Century City was originally part of the 20th Century Fox Studios backlot, and its glitzy star power remains. Today, this exclusive Westside area is home to gleaming high-rise office and residential buildings, a main street called Avenue of the Stars, a luxury hotel, Fox Studios, and the newly renovated Westfield Century City mall.
For a real VIP shopping experience, there’s The Private Suite, the ultimate in convenience and luxury. The same organization that provides its members with a special entrance, top-notch lounges, private TSA screening, and direct transportation to and from their aircraft at Los Angeles International Airport now offers comparable services at Westfield Century City. Members enter via private ramp into the underground parking garage, pass through a security gate into a private courtyard, and are then taken to their suite. A private elevator provides members with direct access to Westfield’s restaurants, theaters, and retail stores.
A dedicated team of three people is assigned to each member, including a Team Leader who coordinates with retailers, restaurants, and theaters to create a seamless VIP experience. Members can enter the theater through a side door and see a movie without standing in line or buying tickets. Purchases may be sent to their suites, gift-wrapped, or delivered directly to a vehicle if desired.
Each suite has a generously stocked food service pantry, with drinks and snacks included in the service. Full meals are available on request. Members can book in-suite massages, haircuts, salon services, showings of merchandise from Westfield retailers, fittings, and even a concierge doctor. The Private Suite is available to anyone; however, members receive preferential rates and other benefits.
Westfield Century City has just completed a $1-billion makeover, and a stroll through the lush landscaped spaces and shops is the best way to get your bearings. Serene sitting areas, appealing storefronts, custom tile floors, and handsome greenery attest to the influence of the well-known designer Kelly Wearstler, who also created the specially made furniture that includes hanging beds with fabric-covered cushions. No detail has been overlooked in an effort to design a space that will encourage visitors, online shoppers, and homebodies to come out and stay for a while.
Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, and Macy’s, plus over 200 shops and restaurants, an Equinox fitness club and spa, and the West Coast’s first Eataly provide an array of shopping and dining options. Tesla, leader in the design and manufacture of electric vehicles, displays its latest models in a stunning showroom that includes a design studio where prospective buyers can view colors and customize their own new car as well as purchase Tesla-branded retail items.
For a sweet place to stop, visit Compartes Chocolatier for handmade truffles or fancy chocolate bars, their colorful, individually designed wrappers adorning the walls. For a bit of caffeine and a welcome break from browsing, Caffe Lavazza in Eataly offers espresso, cappuccino, coffee, and pastries. Randy’s Donuts, La Colombe, and Nordstrom E-Bar are other great coffee spots.
Dining venues abound, from casual to take-out to fine dining, with several options in Eataly, Javier’s Mexican cuisine, RockSugar Southeast Asian Kitchen, Petros Greek restaurant, Meizhou Dongpo for Sichuan food, and Toscanova for elegant Italian cuisine. At Eataly, choose from pizza, flatbreads, panini, and more, with quick service or full-service dining. Then shop for the finest ingredients at their specialty sections of produce, cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, olive oils, and wine.
When you’ve reached the “shop ‘til you drop” point, settle into a cushy lounge chair or listen to live music at the Atrium, an outdoor entertainment area. People watching and celebrity scouting are also popular pastimes at Westfield Century City, so just relax and look for a while. Two family lounges offer private nursing areas, baby changing stations, and toys. There’s also an Uber lounge where guests can wait for their drivers.
Westfield’s concierge will make dining reservations for you, assist with transportation, or arrange to have your packages stored. Other amenities include reserved parking and “smart parking,” which recognizes your license plate and bills your account—no ticket required.
One day at Westfield may not be enough, so consider staying at a nearby hotel like the Intercontinental Los Angeles Century City at Beverly Hills, with the inviting Copper Lounge for cocktails and Mari, the contemporary restaurant serving globally inspired cuisine. Balconies provide spectacular views in every direction, and you might even be able to spot the Hollywood sign on the hills in the distance. And perhaps most tempting of all for the serious shopper, the hotel's chauffeured Tesla awaits to take you to destinations within one and a half miles—including back to the mall.
