The Redbury, Hollywood, California

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One whiff of the signature toiletries at The Redbury and you’re enveloped in the rock-n-roll patchouli worlds of Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. After all, you’re on the corner of Hollywood and Vine, that iconic intersection that’s just a bourbon-bottle’s throw from the Capitol Towers building where legends misbehaved.

If you’ve ever wanted to live like a rock star in the heyday of Jimi, Janis, Stevie, and Grace, then The Redbury is where you want to swirl your shawls and fan your feathers.

A part of the burgeoning sbe empire, which includes partnerships with designer Philippe Starck, photographer Matthew Rolston, and chefs José Andrés and Katsuya Uechi, The Redbury is sbe‘s heir apparent to Hollywood haunts such as the Chateau Marmont and the Tropicana Motel (aka “the Trop”) where Jim Morrison lived and Janis Joplin partied (and, alas, also died).

(Source: sbe)

(Source: sbe)

As soon as you cross the threshold, you find yourself in a dimly lit entryway of what appears to be the mansion of Hollywood rock-n-roll royalty. Either that or the home of Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder’s “Sunset Boulevard.”  A staircase beckons you upward to reception and to the 57 curated guest apartments that buzz with a bohemian, counter-cultural feel. Rolston’s wall-sized portraits of Hollywood divas such as Dietrich, Harlow, and Theda Bara, complete the celluloid fantasy

In keeping with the provenance of the neighborhood and its colorful antecedents, the spacious flats at The Redbury are like characters from a Raymond Chandler novel and designed for maximum pleasure – for a day, a week, or as long as you want to live like a rock star incognito. Expect balconies with tables and chairs (and ashtrays – for cigarettes and whatever), oriental carpets, crimson lampshades, and turntables with a collection of vintage vinyl record albums (which might necessitate a call to the front desk: “How do I make this play music?”) Cocktail shakers and candles and coffee tables with glossy magazines and a fully-stocked Pullman kitchen make you want to invite a few friends over: Lana Turner, Lana Del Rey, and maybe Marilyn, if she’s not already booked.

You’re living in Hollywood, baby; live it large at The Redbury.

Mark Thompson

About Mark Thompson

A member of Authors Guild, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), and New York Travel Writers (NYTW), Mark Thompson is an editor, journalist, and photographer whose work appears in various periodicals, including Travel Weekly, Metrosource, Huffington Post, Global Traveler, Out There, and OutTraveler. The author of the novels Wolfchild (2000) and My Hawaiian Penthouse (2007), Mark completed a Ph.D. in American Studies. He has been a Fellow and a resident at various artists' communities, including MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center.

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