Hotel at a Glance: Airtel Plaza Hotel & Conference Center

If there’s such a thing as a celebrity airport, Van Nuys is it. The literal launchpad of everyone from Bob Hope to Howard Hughes to modern-day musicians and movie stars, it’s also the site of luxury hotel Airtel Plaza Hotel. While kicking back beneath a 25-foot model of a 747, guests watch private jets land and take off from the runway just a few hundred yards away—and some can even see it from their bedrooms.

• The stay: All rooms feature views of the pool, courtyard, runway, or city, along with goose down pillows and flat-screen TVs. For an extra special experience, the Outdoor Terrace Spa Room sprawls over 755 square feet, plus a private balcony with a jetted hot tub.
• Dining and drinks: Executive chef Desi Szonntagh presides over European fusion cuisine at Landings Restaurant, and the Clipper Club is stocked with fine wines, whiskeys, and other top shelf beverages. This offer comes with $10/stay dining/drink credit.
• The cameos: Van Nuys opened in 1928, and quickly began showing up on screen—in the final scene of Casablanca and, more recently, in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California: Northern LA Neighborhood Famous for Cruising Culture

Situated about 18 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley, the neighborhood of Van Nuys was once the center of LA’s cruising culture. In the ’60s and ’70s, Van Nuys Boulevard was regularly filled with the sounds of revving engines and Led Zeppelin as teenagers in hot rods rolled up and down the 3-mile stretch of road. It was a ritual that eventually came to represent the Southern California lifestyle. You can still experience it on the second Wednesday of each month, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Just a 1.5 miles south of the hotel, the 2,000-acre Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area encompasses hiking and biking trails, three 18-hole golf courses, and a wildlife preserve. There’s also a Japanese garden outfitted with traditional buildings, bridges, and lanterns.

To the south lies Universal Studios Hollywood, which provides a premier Hollywood experience. Check out the thrill rides, shows, studio tours, and CityWalk, a three-block entertainment zone filled with restaurants, shops, and nightclubs. About eight miles from the hotel lies Studio City, a residential neighborhood with plenty boutiques and restaurants lining the main strip.

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