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Check into one of these chic L.A. boutique hotels, where California 's beautiful people come to play.

The hottest spots to hang

in Tinseltown are the new, oh-so-hip hotels. Whether you want to party in a poolside cabana, sip cocktails in an intimate lounge or dine at one of the trendiest restaurants in town, these swanky boutique hotels promise a stay to remember. Book a room at one, and you’re guaranteed to have a cool vantage point from which to enjoy all that La-La Land has to offer—not to mention prime celeb-spotting. Best of all, you’re sure to feel like a couple of cosseted A-listers yourselves.

Trendsetter

The Ambrose is so California , from its early-20th-Century Craftsman-style architectural details (think dark woods and shingles) to the giant Zen rock garden and Japanese koi pond. Since it opened in 2002, this 77-room boutique hotel has been like a breath of fresh air for the previously staid hotel scene. Not surprisingly, the tranquil, feng-shui-enhanced ambience has helped make the hotel a favorite film-star hideaway. (It doesn’t hurt that guests can travel directly from the parking level to their rooms without having to stop at the lobby to mingle with the masses.)

You needn’t be a star, however, to appreciate the carefully cultivated serenity exuded by the hotel and its staff. Couples yearning for downtime after months of harried wedding preparations will love The Ambrose. Inside each guest room, you’ll find a cloud-like, custom-made Mateo bed swathed in 700-thread-count sheets and a limestone bathroom stocked with herbal-scented Aveda bath products, as well as a cordless telephone and a surround-sound TV. In-room honor bars are stocked with dried fruit and plant-based elixirs, as well as Red Bull and alcohol, for the pure and not so pure. Ask (well in advance) for one of the two rooms with outdoor fireplaces. If you can’t get one of those, consider booking one of the 30 or so rooms that have balconies furnished with teak tables and chairs.

In addition to basic fitness facilities, The Ambrose also offers on-call yoga and Pilates instruction. The only thing the hotel lacks is an in-house restaurant. But leave it to this Eastern-inspired getaway to turn a potential negative into an asset: Room service meals and the hotel’s complimentary continental breakfast are prepared by Röckenwagner, a well-known local restaurant that serves an interesting blend of German and California cuisine. The signature burger, which is served on a pretzel and topped with melted Swiss cheese and buttery fried onions, is a real diet-busting treat. That, combined with the hotel’s free transportation to local sights like the Santa Monica Pier and Montana Avenue, will send you to honeymoon nirvana in no time. For more information call 877-262-7673 or visit ambrosehotel.com.

Style Star

The 43-room Maison 140 is an urban oasis. Hidden away on a quiet, tree-lined residential street in Beverly Hills, five blocks from tony but crowded Rodeo Drive, this striking white-brick French Regency-style building now holds guest rooms reminiscent of a Left Bank Parisian pension (with plenty of L.A. attitude, of course). Madonna has been known to visit the hotel’s Bar Noir, a boîte that’s boldly decorated in a sexy Moulin Rouge-meets-Kill Bill style, with zebra-patterned carpets, crystal chandeliers, black-lacquered wall panels and red slipper chairs.

But don’t let the hotel’s stylishly dark corridors fool you. Inside each guest room, color is very much in use. The individually decorated rooms are filled with flea-market-style antiques, as well as plenty of red, gray or saffron, depending on which room you choose. Honeymooners should ask for a sultry red room, which is decorated with garnet-tinted walls and filled with punch-colored pillows, as well as the hotel’s standard white Frette robes, sheets and down comforters. Or, request one of the six “Mandarin” rooms that feature impressive four-poster beds.

You may not expect that a trendy place like this would offer any deals, but it is, in fact, the place to score Beverly Hills ’ biggest breakfast bargain. Bar Noir’s continental buffet, which includes croissants, scones, yogurt, fresh fruit and French-press coffee.

In L.A. , it’s all about who you know. So while the hotel may not have its own pool, guest perks include pool privileges at Maison 140’s older sibling, the Avalon Hotel, where Marilyn Monroe once lived and where stars of today, including Claire Danes, Minnie Driver and Rupert Everett, have been seen lounging at the poolside restaurant. For more information call 800-432-5444 or visit maison140beverlyhills.com.

Ready for a Close-Up

It’s the little things that make The Mosaic, a 49-room, European-flavored hideaway, a honeymooner’s dream. Rosebuds in individual vases line the wall above the reception desk and, at night, shimmering votives flicker against the tiled lobby wall. Across the lobby, a series of French doors reveals an enchanting courtyard pool that’s surrounded by exotic foliage. The hotel’s tiki-torch-lit alfresco courtyard dining room looks like a cabana and measures a “10” on the romance scale—and in the taste department, too. (Try the salmon ravioli with Gorgonzola sauce, if it’s on the menu while you’re there.)

Given its prime “90210” location (around the corner from talent house Creative Artists Agency, which repres-ents Cameron Diaz and Julia Roberts), celebrity sightings at The Mosaic (including Ricky Martin and Courtney Love) are no surprise. The best day for star- spotting is Wednesday, when the hotel hosts a live jazz band and in-the-know locals pour in to hear the music.

Of course, seeing the show would mean that you’d have to leave your room—and you may not want to. White duvets soften each room’s handsome blend of warm wood, rich pumpkin-tinted accents and mustard-colored walls. The hotel’s chic one-bedroom suite measures a whopping 700 square feet, and has a marble bathroom and a large plasma-screen TV. It’s pricey but spectacular. If that’s not in your budget, request a patio room, where you’ll find a terrace with rattan furniture overlooking the hotel’s Spanish-tile walkway.

All the rooms feature go-ahead-and-spoil-me amenities, including linen-encased down pillows and comforters, a rain-forest showerhead, Bulgari toiletries and an in-room coffeemaker with Wolfgang Puck coffee. The hotel also offers a great deal on rentals of MINI Coopers, which cost a mere 10 percent of the room rate per day. What could be better than a fabulous set of wheels with which to explore the city? This is, after all, California. For more information call 800-463-4466 or visit mosaichotel.com.

One Hot Number

Don’t let the tiny nameplate and inconspicuous exterior fool you: The Viceroy is one of the most happening hotels in L.A. Shortly after opening, some two-and-a-half years ago, this self-styled “urban retreat at the shore” quickly achieved top billing among celebs like Kate Beckinsale (who got engaged here) and Sylvester Stallone, one of many stars who’ve been to parties at the hotel.

The guest rooms are chic, with Lucite tables, clean-lined furniture and marble bathrooms. You can also expect posh fixings, such as cordless phones and Frette linens. Ask for one of the west-facing guest rooms on either of the top two floors, which offer views of the ocean, located two short blocks away.

But the real action is in the Viceroy’s cheeky public areas. In the lobby, white- leather wing chairs, charcoal-colored walls and green silk couches create an atmosphere of edgy elegance. The hotel’s see-and-be-seen restaurant, Whist, is also popular. Its menu showcases California cuisine, with dishes such as spring pea soup topped with crab and roasted snapper served with braised leeks and fava beans.

Most of the crowd hangs out on the patio, where tented cabanas, furnished with sofas, are clustered around two plunge pools. Such privacy comes at a premium: Cabanas start at $250. Instead, book a table at one of Whist’s three outdoor dining cabanas, at no extra charge. In L.A. , you have to be a smart shopper. For more information call 800-622-8711 or visit viceroysantamonica.com.