Want Extra Pampering? Hotel Salons Offer ‘the Works’ and Then Some

There was a time when visiting a hotel beauty salon for the latest hairstyle would have been considered less than chic.

But more and more top salons and hairdressers are moving from storefronts to large hotels, where they can share such amenities as valet parking, spa facilities, a concierge, even room service. Clients can feel as if they’re on vacation even if it’s only their lunch hour.

“Before, going to a hotel salon was like getting your hair cut in an airport,” says Alex Roldan, owner of a salon in the Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood. “Now, being in a hotel is a bonus for a salon.”

Although some hotel salons still cater mostly to hotel guests, others go out of their way to attract outsiders. Among those offering more than the standard shampoo and blow-dry:

ZEE FOR HAIR AT THE RITZ-CARLTON

Address: 33533 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Dana Point, (714) 240-5010.

Clientele: Hotel guests and local regulars.

Ambience: Comfortable, subdued elegance.

Amenities: “In-room service” for wedding parties.

Prices: Cut and blow-dry for women, $45; for men, $30. Deep-cleaning facial, peel and upper body massage are $70. Manicures with massage, $20.

Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

LA COSTA RESORT AND SPA

Address: Costa del Mar Road, Carlsbad, (619) 438-9111.

Clientele: Caters mostly to resort guests and La Costa area residents.

Ambience: Bright and airy; light color palette inspired by the outdoor gardens. Inviting, comfortable and cordial atmosphere.

Amenities: Day-spa package includes beauty mornings or full-day schedules with body treatments. Makeup lessons available.

Prices: Cuts for women, $40; for men (with blow-dry), $30. Manicure, $16.

Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

ALEX ROLDAN SALON AT THE BEL AGE HOTEL

Address: 1020 San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 855-1113.

Clientele: Celebrity sightings include Leeza Gibbons, Joni Mitchell and Guess model Anna Nicole Smith.

Ambience: The recently expanded space has views of the city and a private outdoor garden. Despite its ritzy image, the salon promises everyone equal treatment. “The whole key is service,” Roldan says. “We have no prima donnas.”

Amenities: Free valet parking, “room service” delivered to the salon and access to the hotel concierge.

Prices: Cuts for women run $50 to $100; for men, $40 to $60. Facials are $70 for 80 minutes. Manicures are $15.

Hours: Friday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Earlier or later appointments can be arranged.

AIDA GREY SALON AT THE BILTMORE

Address: 517 S. Olive St., Los Angeles, (213) 489-1157.

Clientele: Caters to professional women and men downtown. “We’re geared toward women who need to look good but do not have a lot of time,” says Deborah Bennett, vice president of Aida Grey.

Ambience: Airy and bustling, with big windows and brass and marble decor.

Amenities: Free luncheon seminars on such topics as summer skin care and makeup for professional women on the second Thursday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. Others: 45-minute body massages, 30-minute hand treatments and office calls for the time-pressed.

Prices: Women’s haircuts are $50; men’s, $25. Ninety-minute facials are $50. Manicures are $12.50. Parking is $5 with validation.

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

CENTURY PLAZA HOTEL

Address: 2025 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, (310) 552-8294.

Clientele: Mostly longtime local customers.

Ambience: Warm and friendly, not crowded. Helga, who has worked in the salon for 22 years, gives her home phone number to clients “in case they need me.”

Amenities: Twenty-percent discount for those who live or work in the area.

Prices: Women’s haircuts, $50; men’s, $15. One-hour facials are $60. Manicures are $17. Three-hour free validated parking across the street at Bullock’s.

Hours: Daily from 9 a.m. until the last client leaves.

SALON HAIRWAYS AT THE PASADENA HILTON

Address: 150 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, (818) 796-3646.

Clientele: Caters mostly to Pasadena professionals.

Ambience: Owner Marina Bluvband says the salon is comfortable, bright and generally busy.

Amenities: Special emphasis on highlights and color. “Our highlights are very, very natural,” Bluvband says. “Our clients are business people, and when they walk into the office, they don’t want to shock people.”

Prices: Women’s haircuts, $30; men’s, $25. Ninety-minute facials and massages are $45 each. Manicures are $15.

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

WESTWOOD MARQUIS HOTEL AND GARDENS

Address: 920 Hilgard Ave., Westwood, (310) 208-8765.

Clientele: Caters mostly to students in the area.

Ambience: Rather dark, as it’s inside the hotel. Usually uncrowded.

Amenities: Spa services--such as access to exercise equipment, Jacuzzis, facials and massages--for an extra fee. Student discounts and specials on cuts, color and highlights.

Prices: Women’s haircuts, $45 and up; men’s, $35 and up. Manicures are $20. Free validated parking.

Hours: Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until the last client leaves.