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The Secret Behind This Legendary Hollywood Hotel's 50-Year Run The Sunset Marquis isn't just a place where entertainment icons stay and play--it's a Hollywood legend in its own right. Here's your all-access pass.

By Jason Ankeny

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

This isn't Hollywood. This is bliss.

An urban oasis nestled on a residential cul-de-sac just steps from Los Angeles' celebrated Sunset Strip, the Sunset Marquis is the stuff dreams are made of. Conceived as the first all-suite hotel in the U.S., it has been a refuge for generations of rock 'n' rollers, actors, comedians, filmmakers, supermodels and moguls, a monument to luxury and casual elegance. Since opening its doors 50 years ago, the Sunset Marquis has grown to include 52 detached, Mediterranean-influenced villas, two bars, two heated outdoor pools and even an underground recording studio, all interconnected by winding brick pathways that guide guests through the property's labyrinth of tropical gardens.

It's a bona fide West Hollywood institution, a sun-kissed sanctuary seemingly immune to the vagaries of time and fashion. George Rosenthal isn't satisfied, however. The founder and chairman of real-estate development and investment company Raleigh Enterprises built the hotel from the ground up, and he fully appreciates the beauty of his creation. He also can't help but obsess over flaws that are all but imperceptible to the naked eye. Near perfect isn't perfect, after all--and for Rosenthal, perfection is the ideal.