Most hotels think in seasons, just not the same ones the rest of us do. In the hospitality industry, a year isn’t broken up into winter, spring, summer, and fall—it’s sectioned off into peak season, shoulder season, and off-season. Wedding season might also be in the mix, depending on where you’re located. For the hotels of Los Angeles, however, another season also commands the calendar: awards season.
When you operate in what’s effectively the epicenter of the entertainment industry, “awards season” is less a set period of time, and more a state-of-mind. “There’s an electricity in the air,” says Four Seasons Los Angeles general manager Sebastian Hinsch.
Things start slowly in the fall with the Emmys, but the true marathon kicks off at the beginning of the year. The starting shot sounds in the first week of January with the Golden Globes, where the red carpet first gets kicked out at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Then comes the Grammy’s in February. The Actors Awards (previously known as the SAG Awards) at the end of February marks the homestretch, before the race finally crosses the finish line sometime mid-March at the Dolby Theater for the Oscars. Luncheons, screenings, press events, brand parties, and more pack the days between ceremonies, filling out a robust calendar of industry activity. The hotels of Los Angeles host celebrities, events, and VIPs through it all, offering a landing pad to take meetings, get ready, and relax once the fanfare is all said and done.
Exterior of the Beverly Wilshire.
“Think of Awards Season as winning the ‘Best Supporting Role’ in a film,” Reed Kandalaft, regional vice president and general manager of the Beverly Wilshire, tells his staff at the start of each award’s season. “Treat every guest like a star, help your coworkers shine, and remember: the best performances come from the heart.”
There’s no shortage of storied hotels where talent can take up temporary residence during this time of year, either because they live elsewhere or just need somewhere to get ready. There are the Beverlys: the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Beverly Hilton (where the Golden Globes have taken place for over 60 years), and the Beverly Wilshire. Then comes a strip of options along Sunset Boulevard—the Four Seasons Los Angeles, the West Hollywood EDITION (a relative newcomer and where Jeremy Allen White got ready for the 2024 Golden Globes after that Calvin Klein campaign), the famed Chateau Marmont, and the Sunset Tower Hotel.
One of the oceanfront king suites available at Nobu Ryokan Malibu.
The Hotel Bel-Air offers a palm tree-shrouded oasis in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. Even Malibu, where the serene oceanfront Nobu Ryokan Malibu Hotel nestles amid the sand dunes, isn’t completely spared the hustle and bustle, with a handful of stars favoring the property for its peacefulness. All of them work with a similar deftness and attention to detail to accomplish the same goal Kandalaft gives his staff—to treat every guest like a star.
Planning for the season starts months in advance—as soon as nominations are announced and, in some cases, even before. Fashion houses with celebrity ambassadors, studios boasting projects with large ensemble casts, or teams for individual talent will reach out to book suites or blocks of room packages in the weeks before an awards show. Some might even give just a few days notice.
As bookings roll in, the hotels stock up on extra food, robes, and champagne. Rooms are stocked with sewing kits, garment tape, steamers, collar stays, bow ties, status cling spray, extra hangers, and even full-length mirrors, along with any other specific asks from the guest. Guest relations and guest experience teams collect as much information as possible on residents—making note of special room requests, booking aliases, and more. “We make sure that all the due diligence is done prior to the arrival, so by the time of the [event] weekend, there’s no stress related to those requests,” says Nobu Ryokan Malibu general manager Amir Vahdani. “Communication is key.”
The star treatment begins the second guests enter their room. Talent can expect to find a special amenity or bespoke award-themed pastry awaiting them upon arrival, often accompanied by a personal note from the hotel’s manager. For the Grammy’s, the West Hollywood EDITION made record player-shaped cakes with the artist’s name emblazoned across each one. This past year, the Beverly Hilton sculpted 150 pounds of chocolate into the Golden Globe statue.
A suite at the West Hollywood EDITION.
But no amount of pre-planning or staff training can fully prepare you for the rush that happens the afternoon of an awards show. “We’re kind of always on call,” says Gregory Alexander, director of culture and entertainment at the West Hollywood EDITION. “A lot of this is really last minute and really reactive.”
No ask is too big and no expense is spared. Staff will retype speeches ruined by spilled drinks, adding in acknowledgements to spouses and studio executives that the nominees might have originally missed. Others might assist actresses who don’t have large teams to get dressed. Bellmen will run out to buy extra supplies or even travel all the way from Malibu to Beverly Hills to pick up a dress that didn’t arrive at the hotel in time.
“Let’s say they’re having a chicken sandwich for lunch,” says Hinsch. “That chicken sandwich gets prepared 3, 4, 5, 6 times to ensure it’s warm, to ensure that when the talent is ready for that sandwich, it’s perfect—[it hasn’t] been sitting in the kitchen for 20 minutes.”
A presidential suite at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills.
While guests slip into their tuxedo jackets and zip up their evening gowns, hotel staff flit around the halls—deftly addressing new tasks like “ninjas,” as Vahdani puts it. “We try to be there to assist so there’s no transfer of stress to the guests,” Vahdani explains. “That’s what our job is really.”
And the work isn’t finished after the guests depart. Hinsch explains that after he and his Four Seasons team (decked out in their own evening wear) bid farewell to their guests, they spend the rest of the night monitoring the awards to see which nominees will return to the property with a win. When the triumphant star finally does make it back to their room after a long night of after-parties, they’re greeted by a “celebratory amenity in the room” and a personal note from Hinsch congratulating them on the award.
Anyone working at a hotel in Los Angeles will tell you, in so many words, that the season embodies what it means to work in hospitality. And, though they’re not up for any trophies bearing their name, each staff member still strives to deliver an award-winning performance. “You’re making magic happen on a dime,” Alexander says. “That’s what hospitality is in a lot of ways.
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