Fairmont Century Plaza
by the TopOfHotel team
The Fairmont Century Plaza is a chance to sleep inside a 1960s icon that was just restored top to bottom into something brand-new — wide balcony rooms, a big spa, and a central Century City address win out here over old-neighborhood walkability.
The Fairmont Century Plaza is a chance to sleep inside a 1960s icon that was just restored top to bottom into something brand-new — wide balcony rooms, a big spa, and a central Century City address win out here over old-neighborhood walkability.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a graceful curved tower in the heart of Century City, designed by Minoru Yamasaki — the same architect behind the World Trade Center — that first opened in 1966 and hosted enough U.S. presidents to earn the nickname "the Western White House." That history is the backbone of the Fairmont Century Plaza, which closed for years of deep renovation and reopened brand-new in 2021. The roughly 400 rooms and suites were fully redesigned in warm, modern tones, mixing wood, marble, and soft fabrics for a contemporary kind of luxury that feels easy rather than cold. The detail reviewers love most is that the rooms run larger than the city's luxury norm, and that most come with a private balcony — open the door and you get the California air and a view of the city or the sunset. Beds are soft, the marble bathrooms are roomy and well stocked, and the in-room tech is simple to use, the way it should be in a new build. Wake up, pull the curtains, and step onto your own balcony knowing everything around you was just rebuilt — that spotless newness is the single most consistent praise. If you like rooms that are big, new, and warmly designed, this one will land especially well.
Food and amenities
If this hotel has a heart after the rebuild, it's the 14,000 sq ft spa that review after review calls the highlight — multiple treatment rooms, relaxation areas, and a quiet that makes it feel like a separate world to retreat into. Outside sits an outdoor pool for stretching out on a good LA day, plus a full fitness center for anyone keeping a routine. The food side is well covered too: the standout is the French restaurant Lumière, serving contemporary French dishes in a relaxed, upscale room that's built for a special dinner, alongside other in-house restaurants and bars that range from casual meals to evening drinks. Plenty of reviews note you never have to go far to eat or drink well. What earns extra goodwill is the service — guests repeatedly describe the staff as warm, attentive, and genuinely helpful, from check-in through the small requests that come up mid-stay. Add it up and it's a hotel built for long, unhurried stays where you're in no rush to leave.
Location and getting there
The hotel sits dead-center in Century City on Avenue of the Stars, a key business and shopping district on LA's Westside. The most convenient part is the walk to the Westfield Century City mall in just a few minutes — a large open-air center with restaurants, a cinema, and full shopping, so dinner or an evening stroll is easy without ever touching the car. Beverly Hills and the world-famous luxury shopping of Rodeo Drive are only a 5-10 minute drive away, and the Westside position also keeps Santa Monica and Venice beaches within reasonable reach on a day you want the ocean. The thing to understand is that LA is hugely spread out, traffic is heavy, and there's no rail station near the hotel — so you'll lean on a rental car, Uber, or the hotel's car service to get around. Even so, with a central Westside address and a mall you can walk to, getting where you want still works in its own way. It suits travelers focused on relaxing, shopping, and dining on the Westside more than wandering an old town on foot.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. The first point that comes up often in reviews is price and add-on fees: the room rate already sits high for a new luxury hotel, and some guests feel the extras pile on — a daily resort fee, valet parking, and fairly steep in-hotel food and drink prices. Check the full total when you book and look for a package that bundles in breakfast or a spa credit. The second is the neighborhood feel: Century City is mostly office towers and the mall, with few small streets to wander and soak up the city the way an older district lets you, and evenings run quiet — anyone who likes exploring shops outside the hotel may find it a touch sleepy. The third is that the building is big, with about 400 rooms, so when a conference or large event is in house the lobby and common areas can get busier than a small boutique hotel. And finally the usual LA reality — heavy traffic and no rail station nearby, so plan extra travel time.
Our take
After reading through a stack of real guest reviews, the Fairmont Century Plaza pulls off its pitch cleanly: a freshly restored icon, wide balcony rooms, a big spa, and a central Century City address, all in one place. The points reviewers agree on are the spotless newness, rooms larger than many luxury hotels in town, and warm service. If the trip in your head is a big, new room with a private balcony for the view, a morning swim and a soak in a large spa, then dinner at the mall next door or a short drive to shop on Rodeo Drive, this is a very strong fit. If you'd rather have a characterful neighborhood to walk, or you're wary of stacked add-on fees, weigh it again. Overall we give it 9.0/10 — best for couples, families, and business travelers after a new hotel with large rooms and a good Westside LA location.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- A 1960s icon that went through a full ground-up restoration before reopening in 2021 — everything reads spotless, modern, and well looked after, and reviewers agree on how new it feels.
- Around 400 rooms and suites that run larger than many of the city's luxury hotels, decorated in easy warm tones, and most come with a private balcony you can step out onto for the breeze and a view.
- A large spa of roughly 14,000 sq ft that reviewers call the highlight, plus an outdoor pool and a full fitness center — a genuine draw if you came to slow down and look after yourself.
- A central Century City location: a few minutes on foot to the Westfield Century City mall packed with restaurants and shopping, and a 5-10 minute drive to Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive.
- The French restaurant Lumière along with other in-house restaurants and bars, backed by staff that many reviews describe as warm and attentive — it works for both food-focused stays and long, unhurried ones.
- Rates sit high, as you'd expect from a new luxury hotel, and some guests feel the add-ons stack up — a daily resort fee, valet parking, and fairly steep in-hotel food and drink prices.
- Century City is mostly office towers and the mall, so there's little of the small-street wandering that older neighborhoods offer, and evenings around the hotel run quiet.
- The building is big, with about 400 rooms, so when a conference or large event is in house the lobby and shared spaces can get busy — and as always in LA, traffic is heavy with no rail station nearby.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a room with a balcony facing the city or sunset side — it's the standout feature reviewers keep mentioning, and it makes morning coffee or an evening drink outside genuinely worth it.
- Budget for the extras from the moment you book — the resort fee and valet parking add up — then ask about packages that bundle in breakfast or a spa credit, which usually beat paying for each separately.
- Make the most of the big spa and pool: book a treatment ahead on a clear day, and walk over to Westfield Century City next door for dinner when you want a change of scene.