The Bar/Lounge at Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills

"No matter where you end up, you'll have easy access to the sunny courtyard, with its retro-hip, amoeba-shaped pool; the fitness room; and Oliverio, the groovy, blue-hued Italian restaurant and bar with a contemporary '50s vibe"

"The poolside bar is where the young elite go to pose"

"Snag a lounge table next to the shimmering 1950s–era pool, where you can nosh on Italian small plates"

""Step back into '50s Hollywood" at this "fun" Beverly Hills boutique where admirers adore the poolside cabanas, "first-rate" restaurant and "top-notch" bar, and the "sexy" staff "strikes the perfect balance of being there for you and leaving you alone"; the "modern, inviting" rooms are on the "expensive" side, and a few warn the "party" atmosphere can get "noisy", but many proclaim the place a "breath of fresh air in a town full of hot gas"

"Like a lot of Los Angeles hotels, the Avalon has a poolside bar"

"Renowned decorator Kelly Wearstler designed the megaglam interiors, a sophisticated riot of marble and brass sculptures, curvaceous mod loungers and geometric wallpaper"

"Marilyn Monroe once lived here briefly, and the sun-splashed terraces and balconies overlooked a shimmering pool where beautiful young things lounged in bikinis"

"All rooms have flat-screen TVs, DVD and CD players, iPod docking stations, multiline executive phones with conference and speaker capabilities, and minibars"

"Isn’t that the whole point of the Avalon Beverly Hills? You never feel as if you’re coming home to a loud lobby lounge, but your very own living-room bar – if your living room had been beautifully re-imagined by Kelly Wearstler, of course"

"The bartenders specialize in 1950s classic drinks (don’t forget to tip)"