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Explore LA’s galleries and enjoy dining al fresco when you stay at Hotel Bel-Air or The Beverly Hills Hotel this summer. While you’re in the US, you may wish to also discover Santa Monica’s best restaurants.
Live like a local
Reasons to visit LA in summer 2022
May 26, 2022
Swaying palm trees, miles of beaches and world-class restaurants: the City of Angels is appealing all year round. This summer there are even more reasons to visit, from an immersive exhibition about artist Frida Kahlo to al fresco music festivals.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
The all-new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, designed by Pulitzer Prize-winning Italian architect Renzo Piano (responsible for The Centre Pompidou in Paris and The Shard in London) is finally complete. It features four floors of gallery space, showcasing an unparalleled collection of cinematic gems and two theatres – one of which is situated in the stunning glass sphere with 1,000 seats. The Academy holds more than 13 million objects, including costumes, film reels, posters, props, and screenplays dating back to 1927 and is also home to a restaurant and gift shop.
6067 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Showstoppers at Hollywood Bowl
Dance under the stars in front of real ones at Hollywood Bowl, an outdoor amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills. Dating to 1922, this concert venue is considered to be one of the world’s best settings for contemporary and classical music, attracting superstars such as Queen, The Rolling Stones and Elton John. Italian opera tenor Andrea Bocelli will no doubt impress during the bowl’s 100th anniversary season, as will Los Angeles Philharmonic’s rendition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Other highlights include a marching band, ballet dancer Roberto Bolle and firework finale.
2301 North Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90068
Picnics at Hotel Bel-Air
Hotel Bel-Air’s picturesque gardens are simply made for picnics. Master chef Wolfgang Puck has devised a picnic for two stocked with artisanal cheese, sandwiches, scones and pastries, complete with a dining tray and plush pillows. Spend a leisurely afternoon watching the swans glide past on Swan Lake as you toast with a glass of crisp sauvignon blanc or a chilled bottle of champagne.
701 Stone Canyon Road, Los Angeles, CA 90077
Malibu Creek State Park
Keen to explore the great outdoors? Then strap up your boots and hike around Malibu Creek State Park, 43km/27 miles west of Los Angeles. Meander along trails amid 8,000 acres of tallgrass plains – just keep an eye out for rattlesnakes. The 5.5km/3.4-mile Saddle Peak trail offers views of the Malibu Mountains, while the Grasslands trail leads to Century Ranch, where the TV comedy M*A*S*H and 1968’s Planet of the Apes were filmed. The park is known as the Yosemite of Southern California, as it’s also popular with rock climbers.
1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, CA 91302
Explore The Huntington
You’ll need a day to explore The Huntington, a library, art museum and botanical gardens set over 207 acres in San Marino. Home to works by William Blake, Joshua Reynolds and JMW Turner among other British artists, the main house was built in 1910 as the home of railway entrepreneur and estate agent Henry Edwards Huntington and his wife, American philanthropist Arabella Huntington. The venue hosts regular, themed temporary shows – coming up you can browse a painting exhibition with portraits by 15th-century Italian artist Domenico Ghirlandaio.
Exhibition until August 8
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108
Los Angeles
The Beverly Hills Hotel
For over a century, The Beverly Hills Hotel has been the spot for Hollywood’s brightest lights, the ultimate beacon of glamour. She greets you like a movie star from the moment you pass the iconic signage, step onto the signature red carpet and enter the grand lobby. Welcome to the legacy.
Los Angeles
Hotel Bel-Air
A hidden sanctuary amongst the wooded hills, untouched by the clamour of life beyond the gates of Bel-Air. The most quintessentially private and exclusive hotel, delivering low-key elegance since 1946.
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