When Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan or George Bush visited Los Angeles, they often stayed at the Century Plaza Hotel, in Century City - just a short drive from Beverly Hills. It was even nicknamed "The Western White House" during the Reagan era. As a result, it wasn't unusual to see demonstrators filling the posh Avenue of the Stars, hoping to get the President's attention - or at least make the six o'clock news. In June of 1967, over 10,000 protesters filled the streets outside the hotel, marking President Johnson's attendance at a fund-raiser. President Bill Clinton usually prefers to stay at the homes of his Hollywood friends, but he's stayed here several times too, and he delivered the keynote address to the National Education Association at the Century Plaza, with Elton John and Rod Stewart entertaining on stage.

The Century Plaza is a grand hotel, its nineteen stories forming a sweeping crescent fronting the spectacular fountains on Avenue of the Stars. Outside, the hotel doors are manned by men in bright red Beefeater jackets (somewhat resembling members of the Vatican Swiss Guard).

The hotel was built in 1964, on what was formerly the backlot/movie ranch of 20th Century Fox Studios (which still maintains its studio nearby, albeit in a smaller space).

And as host of various social affairs and award dinners throughout the year, the hotel recently saw such celebrity guests as Meg Ryan, Sharon Stone, Tom Hanks, Magic Johnson, Burt Reynolds, Jane Seymour, Robert Stack, Dennis Franz, Tommy Lasorda, Barbara Eden, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Other celebs who have passed through the Century Plaza's doors include Cary Grant, Bob Hope, Irene Dunne, Debbie Reynolds, Jack Benny and the Supremes.

In 1969, Nixon hosted the Apollo 11 Astronauts, at a party here celebrating Man's first landing on the moon. In the 70's, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. of the Fifth Dimension, were married and took off in a hot-air balloon from the Century Plaza Hotel parking lot ("Up, Up, and Away"). In 1980, the Victory Party in honor of newly-elected President Ronald Reagan was held in the Los Angeles Ballroom (as was his re-election party in 1984). In 1995, former Columbia Studios president David Begelman (*) committed suicide in a room at the Plaza.

In 1984, the hotel opened the new, 30-story tower on the hotel's south side has added 322 additional posh guest rooms, for a total of over 1,046 rooms. Reagan was their first guest at the hotel's new addition, but the 8,000 square foot Plaza Suite (the largest suite in Southern California) also played host to the Presidents of China, Korea, Algeria, Sweden, Hungary, Ecuador and Cameroon. In 1999, the suite was formally renamed the "Ronald Reagan Penthouse," complete with photos of the former President. The rate? $5,000 a day.

With its 1,046 rooms, the Century Plaza is one of the largest hotels in Southern California, ideally situated between Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.

Feel free to go inside and look around. You'll find that several of the hotel's lower floors are open to the public, including the elegant lobby and the hotel's ground-level shops. The Century Plaza also offers major restaurants; most notable is La Chaumiere, an expensive California-French restaurant favored by the President and his Secret Service men (it's located on an upper floor, and its lone entrance is easily guarded).

Update: In late 2000, the property was sold and divided into two parts. The horseshoe-shaped main hotel will remain under the management of Westin as the Century Plaza. However, the newer tower will get a new owner, and will be renamed renamed the St. Regis Los Angeles. The tower will add a new lobby, and a new restaurant named Encore.

The hotel is located directly across the street from the ABC Entertainment Center and the Shubert Theatre (where Broadway shows such as "Evita" and "Sunset Boulevard" have made their debuts). An underpass leads beneath Avenue of the Stars, to connect the hotel's front courtyard with the shops, theatres and restaurants of the ABC Entertainment Center.

A short walk to the northwest will take you to the Century City Shopping Center, an upscale mall with a celebrity following of its own. And just a few blocks to the south is the historic movie studio of 20th Century Fox.

 Getting there: From Rodeo Drive, turn southwest on Santa Monica Boulevard, and go about one mile to Avenue of the stars. Turn left (south) on Avenue of the stars, and go one long block, to just past Constellation Boulevard. The hotel will be on your right (west) side, near the towering fountains.