The Argyle Hotel by Hal Peat

Finding Hollywood’s original era of glamour still alive on legendary Sunset Blvd. may come as something of a surprise to many visitors, but for those in the know, the Argyle Hotel recreates the finest of an earlier period. In fact, even the history of the building is like a Hollywood mini-saga. Originally constructed as the Sunset Towers Apartments, it opened in 1931 as the first high-rise apartment house on the Sunset Strip. Built in the Zigzag Moderne style, the Towers became an instant L.A. classic. The building’s stepped high-rise exterior was softened by using faceted windows to accent the rounded corners. Above the street entrance and along the various setbacks, plaster friezes incorporate a tangle of plants, animals and other creatures. Sprouting from atop the tower are engaged pylons and a pineapple finial. Another witty exterior touch of the period: on the rear garage of the building, sculptured panels depict the radiator grills of a sleek 1920’s automobile.

Early tenants of the Towers included Howard Hughes, John Wayne, and even the gangster Bugsy Siegel. Inside, the suites were the first “all-electric” apartments, and the Towers became an elite residence of the entertainment and business elite. It was during the post-War period that the Sunset Towers first became a hotel; luminaries calling it home included Frank Sinatra, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Errol Flynn, and directors George Stevens and Preston Sturges. The property went through various changes of hands during the seventies and although a historical landmark, was on the verge of abandonment by the early Eighties. Fortunately, it was rescued by a group of British investors, headed by Peter de Savery of the St. James Club, Ltd., who undertook a major $43 million renovation of the building. The apartments were reconfigured to create suites, and furnished with made-to-order reproductions of original Art Deco and Beaux Arts pieces. The public rooms also feature superb copies of French Deco furnishings and object d'art, as well as a few original period pieces. Carpets were woven to order in Europe. Even the cornice in the main public rooms was re-cast to original specification.

In 1987, the “Zig Zag Moderne” cool white beauty of the Sunset Strip reopened her doors as The St. James Club/L.A. There were 74 bedrooms, suites, and penthouses with panoramic views of the city below; two fine restaurants; private dining rooms; a health club and swimming pool. During the Nineties, the the St. James Club was an eye-catching backdrop for such movies as “Pretty Woman” with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, while actor Tim Robbins was pitched a story idea at the hotel’s poolside in “The Player”. Among the many celebrities who belonged to the Club were Joan Collins, Sharon Stone, Quincy Jones, David Bowie, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, and Aaron Spelling. Operating since 1994 as The Argyle Hotel, a stay at the 13 story Art Deco tower is still like a step back in time. The use of blacks, grays, and of course many shades of white, rich wooden hues, metallic sheens and marble suggest all the sophistication and opulence of the Thirties, while every amenity of the new millennium is at the present-day guest’s fingertips, from dataports to fax machines, VCRs to stereo/CD players. Here you don’t have the physical vastness of many a recently constructed hotel room; instead, intimacy and human scale have been kept intact and become an integral part of the ambience. It’s art deco revival you can immerse yourself in and feel and touch, rather than the detached museum-like experience that cavernous spaces too often create. This livable dimension continues in the public areas; for instance, the split-level Fenix restaurant where the composition is all about soft lighting, well-spaced tables appointed with fine silver and thin stemmed wineglasses, and a shimmering view of the city—all minimalist elegance and absence of bombast. The Argyle is a quite fascinating fusion of past and present; there is minute attention to detail in the recreation of a period and its stylistic high points, an equal attention to the comforts of modern day travel, and last but not least just the hint of a clever reflection on a city and industry founded on dreams and the myth of limitless possibilities.