by Tom Mulvihill, The Telegraph, March 20, 2019
For more than a century, the Beverly Hills Hotel has been a magnet for the Hollywood set, drawing in a host of film stars, musicians, artists, sports players, politicians and royalty.
Many would stay in one of the Southern California-style bungalows embedded in the Los Angeles hotel’s 12-acre garden, relishing the additional privacy they afforded.
Now, to celebrate its star-studded heritage, the hotel has renovated two of its bungalows to celebrate the lives of two former guests, Marilyn Monroe and Howard Hughes, whose design tastes have been carefully replicated in the revamped accommodations.
Bungalow 1, the go-to choice for Monroe, who was a frequent guest, features an interior inspired by the Some Like It Hot actress’s home, with bright colours, travertine stone, gold leaf on the ceilings, and frequent nods to the designer Jean-Michel Frank, of whom she was a fan.
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The bungalow, which costs an eye-watering US$8,500 (approx. £6,450) a night, also includes themed services and facilities, including a champagne bubble bath experience, a library containing Marilyn Monroe books and films, and a Chanel N°5 fragrance bar (a nod to Monroe’s quip that she wore nothing but "five drops of Chanel No. 5" in bed).
In stark contrast, Bungalow 3 has been redecorated to represent the eccentric personality of reclusive producer and business tycoon Howard Hughes, who was an on-off resident at the hotel for 30 years.
Its art deco design has been infused with moody undertones, with bold colours offset by dark stone and wood to represent Hughes’s turbulent life.
His passion for aviation is well reflected in the numerous airplane-themed pictures and ornaments, while a preference for beef sandwiches (which would be left under a tree every night so as not to disturb his seclusion) is nodded to in the room service menu.
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The two redesigns, both spearheaded by New York-based Champalimaud Design, are part of an ongoing drive to update all 21 of the hotel’s bungalows, five of which bear the hallmarks of previous celebrity guests.
Another two of these, inspired by Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra respectively, were completed back in 2016: the former with a colour palette of blue, gold and citrine inspired by the film star’s jewellery collection; the latter with a fireplace and grand piano in the living room.
The fifth and final bungalow, inspired by Charlie Chaplin, is due to be unveiled in July later this year.
This article was written by Tom Mulvihill from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.
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