West Hollywood Rolls Out the Red Carpet for the Entertainment Industry
WeHo has been the entertainment industry’s power center, playground and creative capital for as long as LA has been the creative capital
Los Angeles reigns as the entertainment capital of the world, but look closely and you’ll find that much of it actually happens in the 1.9-square-mile city of West Hollywood. Sitting in the sweet spot between Hollywood and Beverly Hills, WeHo has served as both a playground and power center throughout its history. As West Hollywood celebrates 40 years of cityhood in 2024, here’s a look at some of the entertainment industry’s biggest moments, and why West Hollywood remains one of the world’s most iconic entertainment capitals.
Entertainment Milestones & Landmarks
WeHo’s entertainment history is as old as the movie industry itself. Pickford-Fairbanks Studio (later United Artists) built its sound stage on a full block of Santa Monica Boulevard in 1919. Samuel Goldwyn, Warner, HBO and Showtime later occupied the building, which continues to serve as a working production facility under the name The Lot at Formosa.
A beacon for free-thinkers, West Hollywood was at the epicenter of the 1950s and ’60s counterculture. Lenny Bruce was arrested for obscenity at The Troubadour and rockers like The Doors and Jimi Hendrix helped make West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip the live-music mecca it is today. The Troubadour was also the scene for Elton John’s electrifying U.S. debut in 1970. A few years later, producer Lou Adler brought The Rocky Horror Show from the British stage to his new Sunset Strip nightclub, the Roxy Theatre. The show ran for nine months to sold-out audiences before transferring to Broadway. Meanwhile, The Comedy Store led a paradigm shift in comedy, propelled by superstars like Richard Pryor, David Letterman and Robin Williams.
Amazingly, all of these places are still around and fostering new creative voices today.
Industry Hotspots: Hangouts & Power Meetings
Thanks to its geography and trendy businesses, West Hollywood is a natural meeting place for entertainment’s biggest names. From nightclubs and rooftop bars to restaurants made notorious by reality TV, there are few places in LA where you’re more likely to run into a famous face. Restaurants often act as defacto board rooms for power lunches, especially institutions like Craig’s and Cecconi’s. The staff at these and other restaurants are highly attuned to the needs of celebrities and have cultivated a loyal clientele as a result — just ask the paparazzi who regularly gather outside waiting for a scoop.
West Hollywood’s high-end night spots are also a popular choice for private parties and buyouts. Clubs like Delilah and the Peppermint Club, with their glitzy aesthetic and top-notch service, are known to draw a celebrity crowd; Kylie Jenner, for one, held her 18th birthday afterparty at Bootsy Bellows. The ultra-private, members-only Bird Streets Club — tucked into one of LA’s most exclusive neighborhoods — is where celebs like Jay-Z, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce come to party out of the public eye.
Hotels Geared Toward Industry Guests
In recent years, West Hollywood’s hotel scene has been reinvigorated by dazzling new properties from top hoteliers. These hotels are not only where the stars get red-carpet ready, but where business executives base their travels to get deals done. Pushing the boundaries of wellness, sustainability and design, West Hollywood’s hotels go above and beyond a room for the night, with special amenities geared toward their industry patrons.
How many hotels, for example, can say they have an on-site recording studio — much less one that counts Aerosmith and Rihanna as fans? The Sunset Marquis can, with its subterranean Nightbird Studios. Along with state-of-the-art sound, the studio offers perks like 24-hour room service, concierge access, and use of the hotel’s famous pool. The hotel’s open-air Cavatina restaurant is a perfect setting for any tableside dealmaking.
Before it was a hotel, the Sunset Tower was an apartment building that Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne and other Hollywood icons called home. Occupying the former apartment of Bugsy Siegel, the dim and moody Terrace Room and Tower Bar are common locations for business meetings among entertainment insiders. The adjoining pool was featured in Robert Altman’s The Player, a nod to the hotel’s insider-y status.
Pendry West Hollywood made a splash on Sunset Boulevard when it debuted in 2021. In addition to culinary by Wolfgang Puck, the Pendry’s 250-seat music venue, Sun Rose, has become a go-to for intimate concerts. The club can be reserved for private events, and there’s something on the weekly performance schedule for everyone to love.
Searching for an intimate space for a private screening? Several West Hollywood hotels are equipped with in-house theaters. The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills has an entire floor dedicated to press junkets and other industry events, including a 110-seat screening room with a bar and private entrance for talent. A plush screening room at The West Hollywood EDITION, one of WeHo’s newest luxury hotels, can accommodate 91.
When privacy is of utmost importance, one of West Hollywood’s membership clubs may be the ticket. Soho House has a luxurious outpost on the Sunset Strip; its screening room, decked out in sumptuous red velvet, seats 50. Just off the Strip, the exclusive San Vicente Bungalows offers a cozy, armchair-filled theater plus nine impeccably designed guest rooms.
Awards Season HQ
As the end of the year rolls around, Los Angeles gears up for Awards Season. West Hollywood has become ground zero for red-carpet readiness. Our proximity to award-show venues like the Dolby Theatre and Crypto.com Arena is part of it, but West Hollywood’s top-tier hotel and wellness offerings are the real draw. Stars come to get a glow-up with celebrity aestheticians at Ole Henriksen, Joanna Vargas and Barbara Sturm, get toned with elite trainers at DOGPOUND or Barry’s, and get dressed by high-end stylists and designers from the Design District and beyond. Hotel suites become hives of glam-squad activity in the days leading up to major events like the Oscars, Golden Globes, Emmys and Grammys.
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Whether you’re in town for business or pleasure, there’s something special about being in a place filled with so much entertainment lore. Experience West Hollywood’s dynamic dining scene, top spas, amazing shopping and storied hotels to have your own star-powered getaway in the heart of LA.