Pasadena, California
The Langham Huntington Pasadena Los Angeles
Lush Luxury
What it is
A legendary 379-room resort with a spa inspired by Chinese medicine, al fresco pool with cocktail service, and a seemingly endless activities list.
What it isn't
Peckish. Six restaurants on-site include everything from an afternoon tea lounge (served on Wedgwood, natch) and wood-fired steakhouse with Japanese Kobe beef and Australian wagyu.
What we think
This property turned heads when it opened back in 1907, but the current iteration—built in 1991, and constantly updated with the latest and greatest—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 twice-daily housekeeping and an expertly curated mini bar. 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
Afternoon Tea With Wedgwood - 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.