The Paramour Estate, Los Angeles
Where Hollywood’s Golden Age Meets Silver Lake’s Creative Spirit
Why DNA Hotels Loves It
● A legendary 1923 Mediterranean Revival estate whose remarkable history spans silent-film royalty, a convent, an artists’ refuge, and one of Los Angeles’ most extraordinary boutique stays.
● Original architecture, lavish gardens, frescoed interiors, and atmospheric suites create an experience that feels more like staying in a private Hollywood mansion than a hotel.
● One of LA’s most iconic creative addresses, where nearly a century of artists, filmmakers, musicians, and designers have left their mark.
A Hollywood Legend Above the City
High in the hills above Silver Lake, overlooking downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood Hills, and the San Gabriel Mountains, The Paramour Estate feels wonderfully detached from the city below. Completed in 1923 for silent-film star Antonio Moreno and petroleum heiress Daisy Canfield, the magnificent Mediterranean Revival mansion quickly became one of Hollywood’s grandest private residences. During the decades that followed, the estate lived many different lives—as a girls’ academy during the Depression, a Franciscan convent, an orphanage, and eventually an artistic sanctuary that attracted musicians, photographers, filmmakers, and designers from across Los Angeles. Today, it remains one of the city’s most fascinating places to stay.
Mediterranean Grandeur with a Hollywood Soul
The architecture is unapologetically theatrical. Terracotta roofs, elegant loggias, grand staircases, carved timber ceilings, wrought-iron balconies, hand-painted frescoes, ornate fireplaces, and richly detailed plasterwork evoke the romance of an Italian villa transported to Southern California. Five acres of gardens unfold around the estate, with fountains, rose gardens, citrus groves, cypress-lined terraces, a wishing well, a greenhouse, and a spectacular 65-foot swimming pool completing the cinematic setting. Yet despite its grandeur, the house never feels over-restored. Weathered stone, softened colors, and beautifully aged surfaces give the estate an authenticity that newer luxury properties simply cannot replicate.
Rooms with Stories to Tell
Accommodation is intentionally intimate. Guests can choose from six individually designed suites within the mansion or one of several private cottages scattered throughout the grounds. Each space feels entirely unique, filled with antiques, layered textiles, collected artwork, bespoke furnishings, and architectural details accumulated over decades rather than curated overnight. Modern comforts—including Matteo linens, Byredo amenities, and Stumptown coffee—sit quietly alongside the estate’s historic character without disrupting its atmosphere. Staying here feels less like booking a hotel room than being invited into an extraordinary private home.
A Creative Landmark
The Paramour has always attracted creative people. Over the years, its dramatic interiors and gardens have appeared in countless films, music videos, fashion campaigns, and editorial shoots, while musicians, artists, and designers have found inspiration within its walls. Under the stewardship of interior designer Dana Hollister, the estate became one of Los Angeles’ most celebrated artistic gathering places, preserving both its architecture and its creative spirit. Today, designer Ken Fulk and developer Clark Lyda continue that philosophy, carefully protecting the property’s remarkable history rather than reinventing it.
A Different Kind of Luxury
Unlike conventional luxury hotels, life at The Paramour moves at its own pace. Breakfast is served in the Butler’s Pantry, housekeeping is discreet, and much of the experience revolves around wandering the gardens, discovering hidden terraces, reading beneath ancient trees, or simply absorbing the extraordinary atmosphere of a house that has witnessed a century of Los Angeles history. The estate asks very little of its guests beyond slowing down and appreciating where they are.
Why It Works
The Paramour Estate is one of the most extraordinary places to stay in Los Angeles because it refuses to become ordinary hospitality. More private residence than hotel, more living piece of Hollywood history than luxury destination, it combines architectural beauty, creative heritage, and genuine atmosphere in a way that feels increasingly rare. Romantic, slightly mysterious, and endlessly inspiring, The Paramour proves that the most memorable hotels are often the ones that have lived many lives before welcoming you through the door.
