Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
princess

Chateau Marmont

Recommended Posts

L.A.'s Infamous Chateau Marmont to Become Members-Only Hotel: All About the Celeb-Favorite Haunt

By Benjamin VanHoose
July 29, 2020 01:21 PM
People.com
 
Chateau Marmont
Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images

One iconic Los Angeles institution is about to reimagine its business model.

In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, hotelier André Balazs, 63, said he is preparing to convert the Chateau Marmont into an exclusive, members-only property in a move that would break away from its traditional hotel structure.

Balazs explained that, while he's been mulling over the new concept, the strain on the hospitality industry brought on by the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic made him expedite the process. Under the new framework, guests could buy ownership stakes at the property when becoming members.

“There is something to be said for knowing people. You can chat with them; you know where they have been,” Balazs told the outlet of the intended appeal of membership, offering peace of mind to those weary of shacking up near strangers in an outbreak.

The operator said he plans to transition Chateau Marmont into the private hotel format by the end of the year, according to WSJ. The 63-room French-inspired castle, which has seen numerous infamous events over the years, is tucked into the edge of the Hollywood Hills and has been in businesses since 1929.

“We have always screened our guests,” Balazs said of the exclusivity of its patrons. “Guests are never more than one degree of separation away.”

A spokesperson for Chateau Marmont told the Los Angeles Times that members will pay fees that will get them a private dining area, a personal butler and the ability to come and go during lengthy stays.

“Members will be able to sell their shares back to the management company or other approved members, as they would with any other real estate investment,” said the spokesperson.

The Chateau Marmont has an at times sordid history with ties to a range of celebrities — from Lindsay Lohan’s well-documented eviction from Suite 33 for running up a $46,350.04 bill in 2012, to John Belushi’s death in Bungalow 3 in 1982.

Further back in Hollywood history, Jean Harlow is rumored to have had an affair with Clark Gable at the hotel in 1933 while on her honeymoon with her third husband. James Dean won his role in Rebel Without a Cause, in part, by jumping through the roof of Bungalow 2. Led Zeppelin’s drummer road his motorcycle through the lobby, as well.

As former Columbia Pictures head Harry Cohn once said: "If you are going to get into trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont."

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, princess said:
“We have always screened our guests,” Balazs said of the exclusivity of its patrons. “Guests are never more than one degree of separation away.”

Explain Lindsay Lohan.....

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Haha 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I use to stay at this hotel a lot when I was in Hollywood in the 90s and 00s.  Going to Viper Room, Whiskey Go Go, Troubadour and other clubs and then crawling back to this hotel for some late night snacks, drinks and people watching.  This is where I motor boated Keanu Reeves.  Shared a conversation with Alicia Silverstone over a bathroom stall door.  Chatted with Sara Gilbert's girlfriend (wife?) about periods.  Sean Bean bummed cigarettes off me one night.  Olivier Martinez told me his dog only follows commands in French.

Great memories and lots of fun times.  And the location was perfect, the staff service was excellent (even for a non-celeb like me) and the food/atmosphere was top notch.  So bummed if they make this members only, even if it's been years since I've stayed there. :(

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Sell to approved members sounds like a NYC co-op (I have never heard of other areas who do coops the way New York does - it's super weird and I don't understand fully, but have a good friend who has tried explaining to me over the years ;-)

And a bit of a country club ;-) I can't imagine that is a profitable model over the long run, but perhaps because it's such a small hotel (only 63 rooms) they can't be profitable enough as a regular hotel either these days?

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Chateau-Marmont.jpg

 

Another production pulls out of shooting at Chateau Marmont

https://pagesix.com/2021/08/25/the-offer-pulls-out-of-chateau-marmont-shoot-amid-boycott/

 

Another production has pulled out of filming at Chateau Marmont amid an ongoing high-profile boycott of the iconic hotel.

Paramount Plus series “The Offer” — starring Miles Teller, Matthew Goode, Justin Chambers, and Colin Hanks and based on the making of “The Godfather” — was scheduled to film at the hotel, sources say, but changed locations when they learned of the ongoing dispute between the hotel and former staff.

Nearly 250 of the hotel’s employees were let go at the beginning of the pandemic without insurance or severance. They are being helped by LA hospitality union Unite Here Local 11.

(Hotel owner Andre Balazs has previously said that in May the hotel “gave more than $250,000” to employees.)

“We applaud Paramount Plus’s decision to honor the boycott of the Chateau Marmont. We thank all the Hollywood unions — SAG AFTRA, IATSE, Teamsters, WGA and DGA — for supporting these courageous workers who have spoken out for dignity and respect,” Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, said in a statement.

The hotel’s workers have been vocal, staging picket lines and calling for a boycott that has caught the attention of celebs including Jane Fonda, Martin Sheen, Tom Morello, Edie Falco, Amanda Seyfried, Daveed Diggs and Sarah Silverman. 

A spokesman for the hotel tells us that if “this production turns out to have been moved as a result of Unite Here Local 11’s interference, it would be yet another example of the union’s harassment of a non-union hotel and damaging the livelihood of hospitality workers who currently enjoy employment at the Chateau with wages and benefits greater than prevailing union standards.”

In April, Aaron Sorkin’s “Being the Ricardos” — starring Kidman as Lucille Ball — pulled out of a scheduled shoot at the hotel just hours before filming after the crew had a conversation with the union representing the hotel workers, Page Six previously reported.

“The Offer,” will be a ten-episode limited series based on the making of the classic film.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The Chateau Marmont Has Been Home to These Famous Guests

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/chateau-marmont-famous-guests?utm_social-type=owned&mbid=social_facebook&utm_brand=ad&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2G-qkHv4F6ommqYDN7v0QVHeFC5m58IhKjgHvvhAsTTlEAF_ypV9bDvvs

 

Balazs announced plans to convert it into a private members–only hotel in 2020, but that plan was abandoned in 2022, the same year the hotel staff were able to unionize.

:mellow:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×