­Our plane landed nearly an hour early, but I was groggy.  My husband, Kai, and I were on the last flight to LAX out of JFK, and I had dozed off after my second glass of wine, just after the credits began rolling for the in-flight movie, 'My Life in Ruins'. By the time our Prius left the rental car lot, and we’d navigated our way to Beverly Hills using the GPS on my iPhone, it was half-past midnight.  

This is why I thought I was dreaming when we drove slowly up Rodeo Drive, one of the most famous designer shopping districts in the world.  Each carefully lit luxury brand logo --  Prada! Gucci! Valentino! Armani! Versace! Dior! Cartier! Tiffany! - glimmered with stately reserve, as if getting beauty rest until the doors unleashed and the cash registers rebooted the next morning.   A hotel?  On this street?  Really?

The Luxe Rodeo Drive is the only hotel in Beverly Hills actually located on Rodeo Drive. If you’re in town to shop, this elegant boutique hotel is an ideal place to rest.  One block east on Beverly Drive are American retailers such as Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Gap, Banana Republic, Williams-Sonoma, as well as Beverly Hills institutions such as Gearys of Beverly Hills and XIV Karats. Canon Drive is lined with local boutiques.

Department Store Row (four blocks from Wilshire Blvd. from Roxbury to Rodeo) features Neiman-Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York. Century City Shopping Center and the Beverly Center are nearby. Dear iTraveliShop reader, Beverly Hills is a shopper’s Valhalla, and the Luxe Rodeo Drive location can’t be beat.

My husband and I managed to drive past the hotel’s main entrance twice. We also drove past valet entrance three times (the hotel’s valet parking entrance is on an alley off Brighton Way). To be sure, the signage at the hotel’s Rodeo Drive entrance wasn’t terribly helpful,  at least not for foreigners (my husband), people who aren’t used to driving (New Yorkers like us), and tired and distracted people with poor sense of direction (me). The valet had a good laugh, but the service was wonderful.  
Recent reviews on TripAdvisor often describe the Luxe Rodeo Drive as “European.” Indeed, checking into the Luxe was faintly reminiscent of a hotel check-in scene in 'My Life in Ruins'. Nearly 1:00 AM and close to delirium, we were just about to take the stairs when the elevator finally arrived.  Room 215, facing Rodeo Drive, was supposedly a  ‘King Superior.’ While the bedding was superior, the mattress was surely no King.  With four pieces of carry-on luggage in the tiny room, it was difficult for both of us to stand at once. (If we went on a shopping spree, where were we supposed to stow our purchases?!) Plus, having the bathroom door open made the only half the closet accessible.  

Unlike the movie, however, Room 215 was comfortable and well-appointed with modern amenities, like flat screen TVs and iPod docking stations. The sparkling white bathroom was enormous in ratio to the room. The in-room mini-bar prices are reasonable ($6 for a can of Heineken is what you’d expect to pay on an airplane.)  

The rooms are small, but the Luxe Rodeo Drive is generous in spirit.  It offers free internet access and a glass of wine or a cappuccino if you present your welcome letter at the bar. On each floor, there is a quiet sundeck with shaded tables and chaise lounge chairs.  There’s a small fitness center, with 3 pristine cardiovascular machines (useful for burning off the Sprinkles cupcakes, available a few blocks away).  

But then again, if you’re visiting this website, you’re probably not unlike the tourists on the bus in 'My Life in Ruins'.  There are museums to visit, superb day spas in which to pamper yourself, and fashionable places to lunch in Beverly Hills, but you probably just want to go shopping.  

Rates start at $239.

Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive
360 N. Rodeo Dr. Beverly Hills
California 90210 USA
Phone: (800) 468-3541

www.luxehotelrodeodrive.com