Editorial score of 9.1 of 10, the composite average of the three factors above (Rooms, Service, Location). Method at our methodology page. Affiliate disclosure: booking links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
Why stay at the Fairmont Century Plaza?
You stay here for a rare combination in Los Angeles: a genuine mid-century landmark, restored, running as a large-format five-star hotel with the infrastructure that Beverly Hills cannot easily match. The Century Plaza opened in 1966 as a statement of Los Angeles confidence, a sweeping curved tower designed by Minoru Yamasaki on Avenue of the Stars, and for half a century it hosted presidents and the city's most consequential events. After a multi-year restoration it reopened as the Fairmont Century Plaza in 2021, with the architecture preserved and the interiors, rooms and amenities rebuilt to a contemporary standard. The single most compelling detail carried through the rebuild is that most of the 400 rooms and suites have a private terrace, which is unusual at this scale.
The case for it is scale plus polish plus position. This is a full-service hotel that can run a ten-person board meeting and a thousand-person event with equal ease, then send you up to a rooftop pool or into a serious spa, all a couple of blocks from Beverly Hills. Fairmont operates the service at the level the brand is known for, the rooms are among the more generously sized in the city, and Lumière gives the property a real restaurant rather than a convenience. Set expectations for a large, capable, contemporary five-star inside a historic shell rather than for an intimate boutique, and it delivers on every count, especially for business, celebrations and anyone who values a terrace of their own.
What are the best rooms to request?
Prioritise a corner or suite category with a full terrace, because the private outdoor space is the feature that sets this hotel apart. The restoration enlarged the rooms significantly, and the design is clean California modernism warmed by good materials: marble, warm wood and soft textiles, with the particular quality of light that a terrace brings in a city of long, sunny days. Entry categories are already spacious by Los Angeles standards, but the corner rooms and the suites, with their wider terrace footprints and better outlooks over Century City toward the Hollywood Hills, are worth the step up. The top suites add multiple terraces, marble bathrooms and proper dining space for anyone entertaining.
One honest caveat: at 400 rooms this is a large hotel, and it can feel busy, particularly when an event is in the ballrooms, so it does not offer the hushed intimacy of a small luxury house. Room categories vary, and not every terrace delivers a marquee view, so the outlook is worth confirming when you book. You are paying for scale, infrastructure and a private terrace rather than for the cocooning quiet of a boutique. Book a higher corner or suite with a good aspect, and the combination of space, terrace and Fairmont service is hard to beat in this part of the city.
For a proposal or an anniversary, ask for a high suite with a terrace facing the Hollywood Hills and let the team arrange an in-suite dinner from Lumière at sunset. Book a spa slot for the following morning, and give the concierge your timing a day ahead so the terrace is set the way you want it.
What is the dining and the bar scene like?
The signature restaurant is Lumière, a brasserie rooted in French tradition and dressed the part, with antiques, tilework and brass under warm lighting, plus a Parisian-style courtyard of magnolia, jasmine and lavender for outdoor tables. It runs from breakfast through dinner with a weekend brunch, and it handles both a working lunch and a celebration dinner without changing register, which is exactly what a hotel of this standing needs. The lobby bar is a legitimate destination in its own right: a considered cocktail list and the kind of Century City professional crowd that makes for interesting evenings, with the space opening toward the pool deck. In-room dining rounds out the offer for terrace nights in. Confirm the current outlets and hours when you book.
Does it have a spa and pool?
Yes, and the wellness offer is one of the more complete in the western half of Los Angeles. The Fairmont Spa Century Plaza runs to about 14,000 square feet, a calm, contemporary space with roughly nine treatment rooms, sauna and steam rooms and specialist heat rooms alongside a well-equipped fitness centre. The rooftop pool and lounge give the hotel a genuine outdoor social space above the city, and the combination of a real spa and a rooftop pool is unusual at this scale in the neighbourhood. Treat the spa and pool as a proper part of the stay rather than a token facility, and build a slow morning around them.
