"This hotel is set up to make you feel like a somebody. Whether you’re peeking over your sunglasses at the infamous palm-shrouded pool or sipping bubbly at the moody lobby bar, you’ll find reminders on menus stating that photos are not allowed in public spaces. The design, with 1920s tiles, a full kitchen, and a pink Deco-era bathroom that made me think of the one at my grandparents’ house in Pasadena, explained how so many celebrities have been able to make the Chateau their home for weeks, months, even years. In my room I also found a room-service menu that said “No Smoking” beside an ashtray. What you need to understand is that when you’re a guest here, you have free rein. You get priority for reservations in the restaurant’s garden (unless Sofia Coppola books it out for the night), and if you want to enjoy the pool after checking out, the staff will gladly give you access. So maybe I didn’t swing from a chandelier at some party hosted by Leonardo DiCaprio. But when old friends stopped by for fried artichokes and wine one night, we all got to pretend we didn’t notice Fred Armisen at the next table. By the time I rolled my suitcase out the front door, I understood that Eagles’ lyric: “You can check out any-time you like, but you can never leave.” Fine by me. From $595. —Megan Spurrell" - CNT Editors
