WHAT: W Hollywood Hotel & Residences is scheduled to open in December 2009 bringing the extraordinary W lifestyle combined with contemporary modern design to Hollywood with 143 delightfully appointed residences and 305 signature hotel rooms. With the distinction of being the first branded residences in Los Angeles providing hotel, retail and luxury for-sale residences, the $350 million landmark development will offer a world-class lifestyle opportunity.
WHERE: Hollywood, CA at the corner of Hollywood & Vine
SUSTAINABLE: Largest sustainable hospitality mixed-use development in Southern California. Property is registered with the U.S Green Building Council for LEED certification.
AMENITIES: Delphine, a French Brasserie by the renowned Innovative Dining Group (Sushi Roku, Katana, and BOA Steakhouse); Drai’s Hollywood, a 20,000-square foot nightclub by nightclub impresario Victor Drai; SHOW; a 3,500-square foot outdoor lounge with a monumental movie screen; VIP access to treatments at Bliss Spa and Sweat Fitness as well as W’s signature Whatever/Whenever services.
PRICES: From $800,000 to $9 million+
OPENING: Both the residences and the hotel will open on December 3, 2009.
Here’s more info:
Hollywood, CA – June 25, 2009 -– Gatehouse Capital and HEI Hotels & Resorts, co-owners of the W Hollywood Hotel & Residences, announced today at events in Hong Kong and Hollywood, the much-anticipated agreement with nightclub impresario Victor Drai to open a multi-level signature nightlife venue, Drai’s Hollywood. Scheduled to open in December 2009 within W Hollywood Hotel & Residences at the iconic corner of Hollywood & Vine, Drai’s Hollywood will span more than 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. Destined to redefine the Hollywood nightlife scene, Drai’s Hollywood will encompass an exclusive, highly-designed ground-floor lounge, a rooftop nightclub boasting panoramic views of Hollywood, and a stylized open-air rooftop pool bar.
“Victor Drai and his partners Cy and Jesse Waits have set the bar as high as possible in Las Vegas for world renowned nightlife, and will now make their mark in Los Angeles with our agreement to open a signature Drai venue at W Hollywood,” said Marty Collins, president and CEO of Gatehouse Capital, developer of W Hollywood Hotel & Residences. “Sophisticated nightlife is an integral component to the W lifestyle, and the Drai team is certain to provide the ultimate, refined nightclub experience that both they and the W brand are noted for.”
“It will be great to be back in Los Angeles. Hollywood is drawing me back with the same energy that drew me to Las Vegas 10 years ago,” said Victor Drai, whose first restaurant in West Hollywood, Drai’s, served as the flashpoint of Los Angeles tastemakers from 1993 to 1997 before he transported that energy and focus to the fabled Vegas Strip. “Now, with the success of our Las Vegas venues, I am ready to return to Los Angeles with Cy and Jesse on the grandest scale possible at the W Hollywood and create the ultimate nightlife destination.”
“Lifestyle is a key differentiator at W Hollywood and is the integral focus of our development strategy,” said Clark Hanrattie, Chief Investment Officer for HEI Hotels & Resorts, development partner for W Hollywood. “For the future owners of the W branded residences and the W Hotel guests, it is the ‘Whatever/Whenever’ service commitment of the W brand that will shape expectations. By providing the best in modern design, sustainability, VIP access and hospitality on a daily basis, the W Hollywood will raise the bar on lifestyle experience and elevate the residential landscape in Los Angeles to a new level of sophistication.”
Victor Drai and his managing partners, twin brothers Cy and Jesse Waits, are currently finalizing design and construction for the expansive venue. In addition to managing the Drai organization’s Las Vegas venues, the Waits brothers will lead the management team at the W Hollywood venue. Universally recognized for their innovative work in the hospitality industry and their long-standing partnership with Victor Drai, the brothers will play an integral role in working with Drai and the design team to theme, develop and operate the new venue.
The multi-level nightlife venue at W Hollywood Hotel & Residences will compliment a 6,000-square-foot restaurant by Innovative Dining Group (IDG), which fronts Hollywood Boulevard. The highly anticipated new French brasserie concept, Delphine, from IDG, will evoke the atmosphere of the South of France, blending vibrant colors, classic archways, and an open-air feel, inspired by the Côte d’Azur.
W Hollywood Hotel & Residences is located at 6250 Hollywood Blvd., on a full city block of Hollywood Boulevard from Vine to Argyle. Featuring 143 W Residences, floor plan options include studios, one bedroom, one bedroom and den, two bedroom, and three bedroom penthouses. Most residences feature one or two private terraces, offering breathtaking views of the Hollywood Hills, the Hollywood Boulevard streetscape, and the landmarks of the Hollywood Entertainment District, including the Pantages Theater, Capitol Records building and the internationally recognized Hollywood hillside sign.
