The best spa hotels in Los Angeles, including indulgent A-lister treatments and relaxing rooftop pools

The Ciel Spa, decked out in calming pure white, is a haven for the starlets of Los Angeles who check into the sleekly minimalist rooms and take a dip in the ultra-modern rooftop pool – often voted one of the best in LA and boasts views over the city – before getting pampered. Originally designed by the renowned French designer Philippe Starck, the public areas feature his quirkily modern aesthetic and are full of eclectic touches, such as the life-sized pig sculpture in the lobby bearing a tray of apples on its head.

The elegance is effortless at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, though the design is carefully crafted with geometric forms and plenty of glossy cherry wood, 22-carat gold leaf, Italian marble and sparkly Lalique crystal for an upscale approach. The sunny and posh roof deck – with restaurant, al fresco bar, a saltwater pool and large hot tub tucked away in the back – is surrounded by sweeping, 360-degree LA views, contrasted with the dimly lit La Prairie Spa. Guests can dine at upscale Jean-Georges Beverly Hills (indoor and outdoor seating), al fresco The Rooftop by JG or poolside; having a celebrity chef curate a pool menu is unheard of, yet a reality here.

Oh, if the palm-printed walls of The Beverly Hills Hotel could talk. It’s old, classic Hollywood through and through, and feels loved and lived in. So many parts of the property have become recognisable, from 1970s post-Academy Awards photoshoots to today’s Instagram feeds, such as the bubblegum pink plaster walls framed with huge Mexican palms. The services by the pool are excellent – ice-cold water, umbrellas aplenty, sun tan lotion, sunglasses cleaning and free snacks such as mini soft-serve ice-creams and mojito lollies – and for real indulgence escape to the spa for massages, facials and more.

This luxury-drenched property is a Tinseltown favourite. The hotel errs on the side of ‘urban retreat’, with its resort-style facilities: the outdoor pool deck includes a salt-water pool, al fresco restaurant, cabanas, hot tub and fully equipped outdoor gym. It’s attached to an intimate, indoor spa with eight treatments rooms and separate men/women’s area with respective steam room and sauna. The energy-healing BioMeditation treatment is unique and often booked solid weeks in advance – it’s the best bet if you want an ‘oh-so LA’ experience. Some Beverly Hills hotels can be very grandiose, but the Four Seasons comes off as effortless.

This white and grey shingled hotel, which faces the ocean, is a favourite of locals, tourists and even a few Hollywood celebrities. The ONE Spa is the only spot in Santa Monica offering treatments from Kerstin Florian and Omorovicza, and there’s also a fitness room, an outdoor pool deck with private cabanas and chaise lounges, and private yoga classes and surfing lessons held on the beach. Artworks by major contemporary players such as David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein are installed throughout the hotel’s public areas, including the lobby, with its polished wooden floors, comfortable sofas and elegant rugs.

Montage is upscale, refined and timeless, with a prominent chef, unparalleled spa and secret areas for A-listers and royalty. The ornate, bi-level spa (one of the largest in LA) with mosaic tiles and columns offers a therapy pool with 60 essential minerals under a skylight. This is in addition to yet another mineral pool (as well as steam room and sauna) in separate men/women’s spa areas. The hotel is designed to emulate a Spanish Colonial-Revival estate, with a touch of modern Californian sophistication and Old Hollywood glam. All 201 rooms and suites have a private patio or balcony, marble bathtubs with separate glass-walled shower, and pillows monogrammed with your initials.

Among the highlights at this landmark hotel on Sunset Boulevard is a sensational Joanna Vargas spa. Joanna, who moves between here and New York, is aesthetician to the stars, often here for the Emmys and Oscars to get her clients red carpet-ready; her results-driven Triple Crown Facial is popular. The 81 rooms, with floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, were all renovated by interior designer Paul Fortune when Jeff Klein took over the hotel more than a decade ago, and the style throughout respects the hotel’s heritage but has added a touch of glitz and glamour. The Tower Restaurant is still a haunt of celebrities.

Essentially you’re staying in the epicentre of conspicuous consumption at this Four Seasons: roll down Rodeo Drive, past all of its none-more-exclusive boutiques, and it opens up onto the impossibly affluent Wilshire Boulevard. The lobby really sets out the hotel’s luxurious stall, with its shining marble floors, grand staircases and ‘destination flower displays’. Their flagship amenity is The Spa, which offers an endlessly indulgent menu, customisable and replete with niche therapies. Poolside staff deliver shot glasses of wheat grass and refreshing mineral water body spritz to the lounging guests. Despite the Hollywood cachet and sophistication of the public spaces, the entry-level rooms are an exercise in quiet understatement.