Chateau Marmont to Become Private Members Club
As if Chateau Marmont wasn’t exclusive enough already.
Owner André Balazs has revealed that he’s transforming the iconic hotel into a private members club by the end of the year.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the plan Balazs had been considering for about three years, he told the Wall Street Journal. The hotel received a decrease in clients as travel tourism plummeted and safety concerns increased, and the hotelier believes that the new strategy would generate a form of comfort to guests as the main reason for speeding up its rollout.
Guests who know fellow guests and where they have been during the pandemic era are likely to have a higher level of psychological comfort when staying at the hotel, he said.
“There is something to be said for knowing people,” Balazs told Wall Street Journal. “You can chat with them; you know where they have been.”
The 63-room property has long been known for its popularity among Hollywood celebrities and has been used for photoshoots, interviews and award show celebrations. The hotel can also be seen in numerous films, some of the most recent being “La La Land” and the 2018 version of “A Star Is Born.”
References to the hotel are featured in many successful songs, as well. Lana Del Rey mentions the Chateau Marmont in “Born To Die” and notably has the property’s name tattooed on her wrist.
Balazs also owns the Mercer in New York City as well as the Chiltern Firehouse hotel in London. He started the Standard chain of hotels.
He said that he is looking into other private club opportunities in Milan, Paris, Tokyo, the south of France or a private island in Greece. If response proves to be a financial boom, Balazs will consider converting other hotels in his portfolio into private establishments.
Other members-only clubs in Los Angeles include the San Vicente Bungalows and two outposts of Soho House in West Hollywood and downtown.
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