HELLO, HOTEL, HELLO, SUMMER: The notion that one must check into a hotel to fully enjoy a hotel is a dated one. We know that we don't need to carry a key to a room upstairs to make a reservation for the dining room or pop by the coffee shop for a slice of pie or linger in the lobby for a little interesting people-watching. Sometimes, though, a hotel will host an event outside of its lobby and restaurants, one that can give the feel of being an ensconced guest, one who is included in exclusive fun times. We speak of happenings like pool-close parties, which, yes, are sometimes just for particular groups or guests, but sometimes a come-one-come-all spirit opens the doors. Mr. C Beverly Hills will go that route again, as the hotel did last summer, with its swanky Poolside Cinema series. The multi-night film fun opens on Tuesday, June 9 with "The Italian Job." Will there be a photo booth situation, complete with a retro Mini Cooper, for guests to take a snapshot? You bet. Will there be loungers available, on a first-come, first-served (or first-lounged?) basis? There shall be. Will there be a menu to order from, full of gourmet tidbits and beverages? Oh yes. And that menu includes...
BABY SPINACH SALAD... with Chiodini mushrooms, bacon, and ricotta as well as Caprese-style popcorn and Peroni Nastro Azzuro on tap. If you have a hunch that the comestibles are themed to the film, you'd be correct. If you're thinking this is not the normal fare you might find in a movie theater, you're right again. If you want to let your brain reel a little, in terms of what might be served with future films set to screen at Mr. C's Poolside Cinema this summer, let the reeling begin: "The Devil Wears Prada," "Casablanca," "Catch Me If You Can," "Pretty Woman," and "Midnight in Paris" are all ahead. There are two flicks for each summer month, if you're keeping track. How nice would be it to hotel-it-up, in Beverly Hills, over a half-dozen summer nights, with a pool and a movie screen and fab foods at your side? And you didn't even register as a guest? It turns out we can play at being a hotel guest, now and then, if we keep an eye out for those happenings beyond a hotel's lobby and restaurant.
