and then maybe some public aspect to the rooms as well.' 'There will always be a public component' to Chateau Marmont, Balazs told AFP, including 'probably the restaurant.

Those reports triggered a backlash in Los Angeles among stargazers fearful they will no longer be able to dine across from their favorite celebrities. The concept of members-only institutions offering accommodation is well established in cities like London, but newer to Los Angeles, where Soho House launched its buzzy West Hollywood outpost just a decade ago.Īt Chateau Marmont, shielded-off private quarters will serve an 'essentially nomadic' wealthy and creative elite tired of traditional luxury hotels, Balazs said.īut Balazs insists media reports that 'the Chateau' is set to ape 'exclusionary clubs' like White's in London, are wide of the mark. 'In this time, it allows you to be safer, and curate a more interesting crowd.'

'Common sense, and even a modicum of understanding of health, requires that you surround yourself with less people,' he said. No details are yet available on the costs of membership.īut Balazs had been mulling the transition for years, with that process now accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. you can only deliver that kind of service - and have people on deck - if they're almost hand-selected,' said Andre Balazs, the Boston-born hotelier who once dated Uma Thurman. Later this year, it will become a member-owned hotel, offering dedicated domestic staff, private dining and long-term personal belongings storage to an invitation-only, financial-stake-owning inner sanctum. The hotel is so synonymous with Hollywood glamour that it has its own film credits, appearing in movies from 2018's 'A Star is Born' remake to the musical 'La La Land' and Sofia Coppola's 'Somewhere.'īut the storied institution that prides itself on being highly selective about who it admits - and then keeping their secrets closely guarded - is about to get a whole lot more private and discerning, its owner told AFP. More recently, the imposing Gothic hotel perched above the famous Sunset Strip has become a hub for swanky showbiz parties, from Leonardo DiCaprio's 21st birthday bash to Beyonce and Jay-Z's secret Oscars after-parties. For nearly a century Chateau Marmont has been an adopted home and playground for Hollywood's elite, discreetly hosting sophisticated Golden Age icons and raucous Brat Pack celebrities.Įtched into Tinseltown folklore, it is where James Dean crashed director Nicholas Ray's bungalow to bag the lead in 'Rebel Without a Cause,' Jean Harlow and Clark Gable allegedly conducted a torrid affair, and comedy legend John Belushi died of a tragic drug overdose.

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