Thompson Beverly Hills Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Beverly Hills/Bel Air, Los Angeles, California

Thompsons are like the sleek, sexed-up sports cars of the boutique hotel world, and this Beverly Hills branch is no different. With an unapologetically slick, hypermodern design targeted at the fashion-forward and deep-pocketed, this 110-room hotel is the sharp stylistic counterpoint to the old-world grandeur of regal Beverly Hills hotels like the just-down-the-street Wilshire. Done up with an eye to the gilded Studio 54 glam of the '70s and early '80s, every surface of the Thompson gleams -- from the mirrored sculpture that extends above the bed to the modish suspended bedside lamp to the glossy hallways. You can’t squeeze another reflective surface into this hotel.

Convenience and style are the Thompson's biggest sells. The hotel’s well situated on a central strip of Wilshire Boulevard just three blocks from Rodeo Drive. Few expenses were spared in furnishing this high-design palace, from the backlit Steven Klein artwork in the hallways to the window portals in the fitness center where guests can gaze into the waters of the rooftop pool above. The 230-square-foot standard rooms come with plush beds of white 400-count Sferra linens, 37-inch LG flat-screens, Dean-and-Deluca-stocked minibars, marble baths, and Frette bathrobes. But beyond the rich accommodations (and phenomenal rooftop pool and Core-outfitted fitness center), don’t expect everything to be included in that hefty nightly rate. There's a daily fee for Wi-Fi, nightly turndown service is upon request only (unlike stated on the site), and there’s no real business center (just a laptop plugged in at the front desk). If you forgot toothpaste or lotion, expect to pay for it at the front desk (my room came with just one small bottle each of CO Bigelow shampoo and conditioner).

At the Thompson, you’re paying for the richly decorated rooms and the sceney, fashion-shoot-worthy rooftop pool and bar with 360-degree views. But you could get more attentive service and free Wi-Fi at the London in West Hollywood, or check in at the equally high-design, Philippe-Starck-curated Mondrian right on the Sunset Strip. Both have rooftop pools and luxurious rooms -- and both cost less, too.

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The Thompson Beverly Hills is just three blocks from Rodeo Drive, the famous stretch of luxury designer stores in this tony neighborhood of wealthy living on L.A.'s westside.

• There's little nightlife in Beverly Hills; the Sunset Strip, the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard known for its cutting-edge rock clubs and night spots, is a 5- to 10-minute drive away.
• Santa Monica Beach is a 20- to 30-minute drive.
• A few miles, or about a 10- to 15-minute drive, to touristy Hollywood Boulevard, the Walk of Fame, and the celebrity footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
• Universal Studios Hollywood, a movie-themed amusement park, is about 10 miles or a 25-minute drive.
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is about 16 miles away, a half hour's drive in light traffic or more than twice as long in heavy traffic.

Rooftop pool's loungers and private cabanas

Worthy of a fashion magazine shoot or 10, the sleek, guest-only rooftop pool overlooks the Hollywood Hills and affords 360 views of the city. The pool's not very deep, but most guests don't do more than wade in for a bit before spending the rest of the afternoon luxuriating in the private cabanas.

• Lounge chairs wrapped in monogrammed Thompson towels; private cabanas
• Guests working out in the fitness center below can see swimmers via underwater windows.
• At night, the cool, pink-lit rooftop lounge ABH (short for Above Beverly Hills) takes center stage; it's for guests only.