Star Gazing at the Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas, West Hollywood

Elite travelers can be picky about spa services, fast Internet access, savory dining options, and acceptable proximity to local attractions and events. However, a recording studio with a screening room is not usually on the must-have list. But if more people discover the Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas in West Hollywood, Calif., it very well may become the next "it" amenity. It does attract a unique upscale crowd.

The Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas is the lair of Hollywood's most elite. Located just off the fabled Sunset Boulevard in a residential enclave, it is a favorite of the most famous of the planet Hollywood. A rock star who can't get any satisfaction checks in to a suite and finds it in abundance here. Supermodels in search of a date can be found in the lounge and around the pools. Guests are more likely to encounter L.A. Lakers than fakers on these hallowed grounds. The first line of copy on the hotel's homepage says it all: "If we were any more Hollywood, our pool would be shallow at both ends. This is more than a hotel. It is a state of mind.

The stylish suites and villas of the 102 guestrooms range from 480 to 3,200 square feet. All suites have living rooms, dining areas, wet bars, and marble and stone baths. Some rooms even have baby grand pianos and elaborate entertainment systems for those inspirational moments. Although luxury accommodations of this level are not found in the economy-class section, there are special value-added enticers to make a stay even more scintillating, such as the Romance Package for two. The two-bedroom villas are priced from $2,000 to $7,000 nightly. Supermodels are not included.

NightBird Recording Studio
How does a prestigious hotel come to having a full-service recording studio under its roof? The genesis of the recoding studio becoming an integral part of the Sunset Marquis hotel hits home on the hotel's exemplary hospitable ways. Two musicians were heard playing live music in their room. The manager of the hotel entered the scene and told the lads to go downstairs, where they found a more accommodating spot underneath the hotel and resumed playing. The restless guests in question were Jeff Beck and Jed Leiber. Jed Leiber, a BAFTA award winner and Grammy-nominated composer, is the owner of the NightBird. He had such a good time on that day in 1993 he decided to stay.

Many members of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame are users of the recording facilities. Mary J. Blinge, Ozzy Osbourne, Madonna, and Aerosmith are just a few of the studio's satisfied customers. The Studio at the Sunset Marquis, which recently underwent a major makeover with the addition of new production rooms and a screening room, is now the NightBird Recording Studio. Seal and Cyndi Lauper laid down tracks in separate sessions to commemorate the studio's first day of business as the NightBird.