A Good Time For A Staycation [Sponsored]

Posing in front of mural at Intercontinental Century City. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

This post is sponsored by IHG and Shopstyle. All opinions are my own. 

A Short Getaway

Le Monsieur and I like to take a “staycation” once a year or so. We check into a nice local hotel for a couple of days to relax and have a change of scenery, without having to make big travel plans.

When the folks at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts asked if I’d like to stay at one of their Los Angeles area hotels in early December, the timing couldn’t have been better. After a few days of demolition on our kitchen and  bathroom, we were ready to get away from the dust and mess for a couple of days. We debated about whether to stay at the Intercontinental in Downtown LA, or the one in Century City. It was a tough choice, but because the construction crew would be working while we were gone, we decided to stay closer to home. We chose Century City.

The Hotel

Holiday decorations in the lobby of the Intercontinental Century City. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

I’d driven by the hotel hundreds of times but had never been inside. The lobby area is bright and spacious, and was festively decorated for the holiday season.

Sitting area in the Executive Suite at Intercontinental Hotel Century City.

Our room was an Executive Suite, and was roomy and comfortable. The space is bright, clean and modern. I was happy to find a coffee maker in the room with a selection of coffees and teas. I’m one those people who has to have a cup of coffee within a few minutes of waking up.

Executive suite at Intercontinental Hotel Century City.

The bed was really comfortable. The room had lots of drawer and closet space, and plenty of hangers! (One of my pet peeves is hotels that are stingy with hangers.)

Once we were checked into our room, the first order of business was getting something to eat. We’d been rushing around all morning dealing with construction questions, and hadn’t had time for breakfast. We managed to hit the tail end of weekend brunch at Mari Los Angeles, and it was fantastic. Fresh ingredients, well prepared.

Huevos Rancheros at Mari Los Angeles. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

I ordered the Huevos Rancheros, and ate every bite! Le Monsieur had a chicken breast sandwich and also cleaned his plate.

Mari Los Angeles at Intercontinental Hotel Century City

The breakfast buffet which is available daily is AWESOME. Lots of choices including all of the hot and cold breakfast items you’d want, a custom omelet station, a Vegetarian station, and a Japanese breakfast station.

Pool and cabanas at the Intercontinental Century City hotel.
It wasn’t warm enough for us to want to swim, but there’s a lovely pool area with cabanas and a jacuzzi. There’s also a well-equipped fitness area.

Enjoying a relaxing staycation in Century City.

Our rooms faced west, and we enjoyed the nice (if hazy) sunsets. Both the sitting area and the bedroom had full balconies.

Location, location, location

The InterContinental Hotel in Century City is a short walk away from the Westfield Century City mall which has recently undergone a major renovation. We took a stroll over there after lunch to do some holiday shopping and check out the new stores that had recently opened. The mall is also the newest location for Eataly, the very popular Italian market and upscale food court.

Rodeo Drive holiday lights. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

It’s also close to downtown Beverly Hills, and we took advantage of the house car service to get a ride over to Rodeo Drive. They go all out with the holiday decorating…even the street lights become chandeliers!

And the hotel is next door to the Fox Studios. That mural I’m posing in front of in the top photo is painted on the side of one of the sound stages.

The IHG portfolio of brands also includes Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inns (including Express, Resort and Club Vacations) and several others. If you’re planning to visit Los Angeles, IHG has lots of options for all budgets and all areas of interest.

And if you’re planning future travel, you might want to check out the IHG Rewards Club that provides special promotions to members. You can earn points to redeem for extras like extra nights and free internet.

Thanks again to IHG for a relaxing and enjoyable staycation!

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13 Comments

  1. I can attest to your coffee preferences, and also to the caliber of InterContinental and Kimpton hotels. I am so excited they reached out to you for a stay. Their brand is less well-known than some of the US luxury hotel chains and deserves more recognition.

  2. I didn’t realize Kimpton was in that group. We love Kimptons (in room yoga mats!) and belong to their rewards club.

  3. That looks so nice! As always, I appreciate your modest tone while you are enjoying these pleasures – there’s a nice sharing quality to your posts at a time when so many others are much more about showing off. And I too am one of those people who need a cup of coffee within minutes of waking up! Loved the velvet duster and the sparkle scarf (which I know you wrote about on another post).

  4. This sounds VERY well-deserved, Susan! What a joy to escape building works for a few days. I haven’t been to L.A in many years, but I’d like to go in the next year or two. That pool looks SO ENTICING and luxurious to me right now (she says, from windy and rainy London). What a lovely spot for you to have a staycation. xx

    1. Hi Sally, thanks! The worst fires are north of us, but with the predicted winds the next couple of days, we’re keeping an eye on things. The air’s intermittently smoky, and they’ve closed many schools for the rest of the week.

  5. How nice to get a little break from construction. It was a perfect time for you to get a little upscale shopping done. Rodeo Drive must have looked magical. I’m afraid the shops would be out of my budget but I would still love to window shop & people watch.
    You look very classy in your duster and beautiful scarf. A perfect outfit for your little adventure.

  6. Staycation. Adding that to my lexicon. AND my husbands. . I was at the intercontinental downtown for a convention last month. The lobby is on the 70th floor. You literally need to go up to go down. Views were spectacular. Not as cozy as yours but fabulous nonetheless.
    I love your style and enjoy your postings very much. Your down home uptown open hearted sharing is a gift.