Accor’s reimagined Fairmont Century Plaza made a stunning debut in late-September 2021, building up on the hotel’s legacy as a Los Angeles cultural landmark and haven for visionaries across art, film, music, politics, and business.

Thanks to its luxurious makeover, the hotel pays tribute to its star-studded history while ushering in a new age of glamour, infusing cutting-edge amenities with pioneering guest experiences.

Originally deemed ‘The Hotel of the Future’, famed architect Minoru Yamasaki’s mid-century modern icon returns as the centerpiece of a US$2.5 billion mixed-use development project on 6.14 acres, which includes two 44-story towers with 94,000 square feet of boutique shopping and 268 privately-owned luxury residences.

Fairmont Century Plaza’s 16 floors house an additional 63 privately-owned Fairmont residential units, as well as 400 guestrooms, including 49 suites.

The hotel is home to an impressive collection of art from around the world, including its signature piece, Laura.

Sitting on the front drive at 23-feet tall, the serene mesh sculpture was created by internationally celebrated Spanish artist Juame Plensa.

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts called upon industry heavyweight Philip Barnes as Regional Vice President, Southern California and General Manager to relaunch the property, drawing on his decades of experience with openings and repositionings.

“Fairmont Century Plaza will once again be ‘THE’ Los Angeles hotel — just as it was when it opened to worldwide acclaim in 1966,” he said.

“Working with our talented team to ensure the return of a beloved jewel in LA’s crown has been a career highlight.

“We look forward to welcoming locals and guests from all over the world into a reimagined and stunningly beautiful hotel with an exemplary level of service.”

A key ingredient of Fairmont Century Plaza’s vibe is a genuine passion from a world-class team dedicated to transporting guests far beyond the average hotel, dining or spa experience.

“The reopening of this Los Angeles luxury landmark is a milestone for both the brand and the city, as Fairmont is trusted to reimagine this storied icon following a US$2.5 billion renovation and development project,” said Heather McCrory, CEO of Accor North & Central America.

“The newest Fairmont is a flagship for the brand, offering a one-of-a-kind experience at the center of it all in the famed Century City and setting the standard for future development projects in the region.”

International design firm Yabu Pushelberg has transformed the hotel’s design, delivering a modern update to the 1960s nostalgia whilst celebrating Fairmont’s defining quality of grandeur with a Californian twist.

The new Century Plaza returns with almost half the number of guestrooms, allowing for a larger, more luxurious footprint with spacious marble bathrooms and a balcony for every guest room and suite.

Fairmont Gold, the brand’s exclusive hotel-within-a-hotel experience, features 70 guest rooms and suites boasting private check-in and checkout; exclusive access to the exquisite Gold Lounge; and dedicated Personal Assistants offering 24/7 concierge service.

Even turn down gets a novel upgrade with The Fairmont Gold Bar Cart, an on-demand martini cart that delivers customized cocktails straight to guests’ doors.

Lumière, crafted by EDG Design, is a traditional French-inspired brasserie that evokes the feeling of being transported to 1920s Paris.

Open for all-day service, Lumière is an inviting neighborhood spot that celebrates timeless bohemian glamour with a fresh West Coast perspective.

The team is led by hospitality veteran Paul Quinn, the restaurant’s General Manager, with the menu overseen by Executive Chef Ramon Bojorquez.

Featuring local, seasonal ingredients and refined dishes, brasserie favorites include French onion soup, steak frites, seafood towers and magnums of Champagne.

The Bar at Century Plaza is the pièce de résistance of the hotel’s show stopping lobby, surrounded by a living green wall, floating fireplace and water feature.

The lobby also features floor-to-ceiling windows that retract into the floor, creating a gorgeous open space filled with natural light and fresh air.

The daring yet approachable menu serves classic cocktails, creative and technique-driven libations, and globally inspired dishes.

As a showpiece of the hotel, Fairmont Spa Century Plaza is reinventing wellness culture with offerings designed to unite ancient modalities of movement with state-of-the-art technologies.

Through its doors lie nine treatment rooms designed by Yabu Pushelberg, experiential rain showers, sanariums, aromatherapy steam rooms, a hammam, and a Himalayan salt room.

Then there’s the Rooftop Pool, which offers stunning views of Los Angeles, including the Pacific Ocean, the Getty Museum, and the Hollywood Hills.

You can’t miss visiting the Pool Bar, which features whimsical beverages with Southern California flair that can be enjoyed poolside or in one of the nearby cabanas.

ESSENTIALS: GETTING TO LOS ANGELES

The best way of getting to Los Angeles in comfort and style.

The luxurious Delta One Business Class suite

DELTA ‘ONE’ BUSINESS CLASS SUITES

WAYFARER recommends flying to Los Angeles in the airline’s brilliant Delta One Suite, which was first unveiled in 2017 and has quickly become one of the best Business Class cabins in the sky.

The Delta One Suites – now available on the Airbus A350-900 (on flights to Sydney), Airbus A330-300neo and selected Boeing 767-300ER aircraft – are more of a global first class offering than a business class product and the offering is nothing short of exceptional.

In the stunning cabin, expect sliding doors for privacy, fully-flatbed seats that are wide at 24-inches and recline to 81-inches, hundreds of hours of entertainment, delicious food and wine, stylish amenity kits, brilliant service and a turn down service that means you’ll arrive in Los Angeles refreshed for the day ahead.