L'Ermitage Beverly Hills

History

The building housing L'Ermitage was originally constructed in 1975 and was intended to contain condominiums. Developer Severyn Ashkenazy and his brother Arnold Ashkenazy transformed the building into an 111-suite luxury hotel. The name L'Ermitage was chosen in honor of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Arnold Ashkenazy was an art collector, and L'Ermitage eventually featured some of the prominent pieces that he owned, including oil paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

When L'Ermitage opened in late 1976, it was the first all-suite hotel in the United States. The hotel was situated in a residential neighborhood and sought to distinguish itself through a reputation for exclusivity, fine dining, and guest service. During this period, L'Ermitage was the only Mobil Five-Star, AAA Five-diamond hotel in California.

In 1986, Ashkenazy Enterprises filed for bankruptcy to fend off foreclosure by Beverly Hills Savings & Loan. In 1992, L'Ermitage was taken over by Independence One Bank of California as part of an agreement with the federal government. The hotel was sold for an estimated $12 million in 1993 to New York investment group La Hotel Properties Inc., and then acquired by Paris-based Immobiliere Hoteliers and Los Angeles-based Colony Capital in 1994. The property was then closed for four years for extensive redesigns and renovations totaling $65 million. When L'Ermitage reopened in 1998, the Los Angeles Times noted that the "radical make-over" had "turned the once-stodgy hideaway into a fabulously chic luxury hotel."

In October 2000, L'Ermitage was acquired by Singapore-based Raffles Holdings Ltd. for $68 million. Raffles International then managed the hotel as Raffles L'Ermitage Beverly Hills.

In January 2010, Malaysian financier Jho Low acquired L’Ermitage for $46 million, and it was converted into a Viceroy Hotel later that year. In 2015, the hotel began a $37 million renovation of its suites, public areas, and restaurant that was completed in early 2016. In August 2020, EOS Investors LLC purchased the hotel for $100 million from the U.S. government after it was seized as part of an investigation of Low.

Features

L'Ermitage is an eight-story hotel with 116 rooms, all suites.{{cite news |last=Vincent |first=Roger |date=August 14, 2020 |title=This famous Old Hollywood hotel is selling for $100 million to an unidentified bidder

The hotel also features a rooftop pool, luxury spa, bar, and restaurant.

As of 2021, L'Ermitage earned a five-star rating from Forbes Travel Guide, a rating it has maintained since 2000.

References

References

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4. Colker, David. (July 16, 1989). "The Prince of Barter : For hotel magnate and art collector Arnold Ashkenazy, every day's a high-stakes swap meet". Los Angeles Times.
5. Braslow, Samuel. (August 13, 2020). "L'Ermitage Hotel Acquired for $100 Million". Beverly Hills Courier.
6. Martin, Richard. (November 26, 1984). "All-suite food: new directions.; hotel". [[Nation's Restaurant News]].
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9. Furlong, Tom. "Ashkenazy Enterprises Files Under Chapter 11". Los Angeles Times.
10. Myers, David A.. "Beverly Hills' L'Ermitage Hotel is Sold to N.Y. Investor Group". Los Angeles Times.
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13. Virbila, S. Irene. (October 18, 1998). "Lap Up the Luxury at the New L'Ermitage". Los Angeles Times.
14. Virbila, S. Irene. (July 16, 1998). "Renovated L'Ermitage Hotel Extends Its Elegant Touches To The Menu". Los Angeles Times.
15. (October 16, 2000). "The $68-million sale of L'Ermitage Beverly Hills is the highlight of a spree in recent hotel acquisitions". California Business Journals.
16. Karmin, Craig. (October 22, 2020). "Jho Low's Beverly Hills Hotel Sold to New York Lodging Investor". Dow Jones & Company, Inc..
17. Ellingson, Annlee. (October 16, 2020). "Viceroy L'Ermitage Beverly Hills sells to New York investment firm". California Business Journals.
18. Limone, Jerry. "L'Ermitage Beverly Hills is no longer a Viceroy hotel". Northstar Travel Media, LLC..
19. "Modern Renovation: Viceroy L'Ermitage Beverly Hills Hotel". TS Media.
20. "L'Ermitage Beverly Hills". Forbes Travel Guide.