Signature amenities
At the heart of Century City
The location on Avenue of the Stars puts the hotel at the centre of Century City, the district that concentrates much of the city's legal, financial and entertainment business, which makes it a natural base for meetings and deal-making. Beverly Hills begins a couple of blocks north, so Rodeo Drive and its restaurants are minutes away, and the Westfield Century City shopping and dining complex sits right next door. For arrivals, LAX is about twenty minutes out in reasonable traffic, closer than most Beverly Hills addresses. It is a rare combination of a serious business district, walkable shopping and quick airport access, wrapped around a hotel with the scale to host any occasion.
Century City · two blocks to Beverly Hills · about 20 min to LAX
What's nearby
- Westfield Century City
Shops & dining3 min walk - Beverly Hills
Rodeo Drive6 min drive - Annenberg Space / Century Park
Green space5 min walk - Los Angeles Country Club
Golf6 min drive - LAX Airport
Departures20 min drive
The tower, the terraces, the spa
Tower
Terrace room
Rooftop pool
LumièreHow does the Fairmont Century Plaza compare with the Beverly Hills five-stars?
Against the field, the Fairmont Century Plaza is the large-format, terrace-and-infrastructure choice, and the decision comes down to whether you want Century City scale or Beverly Hills intimacy. The Peninsula Beverly Hills is the service benchmark of the group, smaller and more discreet, better for those who prize a high staff-to-guest ratio over ballroom capacity. The Beverly Wilshire sits at the foot of Rodeo Drive with the most recognisable address in Beverly Hills and a livelier lobby. Sunset Tower trades all of this for Art Deco character and the Tower Bar on the Sunset Strip. The Fairmont's own trade-off is that it is a big hotel that can feel busy during events, so you choose scale, a private terrace and a serious spa over boutique quiet.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairmont Century Plaza | Restored Century City landmark | Terraces, spa, business, events | Large; can feel busy at events |
| The Peninsula Beverly Hills | Quiet five-star service | Service, discretion, villas | Smaller, higher rates |
| Beverly Wilshire | Rodeo Drive landmark | Address, lobby scene, shopping | Busy, city-hotel feel |
| Sunset Tower Hotel | Art Deco Sunset Strip icon | Character, Tower Bar, scene | Fewer full-service amenities |
Frequently asked questions
When did the Fairmont Century Plaza open and when was it restored?
The Century Plaza opened in 1966 as a mid-century Los Angeles landmark, a curved tower designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki on Avenue of the Stars. After a multi-year restoration it reopened as the Fairmont Century Plaza in 2021, with the architecture preserved and the interiors, rooms and amenities rebuilt to a contemporary five-star standard.
How many rooms does the Fairmont Century Plaza have and do they have terraces?
The hotel has 400 guest rooms and suites, most of them with a private balcony or terrace, which is unusual at this scale. The restoration enlarged the rooms significantly, and the top suites add multiple terraces, marble bathrooms and dining space. Separate from the hotel, the complex also holds private Fairmont residences.
What are the restaurants and bars at the Fairmont Century Plaza?
The signature restaurant is Lumière, a brasserie rooted in French tradition with a Parisian-style courtyard, serving breakfast through dinner and weekend brunch. The lobby bar handles cocktails and the Century City professional crowd, and there is in-room dining. Confirm current outlets and hours when you book.
Does the Fairmont Century Plaza have a spa and pool?
Yes. The Fairmont Spa Century Plaza runs to about 14,000 square feet, with roughly nine treatment rooms, sauna and steam rooms and specialist heat rooms, plus a fitness centre. There is a rooftop pool and lounge, and the spa is among the more complete wellness offers in the western half of the city.
Where is the Fairmont Century Plaza located?
The hotel is at 2025 Avenue of the Stars in Century City, at the heart of the district's legal, financial and entertainment offices. Beverly Hills begins a couple of blocks north, the Westfield Century City mall is adjacent, and LAX is about twenty minutes away in reasonable traffic.
Other luxury stays near Century City
#2 · Beverly HillsThe Peninsula Beverly Hills
#3 · Beverly HillsBeverly Wilshire
#6 · West Hollywood