Originally Posted by Mike_la_jolla
ALL, and I mean
ALL of the personality that made this place so special was killed in the remodel. As best I could determine, not a single employee was rehired. This means that
Gus, the old wizened bartender known the world around, is gone. Steve, the other bartender that had worked there 30 years or so is gone -- went to Vegas apparently. Sad. Very sad. If you were friendly enough to Gus or Steve, you could always get a story. My favorite story was the odd drink that Nancy Reagan's psychic demanded during her visits. Gus couldn't tell that story without cracking a smile.
The grounds are breathtaking.
This is my impression as well, and unfortunately the Beverly Hills Hotel has also lost much of its uniqueness of character. I'm afraid that the "internationalizing" of both properties has removed much of the uniqueness of feel that made them both so special. The physical settings are still wonderful, but the "vibe" is entirely different, and not much fun. The Pen is probably the best hotel in terms of how well it does most everything, but the location, while extremely convenient to BH, has none of the beauty or charm that have defined the Bel Air or the BHH over so many years. To simply throw in a curve ball, I'd say that Casa del Mar in Santa Monica is now a little more of an authentic LA experience than either, and more fun.
Oh please - Casa del Mar? Does this mean that an authentic LA experience now resembles a low-yield Marriott? You jest, surely.
Last edited by RichardInSF; May 2, 2013 at 8:36 am
Reason: fix quote