It's easy to indulge your inner narcissist at SLS Hotel

— -- What's new:The SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills

Claim to fame:The hotel, which technically is in Los Angeles, is the brainchild of L.A. nightclub impresario Sam Nazarian, creator of buzzy, velvet-rope establishments including Hyde Lounge and Area. (Stay at his hotel, and he'll put you on the list to get into his clubs and have you ferried over in a custom-made JetVan.) He gets an assist from French designer Philippe Starck, known for his edgy hotel interiors, and Spanish-born José Andrés, the Washington-based chef and host of PBS' Made in Spain.

Vital stats:The 297-room hotel opened in November with management by Starwood and includes 61 suites and 32 allergen-resistant rooms. The 5,000-square-foot Ciel Spa with six treatment rooms opens in January. There are two rooftop pools: one for swimming and a shallower one for lounging in. The sprawling 417-seat restaurant, The Bazaar by José Andrés, encompasses a tapas restaurant, bar area and patisserie, plus a retail shop by MOSS, displaying intriguing stuff you probably don't need like that $300 metal mesh oyster glove. Another restaurant, Tres, is in the guests-only hotel lobby.

The scene:Surreal meets sophisticated. The hotel aims to turn heads, and it certainly does. A giant mosaic glass teapot (think disco ball) makes a bizarre manifestation outside The Bazaar. The outdoor lounge fronting the hotel lobby sports antler lamps, a zebu and rams horn sofa inset with ostrich and alligator skins, and lots of other eclectica. The reception desk is just beyond the life-size plastic horse wearing a lampshade. Floor lamps are shaped like chrome assault rifles. In the guest lobby, comfy enclaves are defined by separate gas fireplaces, each with a clear resin crystalline deer head mounted above.

Bedding down:The quirky exuberance of the public areas is toned down in the guestrooms; calming shades of white, cognac and mink predominate. A stylish Barcelona-style daybed fronts a clean-lined desk. Beds sport the obligatory 300-count French linens, plus faux mink throws. The bathroom in the standard room is roomy and attractive; a mirrored wall dividing it from the bedroom slides open to create a view between the two. The soaking tub with rain shower is luxurious — once you figure out how it works.