First Look: Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

I wasn’t the only person to exclaim “Oh my!” stepping out from the elevator onto the roof deck of the new Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills—pretty much everyone who came after me said at least something similar. Whether it was “whoa,” “wow” or “jeez,” it was kind of an involuntary reaction to the views to the Hollywood Hills from 12 stories up, across a deep green carpet of oaks, cottonwoods and soaring palms punctuated by terracotta-tiled roofs and the cool blue of swimming pools.

The Waldorf may have just opened in a brand new building, but it boasts classic L.A. luxury at the crossroads of Beverly Hills, where Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards meet.

This being a new build (it opened on June 1), design architects Pierre-Yves Rochon, Perkins+Will and Gensler had the opportunity to do it right. At only 18 rooms per floor, the guest floors feel more intimate than the hotel’s 170 rooms and suites would suggest.

Read the full story on my Forbes site.