Prize location: Oscar fever in Los Angeles

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick on the red carpet at last year's Oscars at the Kodak Theatre
Hermione Eyre10 April 2012
Being in Los Angeles for the Oscars is like being in Lapland for Christmas. The whole community is galvanised, from the waiters watching the awards in their staffroom, to the big shots throwing charity parties at $4,000 a ticket. The Oscars are the town's raison d'être, and the atmosphere is intoxicating. Several helicopters buzzing over one spot indicate that an A-lister is down below; huge golden statues stop traffic as they are winched into place outside the Kodak Theatre. Bag yourself a room at a hotel in Hollywood during early March and you will be in the thick of it, guaranteed. Even the bellhop will be telling you who's tipped to win Best Actress.

You want to be within a short drive of Sunset Boulevard and the Kodak Theatre, so West Hollywood – WeHo to locals – is a good choice, boasting many swanky places to stay, from modern classics such as The London, a David Collins-designed gem, to self-consciously hip hotels like The Standard. The new kid on the block is the SLS Hotel, situated in nearby Beverly Hills. Designed by Philippe Starck, it is every bit as compelling as his arachnid lemon squeezer. Staying in Hollywood is already an Alice in Wonderland experience, but the SLS takes things to another level. If I didn't have the brochure I'd think I dreamed it.

A huge model horse wearing a lampshade on its head stands in reception. The lift, though empty, appears to be full due to the crowds of lifesize people depicted in its murals. When you get out at your floor, there is a plasma screen showing a portrait of a man in black tie with the head of a bulldog. In the vestibule, there is a light made from an upturned silver AK-47. By the time you arrive at your room, quaking slightly, the fact that the wardrobe is decorated with the sculpted heads of Roman centurions is a little too much to take. Jet lag and disorientation conspired to make me cower from the oversized vase standing on the desk. Only lying back on the chaise longue and eating the complimentary truffles helped me to recover from this surfeit of design.

Postmodern design whimsy only works if it is built on top-quality fundamentals, and these the SLS definitely delivers. Service is impeccable (any call to reception is met with a whipcrack Good-morning-Miss-Eyre-how- may-I-help-you?'), and the deep pockets of LA hospitality mogul Sam Nazarian have bankrolled top-quality
amenities throughout the hotel; he has also inspired an invitation-only restaurant in the basement called Saam. The hotel chef, Jose Andres, is a molecular gastronomist inspired by Spanish chef Ferran Adria and his creations (Would ma'am care for foie gras wrapped in candyfloss?') are a big attraction for Angelinos, which means the place has a local buzz hotels often lack.

The sun-drenched rooftop pool provides excellent
people-watching opportunities. Golden girls and pot-bellied executives lie side by side on divans, while visiting Brits splash around the fixed love seat in the deep end. Curtained poolside cabanas are perfect spots for last-minute whispered award strategising.

From the SLS it's a short limo ride (yes, the hotel laid on a chauffeur-driven courtesy car, just because) up to the fabled Chateau Marmont hotel, or indeed the newest Soho House outpost, a penthouse duplex members' club in the Luckman Plaza on Sunset Boulevard. Nick Jones's phenomenal empire now has a permanent home here, after years of a Soho House pop-up club in a villa in the hills, where the stars used to head after hours. I recall seeing Helen Mirren wolfing down pasta there and Peter O'Toole graciously accepting a free handbag from Mulberry in the gifting suite, and no doubt Carey Mulligan, Colin Firth and all our other hopeful award-winners will be checking out Soho House West Hollywood when it opens on Oscars night this year. Thus far only artist's impressions are available, but the huge fireplace looks rather Citizen Kane, while the sunken rooftop impluvium is something to avoid after too many champagne cocktails.

Sneaking back to the SLS in the early hours, the hotel's weird design features are suddenly brilliantly giggle-inducing and the bed, complete with faux-fur throw, deliciously comfortable. Only one final thought: why SLS? What, if anything, does the acronym stand for? Shiny Leather Shoes,' says the in-room polish kit. Sparkle Like Sunshine,' says tomorrow's weather bulletin, left on my pillow. We hope you've had a Simply Lovely Stay,' says my goodbye letter from reception. It is, in short, meaningless, a Sweet Little Silliness. This hotel just gets curiouser and curiouser.

WHERE TO STAY
The SLS has 297 luxury rooms, including 32 Pure hypoallergenic suites. Lifestyle suites have fitness equipment and a personal trainer on call. Food is by Spanish chef Jose Andres, who runs the Altitude pool bar, the residents-only Tres café and the upscale The Bazaar restaurant. The Ciel spa offers treatments, a hair and nail salon, and in-room services. Rooms cost from $397 per night during Oscar season (00 1 310 247 0400; starwoodhotels.com).

SEE AND BE SEEN
If the A-listers' favourite haunt the Chateau Marmont is closed for a private party, never fear: offshoot Bar Marmont is a cosy alternative. The clientele may not be quite as starry, but the food is exceptional (even the bar snacks are fancy – tarragon lupine beans and boozy bacon prunes) and it shares the Chateau's faded splendour, even though it opened in 2007. Sadly, there's no sneaky back route into the private party at the Chateau up the road – I checked (chateaumarmont.com).

WHAT TO READ
Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley (Faber & Faber, £8.99) is a reworking of Boccaccio's Decameron set in the Hollywood Hills – an unlikely formula, but it really works. The action starts the morning after the Oscars; the main character is a film director who wants to remake Taras Bulba and the backdrop is the Iraq invasion. If that sounds a little too heavy, try
Julia Phillips' exposé You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again (Faber & Faber, £9.99).

WHERE TO GRAZE
It would be wrong to leave LA without eating some alfalfa sprouts, and the temple to all things macrobiotic is new deli M Café de Chaya, co-founded by Lee Gross, Gwyneth Paltrow's former personal chef. No refined sugar, egg, dairy, red meat or poultry is used, yet the menu is still tempting, if you like green things (mcafedechaya.com). You must try the kale,' a make-up artist advised me. It takes away all your stress.'

WHERE TO SHOP
Don't miss Book Soup, the amazing bookshop on West Sunset Boulevard. Bibliophiles can spend hours browsing current hits and classics, and there is a huge showbiz section, spanning everything from coffee-table picture books
of old Hollywood to memoirs, and manuals for screenwriters and interviewers. Signed copies abound (booksoup.com).

WHAT TO TAKE
Sunglasses, Sisley sun cream, a Missoni bikini for the pool, and high heels – you won't be walking anywhere in this city.

DON'T MISS
The splendour of The Getty Villa, a perfect re-creation of a Roman mansion, perched on a cliff in Malibu, 40 minutes' drive from Beverly Hills. Greek and Roman treasures are housed within its porticoes, and a film describes J Paul Getty's inspiration: the villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance (getty.edu/visit).

LAST MINUTE
Visa On arrival (prior authorisation via cbp.gov)
Flight time 10 hours
Time difference -8 hours (evening events are a struggle but you're as bright as a button in the morning)
Currency £1 = US$1.5

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