Friends of mine recently stayed at The London West Hollywood, and I was invited to spend an afternoon in one of the rooftop cabanas. What a blast!

I nabbed my guest card at the front desk to access the elevators, and went straight to the top. I had no idea the hotel had such  extraordinary views…  it was nearly a 360 degree view. From the Hollywood Hills, to downtown LA, to Century City, the city sparkled in the afternoon sun. The overall vibe was hip, yet relaxing. To be honest, we were probably the rowdiest of the guests with 8 of us sharing two cabanas. That said, the staff  was kind and helpful, and kept the beverages and food rolling in for over 5 hours.

Even though I’ve lived in LA for over 20 years, this was a completely new way to experience the city. It’s rare to find a pool with this kind of view. The designer  in me has so many engineering questions, such as how much does all of this weigh? A simple gallon of water weighs 8 lbs, multiply that by a full pool, the concrete that supports it, and all of the potted palm trees and you’ve got a whole lot going on.  I can’t begin to imagine what it takes to support all of that. Questions aside, I loved swimming laps in the pool. It made me feel like I was back in my massive mid-century pool in the back yard of my Palm Springs home.

I took a stroll around the hotel and found myself completely fascinated by the artwork adorning the elevator doors. My favorite was the woman in the red dress, submerged in water on the rooftop elevator door. I can’t seem to find any information about the artist who created the images, but I think the overall effect is quite fantastic.

If you’re a local Angelino, you should consider making your next vacation a ‘stay-cation’  at the London West Hollywood.

For more hotel info click HERE.