security.
A marble bathroom at Fairmont Century Plaza
Yabu Pushelberg continued their glamorous style on the curvaceous walls and high ceilings in the 14,000-square-foot Fairmont Spa Century Plaza, where they designed nine supersized treatment rooms, experiential rain showers, sanariums, aromatherapy steam rooms, a hammam and a Himalayan salt room. Magdaleena Nikolov ([email protected]; 310-424-1371), general manager of spa, wellness and retail, has curated an extensive array of custom-designed offerings, first-to-market products and results-driven treatments that unite ancient modalities with state-of-the-art technologies. The spa program is launching a biohacking program and devoted to reinventing wellness culture by incorporating input from a collective of world-renowned wellness experts including Dr. Oz Garcia, a leading authority on healthy aging, and Dr. Rita Rakus, a London-based rejuvenation and anti-aging pioneer. Reach out to director of spa operations, Justi Kerekes ([email protected]; 310-424-3042) regarding appointments for wellness and aesthetic treatments. The adjacent oversized fitness facility provides Peloton bikes and TechnoGym equipment and space for exercise classes.
As part of Accor, a member of Planet 21, which promotes environmental sustainability, the hotel was built to LEED Silver standards, with a rooftop green area, water-efficient landscaping, and state-of-the-art recycling and composting programs. According to Philip Barnes ([email protected], 310-424-3030), regional vice president, Southern California and general manager, Fairmont Century Plaza, the hotel will once again be the Los Angeles hotel — just as it was when it opened to worldwide acclaim in 1966. Sending a VIP or have a question? The contact for travel advisors is Ryan Schlemmer ([email protected]; 310-424-1328), director of travel industry sales.
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