Fairmont Century Plaza: a touch of Hollywood glamour

The grande dame of Century City looks better than ever following a multibillion-dollar redevelopment

The facade at the Fairmont Century Plaza in LA
(Image credit: ©Brandon Barre/Fairmont)

Elizabeth Taylor starring as Cleopatra in the 1963 epic is one of Hollywood history’s defining moments. And yet, thanks to costly production issues, the blockbuster almost brought the curtain down on 20th Century Fox. The studio had been reeling from a series of expensive flops, and it agreed to sell its backlot to developers. In its place rose the Century City neighbourhood of Los Angeles.

US architect Minoru Yamasaki, who would go on to design the original World Trade Center in New York City, created its focal point, the Century Plaza Hotel. But if you want to keep making it in this town, you’ve got to stay fresh. In September of last year, under its new owner, the Fairmont hotel brand, the Century Plaza did just that by reopening as the centre point of a $2.5bn redevelopment.

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.