Beverly Hills, Boutique-Style

A perk of living on the Central Coast is having Los Angeles right in our backyard — close enough for a spontaneous overnight, far enough that it still feels like a real escape. I’ve spent ample time in Beverly Hills over the decades, most often for work and occasionally for a special meal or playing tourist with visitors during my Angeleno years.

So, when the invitation arrived to be an early guest at Hôtel Lili during opening week, I jumped at it. If you’re not familiar, Palisociety is a growing California-based hospitality brand, and Hôtel Lili is the latest addition to their Independent Collection.

I love what they did with Palihotel Santa Barbara, transforming the Spanish Garden Inn into a whimsical oasis in the Presidio District. They have a knack for finding properties with good bones in interesting neighborhoods — the kind of stays that let you feel like you’re actually living somewhere, rather than just passing through.

Beverly Hills has never lacked for accommodation options — it’s practically synonymous with luxury hospitality. For this Gen Xer, it conjures early grand hotel impressions from watching Troop Beverly Hills and Julia Roberts living out a ’90s-era Cinderella story at the Beverly Wilshire. 

I was curious to see how Palisociety would make their mark here and translate laid-back luxury in a zip code that doesn’t exactly evoke “understated.”

Checking In

Set in a former residence circa 1939, the 44-room Hôtel Lili has been reimagined with the kind of considered details that reward slow observation. The color story moves from dusty pinks into rust, gold, and olive. Think plush textures, striped patterns, dramatic draperies, vintage glassware behind the bar — Old Hollywood warmth that feels genuinely lived-in rather than art-directed. Curated without being fussy. The kind of place where you want to settle in and linger.

Street-level parking was a pleasant surprise (self-parking is $50 a night, standard for the area). I was offered a glass of champagne at check-in (a festive touch) and settled into a second floor King room with fine linens and Palisociety’s signature minibar. The bathroom had real breathing room, which anyone who’s ever tried to unpack a toiletry bag in a boutique hotel knows is never guaranteed.

The Neighborhood

The location is deceptively residential — a quiet pocket that feels removed from the buzz of the main drags — yet some of the most iconic streets in Los Angeles are an easy walk away. The hotel’s neighborhood guide helped me plot a loose afternoon itinerary to fill my free hour and a half.

I headed toward Rodeo Drive on foot and continued to Beverly Drive for a walk through the stunning Philippe Starck–conceived Taschen store (the brand’s first location in the U.S. opened in Beverly Hills). I did a restocking run at Aesop and took a peek inside Zadig & Voltaire. Passing Erewhon, I couldn’t get over the size of the crowd milling around — the grocery chain has fully ascended to L.A. icon status. 

On the way back I ducked into What Goes Around Comes Around, where racks of pristine designer vintage are displayed with the reverence of a gallery show. Don’t be daunted by a line at the door; security manages the flow, so it’s never actually crowded inside.

The Evening

The hotel’s opening reception spilled out of the bar lounge — intimate, warmly lit, the kind of room that does cocktail hour very well with its low tables and vintage character. As I caught up with media and industry friends and met other attendees, I workshopped my dinner options. The name that lit everyone up? Funke, chef Evan Funke’s pasta-focused restaurant that’s become one of the city’s most coveted reservations.

I grabbed an Uber, scored an upstairs bar seat without a reservation (a small victory) and skipped the famous pasta in favor of steak tartare and stuffed squash blossoms — both excellent decisions. The people-watching was dessert.

Morning Meander

I started the next day with coffee in the lobby lounge, then took a walk through Beverly Gardens Park — a lovely 1.9-mile green stretch anchored by the famous Beverly Hills sign, a striking cactus garden and a series of large contemporary sculptures that genuinely stopped me in my tracks.

Coffee number two came from Alfred. Then, I walked Rodeo Drive to soak up the scene before shopping hours, as the window washers were out and a smattering of early tourists snapped photos. I looped back to the hotel, freshened up, and walked across the street for breakfast on the rooftop of The Peninsula, a neighboring luxury hotel dating back to 1991.

Checking Out

For an overnighter, Hôtel Lili ticks a lot of boxes. It’s a serene base for a shopping trip — Rodeo Drive is less than half a mile away, with the ultra-luxe flagships running parallel to North Beverly Drive’s more accessible luxury brands. It works equally well for a girlfriend getaway, a low-fuss business trip, or a cultural adventure that’s equal parts pop culture and refined retail. For pet parents, dogs are welcome too.

In addition to the overall spirit of ease, I appreciated that the price point sits meaningfully below the neighborhood’s grand dames, which makes the stay feel like a find. And it has that rare quality — the feeling of discovery in a neighborhood that’s always been in the spotlight.