Stargazing takes on a different meaning in Hollywood. While there’s no guarantee you’ll spy a familiar face when you’re here, there are some locations where you can up the odds—particularly at hotels and restaurants.
Hotels of the Stars in Los Angeles
Start at Hollywood’s luxurious, castle-like Chateau Marmont. Always a celebrity magnet, this elegant hotel is a revolving door for the hippest celebs from both the film and music industries. Check the palm-tree ringed patio during lunch hours—sightings of A-listers such as Scarlett Johansson and Robert Pattinson are not uncommon. Teddy’s, the unmarked celebrity haunt at Hotel Roosevelt on Hollywood Boulevard, is a favorite for the VIP set, and while you probably can’t get through the door, you can hang out in the lavish lobby to see who comes and goes. The basement-level recording studio at the Sunset Marquis draws mega-watt musicians including Madonna and Elton John.
Hot Spot Restaurants in Los Angeles
Celebrities have to eat, of course, and there are also a number of restaurants where there’s a higher-than-average chance of seeing one. On Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, uber-chic Italian eatery Cecconi’s has proven to be a star-magnet over the past dozen or so years, as has the Los Angeles location of Beauty & Essex, located steps away from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Also on Melrose is Craig’s, which has become one of the hottest “it” spots in town thanks to its meatballs, the famously friendly Craig, and—of course—celebrity sightings. In Beverly Hills, The Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel and Spago Beverly Hills are both well-documented haunts of the glitterati, while vegan Mexican destination Gracias Madre—a fave of Taylor Swift—is such a celebrity hangout that you can often see paparazzi posted up outside, just waiting for the next megastar to drop in.
Local sightseeing companies like Starline Tours also tempt visitors with tales of major star-sightings. Your trip may yield nothing more than a look at Sandra Bullock’s gated driveway, but, well, it’s a very nice driveway.