Trading an English Palace for Cali Cool—Alice Naylor-Leyland’s Los Angeles Travel Diary Inline

A Chanel carry-on? Poppy unsurprisingly traveling in style. Hello La-La land. Oh how I’ve missed you! Even the luggage trolleys at the BHH have charm. Poppy and her husband James poolside fighting the jet lag. It was 1 in the morning for us, but the sun was shining, so who cares. DE-licious. Nothing better than salty French fries. Oh maybe there is. Add some truffle, mayo, and parmesan. A sucker for a pink stripe and leaf print; pretty much everything at the Beverly Hills Hotelseemed like a collectable to me. Last time I stayed here I hadn’t appreciated this cute little grotto at the end of the pool. Surrounded by topiary, it is a peaceful spot. I stumbled across this little tearoom off Melrose and was totally enchanted. I love the pink tiles and old-fashioned brass shakers at Alfred. Their neon sign is also just the best. Wish that I had been able to fit that in my suitcase. The cup at Alfred was even cute! There is something about the pink marble in the Beverly Hills Hotel bathrooms that makes you feel incredibly spoiled. Their products are also pretty dreamy, too. I couldn’t take a trip to Los Angeles without popping into the Hotel Bel-Air. When you arrive, you walk over a bridge and meet two darling swans. Who knew! There is something about this place that is very old school—you can almost feel Marilyn walking around. The pool is pretty heavenly, too. Inflatable swans with my bestie, Mary. Match made in heaven. I have wanted to use this William Morris wallpaper at home for years. And where should I find it? In the infamous loos of the Chateau Marmont. The Victorian wallpaper works seamlessly with their Venetian mirror. Couldn’t resist a quick snap of my Jenny Packham palm-tree dress against the Morris paper. This little home where Mary and Robbie live reminded me so much of parts of England. I love the planting in the window boxes and nature all around. Felt like being in a tree house. Yes, the Brit made it to Melrose Place. Having watched Clueless close to 200 times, I have to admit I was chuffed to have experienced it in real life. I found these Compartes chocolate bars on Melrose. Seriously this packaging is the coolest thing ever. London you need to get these on our shelves! Tasted good, too. I suppose you can’t travel with too many handbags? Thank goodness my husband wasn’t with me to tell me off for over-packing. (No husband, no worries!) How wonderful is this? A little slice of paradise outside Isabel Marant’s shop on Melrose. In Temperley outside my favorite spot about to explore the City of Angels. It’s hard to explain or convey how beautiful the palm trees really are in Los Angeles. Every time you look up they are there. They become your friends. One of the coolest moments quite frankly ever. This might be usual to Americans but cupcake vending machines are not an everyday fixture to our boring Brit lives. England, follow suit! I asked if I could take these blue and white china elephants home with me. Sadly they weren’t for sale at Opening Ceremony. Mary’s pink hair matching her surroundings. My favorite pool in the world. What’s jet leg when you’re poolside at the BHH? Miu Miu glitter, Choo sparkles. . . . At least they don’t take up much room in my suitcase. Mary took me to Recess. One of the chicest vintage stores in the city. There were so many treasures, including a white lace embroidered dress from the 1940s. It had my name all over it. Well it had to happen. My Poplin pj’s un-coincidentally matched the Beverly Hills Hotel wallpaper perfectly. I love the paper so much I used the Meg Braff version in my flat in London.