5 places in Los Angeles to soak up the Oscars vibe
With the 88th annual Academy Awards on February 28, here are five places in Los Angeles to get into the Oscars mood and maybe even run into one of the nominees
THE PENINSULA BEVERLY HILLS
The Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel is known as the ultra-luxe stay for Oscar nominees. While the hotel doesn’t name names, Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett have stayed there, and Oscar winners Anne Hathaway and Reese Witherspoon have been spotted there. VIP guests get personally monogrammed – yes, monogrammed – pillowcases.
For those who can afford some true pampering, the hotel offers services such as a week-long “Red Carpet Ready” package of personal training sessions and spa treatments, including a body scrub with detox wrap. The total cost? A cool US$3,000.
If, like most of us, you don’t have that much cash, consider having a 15-minute lip-plumping treatment for US$45, or snagging a drink at the hotel’s sun-soaked bright blue rooftop pool and garden.
Nearby are several other glamorous lodging options: the Beverly Hilton Hotel, home of the boozy Golden Globe Awards, and the century-old Beverly Hills Hotel with its star-packed Polo Lounge.
Peninsula Beverly Hills: 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, beverlyhills.peninsula.com
THE GROVE/FARMERS MARKET
With its swanky stores, including Barneys New York, Swarovski and Diane von Furstenberg, this outdoor retail centre always attracts the film stars, from Mark Wahlberg to Oscar winner Halle Berry.
Walk along the main path, or take a quick trolley ride to the historic Farmers Market next door. Launched in 1934, the Farmers Market – a savoury-smelling mix of colourful stalls – serves up everything from thick pizza to gumbo. It’s also a Hollywood institution. VIP visitors have included Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and the Beatles.
The Grove: 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, thegrovela.com, farmersmarketla.com.
Those tabloid photos you see of celebrities and their pooches huffing it up a winding dusty path? More than likely, taken in Runyon Canyon, a 160-acre nature park in the Hollywood Hills.
Hit the park’s trails for panoramic views of LA. You might just see Runyon fans such as Miley Cyrus and Jake Gyllenhaal sweating it out to prep for the onslaught of Oscars events.
Runyon Canyon: 2000 N. Fuller Avenue, Los Angeles
One of the most striking cinemas in the country, the Cinerama Dome has hosted countless Hollywood premieres since opening in 1963. It has more than 800 seats and looks like an enormous golf ball chopped in half.
In 2002, the Dome became part of the newly opened ArcLight Hollywood multiplex, the massive 14-screen flagship of the ArcLight Cinemas chain.
With reserved seating, cushy stadium seats, a bar and cafe, and various film exhibits, the Arclight Hollywood is a popular place for cinephiles and celebrities alike. Oscar winners such as Charlize Theron have caught late-night showings there. Grab a martini, get some popcorn and see all the Oscar-nominated films.
Arclight Hollywood: 6360 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, arclightcinemas.com
Anyone who covets the spiky, apocalyptic clothes in Mad Max: Fury Road or the silky 1920s outfits in The Danish Girl, both nominated for a best costume design Oscar, will love the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Museum’s Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition.
The free exhibition runs from February 9 to April 30. It showcases more than 100 costumes from 20 films released in 2015, including costumes from all five films nominated for best costume design.
Cate Blanchett’s sleekly retro hat and fur coat from Carol and the big bouncy blue ballroom dress from Cinderella.
FIDM: 919 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, fidmmuseum.org Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm (closed Sunday and Monday)
Associated Press
