Fairmont Century Plaza: The Rebirth of a Legend

The Fairmont Century Plaza recently underwent major renovations and came back to life on a mission to reestablish itself as a legend among LA hotels. Our verdict? Mission accomplished.

Located incredibly conveniently in the heart of LA, a stone-throw away from both Beverly Hills and UCLA, the legendary Century Plaza has very recently undergone a multi-year multi-million dollar renovation. This hotel, which was the first ever to have color tvs in every room back when it first opened up in 1966, has played host to everyone from Hollywood movie stars to presidents and international high-rollers over the years. In 2021, following the renovation, it reopened as the five star luxury Fairmont Century Plaza, with 400 large guest rooms and suites.

CHECK OUT OUR VIDEO TOUR OF FAIRMONT CENTURY PLAZA

Century Plaza Hotel Los Angeles 3 — The elegant lobby at Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel

Century Plaza Hotel Los Angeles Pool — The rooftop pool boasts incredible views and great service from the bar staff.

The elegantly understated hotel boasts every single amenity you can think of (gym, spa, salon, you name it!), including an elegant lobby bar, and a lavish roof top pool with incredible views of Los Angeles, from the ocean to downtown. The rooms and suites are oversized, some of the most expansive we have seen in Los Angeles.

Now, if you know Honest Cooking Magazine, you know that we always head straight for the restaurant whenever we explore a new hotel, and so we set out sights on Lumière, the flagship restaurant at the Century Plaza. Lumière is a buzzing French-American all day brasserie – so we had the opportunity to come back multiple times during our stay, First, for a wonderfully fresh a la carte breakfast that gets your day started right, and then, following a couple of hours lounging by the pool upstairs – we came back for lunch. The menu featured some really delicious and fresh salads, do not sleep on the seared tuna Niçoise or the lobster chop, both which were excellent. We also loved the chicken liver mousse, and the freshly shucked oysters, and we couldn’t resist the classic croque madame, served with a perfect sunny side egg on top.

Lumiere Century Plaza Hotel Los Angeles Breakfast — The side-courtyard at Lumiére is perfect for lazy mornings.

Lumiére is a great all-day French brasserie. — Lumière is a great all-day French brasserie.

Century Plaza Hotel Los Angeles 2 — Located right in the heart of LA, surrounded by nightlife, shopping and restaurants.

With breakfast and dinner both being huge successes, we obviously had to come back for dinner too. The evening menu at Lumière stays firmly in classic French bistro-fare, so you can explore everything from tartare and escargots to steak frites. We elected to focus on seafood, which turned out to be a great choice. Delicious wild alaskan halibut, served with fava beans and beurre blanc, and there was no way we would not order the decadent seafood platter.

Following dinner, you can either venture out into the vibrant LA nightlife – there’s plenty of bars and restaurants in the local area – or do what we did. Move back to the lobby bar for a night cap, while you take in the warm Southern California evening.

The Fairmont Century Plaza has certainly brought the legend back to LA, and we cannot wait to come back for another visit.

What We Love About the Hotel

Understated luxury with elegant design.
One of the most convenient locations in LA, steps to entertainment, shopping and dining.
Oversized XL rooms and suites, plenty of space for you and your travel companions.
Great lobby bar.
Fabulous breakfast at Lumière.
Fairmont’s signature service level, and Accor points