 During the 1930s , The Beverly Hills Hotel became increasingly popular with Hollywood film stars . Fred Astaire took a shine to the hotel , and enjoyed reading the Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter by the pool . Cesar Romero and Carole Lombard were pictured together at the hotel in 1937 . In 1938 , the Sand and Pool Club was established at the hotel . It proved extremely popular , with white sand imported from Arizona , which made the pool area look like a beach . The following year , it began hosting fashion shows sponsored by local department stores such as Bullock 's Wilshire . In 1940 , one of the hotel 's long @-@ time patrons , Marlene Dietrich , was instrumental in bringing about a change in policy in the Polo Lounge , which had made it compulsory for women to don skirts which she refused to wear . 
