The Hollywood Reporter – 28.02.2018

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 105 FEBRUARY 28, 2018

Etiquette

of Leaving

Early

O

riginal song nomi-

nee Diane Warren

admits she skips

out of events ahead of

time to avoid valet

gridlock: “I always leave

early, so it’s efficient

for me.” It’s often hard,

though, to know when

is the appropriate time

to leave without being

rude. “Charity events

are important — if

you’ve paid to be there

or are a guest of some-

one who has purchased

a table, you stay until

the end,” says Event

Eleven party producer

Tony Schubert. At lun-

cheons like the BAFTA

Tea at the Four Seasons

L.A., he urges staying

until it’s over: “There’s

no sneaking out in

the daylight.” As a rule,

Schubert notes, “The

smaller the event, the

longer you stay.” If you

do sneak out early, make

sure to have a good

excuse. Screenwriter

Kay Cannon, who tries

to leave events by

10 p.m., makes clear, “I

have a daughter and I

have to work in the morn-

ing,” while Terry Crews

says, “I work out at

4 a.m., so I’m always the

first one to leave.” — R.S.

SERVICE The gatekeepers who
check reservations are guest rela-
tions manager Anya Varda, always
camped out front with a clipboard,
and the valet captain. One of THR’s
drivers, arriving in a 2000 Honda
Accord with the duct-taped mir-
ror, was told “we can’t do anything
without a reservation,” while a
driver of a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia
Quadrifoglio was advised to
call in 30 minutes to “see if there’s
an opening.”
WAIT TIME ON ARRIVAL THR’s c a rs
were parked immediately with a
dinner reservation, and required
only a three-minute wait for
an event.
WAIT TIME AT DEPARTURE Up to five
minutes when exiting an event.
ANYTHING CHANGED IN THE CAR? No.
PARKING TIPS Though spots are
scarce, drive around back to look
for street parking on Monteel
Road or nearby Selma Avenue.
COST $12 for the first three hours
with validation; after that, it’s
$24 up to six hours; $42 for more
than six hours or overnight.
BOTTOM LINE Have a reservation —
and expect an attitude.

FOUR SEASONS L.A.

AT B E V E R LY H I L L S

This Hollywood outpost is the
setting for daytime events like
BAFTA’s tea party and HBO’s
annual gifting suite. It’s also a
place for Oscar screenings in
its theater.
SERVICE A friendly attendant
may offer you bottled water.
WAIT TIME ON ARRIVAL None.
WAIT TIME AT DEPARTURE Five minutes

on average, though longer wait

times follow events as lines form

at the checkout window.

ANYTHING CHANGED IN THE CAR?

Radio was turned off, seat was

pushed back and in one case

with a luxury convertible, the

roof was pulled up,

plus the tempera-

ture was changed

from 76 to 68.

PARKING TIPS You m ay

be able to find street

parking on Doheny, but most times

it’s a bust. The lesser-known option

is free on-site self-parking (enter

from the back on Wetherly Drive),

though typically it fills up at night

and during events. Drive with

caution when departing as auto-

graph seekers crowd the exit.

COST $10 flat rate with validation.

BOTTOM LINE Street or self-parking

is preferable when available.

SUNSET TOWER

The Sunset Strip mainstay

is known for hosting a slew of

awards-season events, from

Showtime and Paramount par-

ties to fashionable fetes thrown

by Harper’s Bazaar and Esquire.

SERVICE Based on how busy the

hotel is, you may be turned away

if you don’t have a reservation

at the Tower Bar restaurant.

When a THR driver showed up

in an Alfa Romeo, the atten-

tive valet captain liked the car

so much, he parked it for free

for 30 minutes while generously

mentioning a “15-minute grace

period.”

WAIT TIME ON ARRIVAL Tw o m i n ut e s.

WAIT TIME AT DEPARTURE Three to

six minutes; up to 25 minutes when

the hotel is hosting an event.

ANYTHING CHANGED IN THE CAR?

Seat moved back.

PARKING TIPS There’s sometimes

a spot somewhere on Sunset, but

given the high metered park-

ing rates and restrictions, street

parking generally is not worth it.

COST $12 for the first three

hours with validation; $2 every

additional hour; $45 maximum.

BOTTOM LINE Opt to be dropped

off a block away when there’s an

event, as the tiny driveway can

accommodate only so many cars

and the traffic typically backs

up onto Sunset.

WALD O R F ASTO R IA

BEVERLY HILLS

New to the lineup, the Waldorf

already has made its mark with

Netflix’s and NBC’s Globe after-

parties and Women In Film’s

rooftop soiree, plus THR’s ow n

Emmy Nominees Night at Jean-

Georges restaurant in 2017.

SERVICE Water and heaters at the

valet stand; if you prefer to wait

inside, attendants will alert you

when car is ready. Overall service

is doting — don’t be surprised

if attendants pull your seatbelt for

you to strap in when departing.

WAIT TIME ON ARRIVAL Two minutes,

though much longer for events

when traffic backs up on Wilshire.

WAIT TIME AT DEPARTURE Six to

10 minutes and up to a full hour

when bigger events end. There’s

also an option to retrieve your car

by text, though the system is

sometimes down.

ANYTHING CHANGED IN THE CAR?

Your car lights may be manually

turned off.

PARKING TIPS Use the cheaper

self-parking option at the adjoin-

ing Beverly Hilton and walk over.

And for larger events, it may

be worth it to street park on Little

Santa Monica, across from the

Peninsula Hotel, and walk to the

side entrance.

COST $15 for four hours and

$2 for each additional 20 minutes

with validation; $50 max.

BOTTOM LINE For big events, street

park or self-park at the Hilton.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JEAN BENTLEY,

ALEX CRAMER, JON ALAIN GUZIK, AZIZA KASUMOV,

MARC MALKIN, ROXY MANNING AND ANI MOSINYAN

1 The Beverly Hilton,

where self-parking

is the preferred option.

2 Sunset Tower Hotel

has one of the smallest

valet entry areas in

town. 3 At the Chateau

Marmont, hotel or

restaurant reservations

are required for entry.

1

3

Ty l e r

2