A grand hotel, an important university and exciting performing arts make these two neighborhoods popular destinations on a Los Angeles travel itinerary.
The adjacent neighborhoods of Bel Air and Westwood contain some of the most prestigious residences in the entire Los Angeles metropolis. Visit the UCLA campus and walk along Bel Air’s residential streets to peek through tall hedges at impressive mansions.
One of the area’s most popular spots is the Hotel Bel-Air, a luxury hotel that has hosted celebrities and other prominent figures since 1922. Pamper yourself with a stay in the lovely hotel with spa treatments and strolls through the landscaped gardens. If you’re staying elsewhere, enjoy a meal at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant or terrace café or cocktails and live entertainment in the bar and lounge. Stop in for afternoon tea between shopping trips to nearby Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
Outside the city are less glitzy experiences. Photograph Stone Canyon Reservoir’s blue waters. Follow twisting roads to Getty View Park in the Santa Monica Mountains. At the Getty Center appreciate Richard Meier architecture and art from medieval to modern. The Central Garden is a piece of art itself.
Travel from Bel Air toward Westwood across Sunset Boulevard to the campus of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Westwood. Attend a play at the Geffen Playhouse, which frequently features well-known film and television stars and newly developed plays in their world premiere presentation. Find great entertainment options at the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA (CAP) ranging from Shakespeare’s plays to David Sedaris comedy, with jazz, dance and storytelling events throughout the year. See the UCLA Bruins play football at the Rose Bowl in nearby Pasadena.
Shop in Westwood Village’s boutiques and larger chains stores. Dine at American favorites and varied international restaurants. The inspiring Hammer Museum’s art and performances are free.
From Westwood, drive less than 20 minutes to reach the beauty of the Pacific Ocean at the beaches of Santa Monica. Los Angeles International Airport is about 7 miles (18 kilometers) south of Westwood and 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Bel Air.