Hotel Bel-Air - Dorchester Collection

When she decamped to the Hotel Bel-Air to write without distraction, Ann Patchett wrote, "I think the best vacation is the one that relieves me of my own life for a while and then makes me long for it again." With thoughts of leaving behind dull care and indulging my creative instincts, I checked into the Hotel Bel-Air on a sunny Friday to kick off the long holiday weekend. Alyssa and Emma did an exemplary job of welcoming me and ensuring that I had plentiful diversions as I had arrived before the rest of my group and they were still preparing my suite. They ensured that a practitioner was called up to give me a 90 minute deep tissue massage, and Ashley at the restaurant got me sorted for breakfast as well. After my massage, I strolled on up to my residence for the holiday, a favorite two bedroom suite with a secluded outdoor terrace that was perfect for rallying the troops and getting some much needed quiet time as well. The rest of our party had arrived and checked into their suites nearby, so the location of my suite (177) was just about perfect. The welcome setup was charming and much appreciated. Dining in room, at the restaurant and at the pool were all terrific. In addition to Ashley, Lucas was also an excellent server. One must remember how rare it is to have a hotel pool with a true deep end. It’s one of the great things about this hotel, and our little party enjoyed it tremendously. The splendid isolation of this place is one of the things that makes it so great. That, and the winding paths through the trees and tropical foliage, along with the koi pond, the swan lake, the burbling streams, our favorite turtle and the plentiful bird life. The Hotel Bel-Air is one of the places you go to leave the world behind, to fall into the embrace of quiet calm and engage in writing, socializing or even just a little dolce far niente. Here, one is both visible and yet transcendently invisible. Staff continue to excel at that rare hat trick of attentive service while giving us plenty of space to just vibe. If you want to get away and still be close to the city, this is the place to do it.