Long before Downtown resurged and boomed once more with contemporary lofts and trendy new hotels popping up everywhere, The Millennium Biltmore made its reputation as one of L.A.’s classiest hotel experiences. Wandering into the lobby is like happening upon a palace or museum, as mile-high ceilings are ornately gilded with images of cherubs. At least it’s palatial enough for Hollywood royalty: Eight of the first Academy Awards ceremonies in the 1930s and ’40s went down at the Biltmore Bowl, the hotel’s opulent ballroom. Whether you belly up to the Gallery Bar and Cognac Room or take high Victorian tea in the Rendezvous Court, you’ll feel transported to another era. But modern in-room amenities like MP3 hook-ups plus the innovative Sai Sai restaurant (serving dishes such as a bulgogi ciabatta sandwich with New York strip steak and yam and lotus chips, or a grilled watermelon and snow crab salad) shepherd you back to present day.

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles Amenities:

• 683 rooms. Wireless Internet access. Restaurant, bar. Fitness center. Pool. Business center.