Beverly Hills : Consultant for Hotel Project

The City Council hired a historic preservation consultant on Tuesday to oversee work on the Beverly Hills Hotel during its two years of renovation.

The world-famous, 80-year-old hotel on Sunset Boulevard will close at the end of this year for an extensive overhaul. As part of its renovation agreement with the city, the hotel is paying for a consultant chosen by the city to ensure that the historical character of the hotel is preserved.

After reviewing the work of five consultants, city staff recommended that the council hire Architectural Resources Group, a San Francisco firm, at a cost of $32,593. The contract cost, which is to be borne by the hotel, includes a $3,492 fee for the city to oversee the contract.

Built in 1912 before the city was incorporated, the pink hotel has been home to such movie stars as Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor and tycoons Howard Hughes and Norton Simon.

The renovation, approved by the council in August, calls for the number of rentable rooms to be reduced from 261 to 210 so the remaining rooms can be enlarged. Kitchen, laundry and mechanical facilities will be upgraded, and the number of parking spaces will be increased from 429 to 692 spaces to eliminate valet parking on surrounding streets.