Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills, a Member of Design Hotels

Behind a mid-century facade on West Olympic Boulevard, the Avalon occupies former 1949 studio-apartment grounds once home to Marilyn Monroe, its courtyard pool still ringed by the original palm plantings. Beverly Hills' Golden Triangle shopping district lies a ten-minute drive north, making this a base for design-conscious travelers who prefer Century City's quieter southern edge to Rodeo Drive congestion.

Rooms mix Saarinen and Eames reproductions with custom millwork; the on-site Blvd restaurant serves poolside through dinner service. Parking is valet-only, useful given the surrounding office-district streets.