The sustainable design of W Hollywood Residences will offer residents efficient, eco-conscious living with no sacrifice to luxury. The property is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and will be constructed in accordance with the organization’s green and sustainable design principles. Emphasis on energy efficiency, green construction materials and techniques, and water conservation make sustainability a core component to W Hollywood’s superior modern design.
W Hollywood Residences luxury interior finishes include: Kuppersbusch® appliances (energy efficient, sustainable operations – oven, range, dishwasher); Subzero® wine cooler; Varenna® kitchen cabinets and Closet systems by Poliform®; Caesarstone® countertops; Kohler® bathtubs, sinks and double vanities; Duravit® ceramic commodes; Dornbracht® bathroom fixtures; and Brazilian Limestone on bathroom flooring and surrounds.
W Hollywood Residence owners will have privileged insider access to all facilities and amenities at W Hollywood and will receive a complete suite of complimentary W lifestyle benefits and services, including exclusive access to private in-home catering, botanicals services, daily maid service, 24/7 room service, and more. Residence owners will also enjoy preferred dining reservations and seating at the hotel’s signature restaurant, nightclub, and lounges; Welcome Ambassador and security; two WET® pools, including private W Residences pool; Bliss Spa, WHEELS (valet), SWEAT® state-of-the-art fitness facility; and W’s signature Whatever/Whenever® concierge service, providing guests and residents whatever they want – from tickets to the hottest show at the Kodak Theater to a private shopping consultation at Maxfield – whenever they want it.
The W Hollywood Hotel & Residences is a joint venture project of Gatehouse Capital and HEI Hotels & Resorts, working in harmony with the vision of their civic partners: the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority, Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles and the Hollywood community. HKS Architects, Los Angeles Studio, is the lead architecture firm on the project, in association with Rios Clementi Hale Studios of Los Angeles as landscape architect. Interior designs provided by Daly Genik Architects of Los Angeles and designstudio ltd. of Portland, Oregon. Signage and wayfinding design is by Sussman Prezja of Los Angeles.
About W Hollywood Hotel & Residences
W Hollywood Hotel & Residences is the first branded property providing hotel, retail and luxury for-sale residences in Los Angeles. The $350 million development at Hollywood & Vine will offer a world-class lifestyle opportunity boasting lush landscaping, cutting-edge design, modern service, and innovative living spaces. Stylish design. Luxury finishes. Eco-conscious construction. Dramatic views. Modern art. Premier nightlife. Exclusive restaurants. Premium service. In fact, an aura of luxury and exclusivity permeates everything about W Hollywood, including its residential enclave featuring 143 exclusive residences paired to the Whatever/Whenever® concierge service with access to the luxury amenities of the adjacent 305-room W Hollywood. For more information on the W Hollywood Residences, please call (323) 469-8800 or visit www.MyHollywoodResidence.com.
About Gatehouse Capital
Gatehouse Capital Corporation is a real estate investment and advisory services firm based in Dallas, Texas. The company specializes in hospitality-centered, mixed-use developments and hotels. Gatehouse utilizes best-of-class institutional partners to design, build and operate its properties. Gatehouse Capital developments include W
Hollywood Hotel & Residences, Mission Beach Hyatt Regency Resort in San Diego, W Hotel San Diego, W Hotel Silicon Valley, and W Dallas – Victory Hotel and Residences. For more information about Gatehouse Capital, visit www.gatehousecapital.com.
About HEI Hotels & Resorts
HEI Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., is a leading hospitality investment firm that acquires, develops, owns and operates full-service, upper-upscale and luxury hotels and resorts throughout the United States under such well-known brand names as Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Le Méridien, Embassy Suites, and Hilton. For more information about HEI, visit the company’s website, www.heihotels.com.
About W Hotels Worldwide®
W Hotels is an innovative contemporary lifestyle brand and the hotel category buster with 30 properties in the most vibrant destinations around the world. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access to a world of “Wow.” Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design and passions around fashion, music, entertainment, design, architecture, pop culture, and everything in between. W Hotels are unique and individual expressions of modern living, reflected in the brand’s sensibility to a holistic lifestyle experience with cutting-edge design, contemporary restaurant concepts, glamorous nightlife experiences, and signature spas. With 10 years of proven success, W Hotels will triple its footprint by 2011. In North America and Latin America, W Hotels have been announced in Austin, Boston, Hollywood, Huntington Beach, Downtown New York, Santiago, South Beach, and Washington, D.C. In Europe, W Hotels have been announced in Athens, Barcelona, London, Manchester, Milan, Paris and St. Petersburg. In Asia, W has announced properties in Bangkok, Guangzhou, Macao-Studio City, Shanghai and Yokohama. In Africa and the Middle East, W has announced properties in Marrakech, Amman, and Dubai. W has plans to open W Retreats in Bali, Koh Samui, Vieques Island and Verbier, the latter of which will serve as W Hotels’ first ski retreat. For more information, visit www.whotels.com.