What it is

A legendary 379-room resort with a spa inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), al fresco pool with cocktail service, and a seemingly endless activities list.

What it isn't

Peckish. Four restaurants on-site include everything from an afternoon tea lounge and wood-fired steakhouse with Japanese Kobe beef and Australian wagyu.

What we think

This property turned heads when it opened back in 1914, but the current iteration is nothing short of megawatt, and seemingly designed to lure Hollywood’s A-list. Take the Prohibition-inspired Tap Room, where you can sip on speakeasy-themed cocktails like Sazeracs and Manhattans, plus anything from an impressive library of single malt scotches—including a Glenfiddich aged 21 years and even a Dalmore Constellation from 1976, a year when only 231 bottles were released. Guest rooms are ginormous, starting at 415 square feet, and traditionally appointed—dens of mahogany furniture, cobalt and gold draperies, Italian marble-lined bathrooms, and indulgences like Diptyque bath amenities. Note: the Deluxe Patio Rooms have floor to ceiling doors that reveal your own private patio overlooking pristinely manicured gardens.

You're here because

The Chuan Spa offers Tai Chi and meditation classes, plus treatments like jade stone facials and ginger salt scrubs.

The Moment

After a blissful swim in the sunny pool, you splay out on a daybed to soak up some vitamin D. Only one thing could make this moment even more perfect: a top shelf tipple. Thankfully, the poolside bar, The Hideaway, is right there; a waiter is all too delighted to bring over an orange blossom old fashioned with Knob Creek bourbon. Perfect, indeed.

Restaurants & Bars

The Royce - Wood-fired steakhouse

The Terrace - California bistro-style menu

The Tap Room - Traditional bar favorites with unique cocktails

The Hideaway - Poolside grab-n-go food

The Langham Afternoon Tea – sandwiches, tea and pastries

Location

On 23 verdant acres just 31 minutes from LAX and a five minute drive from The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, where you can eyeball Chaucer’s manuscript of the Canterbury Tales (drafted circa 1400) and letters by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln.