This past August I joined some of the Global Traveler team in Los Angeles to celebrate the winners of the 2025 The Trazees and Wherever Awards. We all stayed at Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, an upscale hotel on the edge of Beverly Hills. Although its lobby and some of its social spaces are currently under renovation, I caught glimpses of some of the finished lounges and cannot wait to see it again once it’s completed.

Despite renovations going on in the daytime, I would never have known up in my room, which was spacious, had two French doors opening out to the street below and a fantastic rainfall shower.

Besides meeting my co-workers, the other thing I most look forward to when visiting LA is trying new dining spots with my colleagues. One night we dined at the onsite restaurant at Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, where we supped on an array of appetizers like calamari and vegetables. I enjoyed a tasty salmon with curry, and the passionfruit mango cheesecake was to die for.

One morning my colleagues Kimberly, Mary and I ventured to a breakfast spot and filled up on delicious breakfast burritos, iced coffee and a shared sweet crepe.

Sofitel’s cocktails are also worth mentioning, especially its Zen Garden, a concoction of Roku Gin, lychee and matcha syrup, lemon juice, and topped with lychee fruit. And while I was so busy at the actual event I didn’t get the chance to try some of the food, Fran made sure to get me another one of those passionfruit mango cheesecakes to round out the evening before we all departed the next morning.

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor