The Champs Elysees is expecting to get a huge boost when the first luxury Louis Vuitton hotel opens right next to the massive original store. The astonishing building is starting to look like a giant Vuitton briefcase or trunk, with huge buckles and the familiar monogram motif. Can you imagine how luxurious it will be INSIDE?
Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA
Kanye West seems to have settled down a bit now that he’s “married” to architect Bianca Censori (they exchanged vows in a non-binding ceremony last month.)The newlyweds have been living in a hotel while Kanye renovates his Malibu house, and they’ve both grown fond of hotel living. Kanye’s Malibu house renovation is expected to take awhile, so Kanye is shopping for a condo in the city that’s attached to a posh hotel. They’re considering the Ritz Carlton in downtown LA, the Four Seasons residences near Beverly Hills, the Pendry on Sunset Strip, and other similar properties. Kanye and Bianca like the idea of 24 hour room service and all the other amenities hotel living offers (who wouldn’t?) He’s obviously not worried about money because such places can sell for well over ten million dollars…
Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA
According to The Hollywood Reporter, it sounds like most of us missed the screening party of the season Tuesday night and we wish we’d been there! Cable channel Freeform (it’s related to Disney) had a first-of-its kind covid careful event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel celebrating the 90’s and their new series Cruel Summer. (Jessica Biel is executive producer) 80 hotel rooms were rented for the premier and guests watched the first two episodes of the series from their balconies facing a 70 foot screen, with special speakers in every room. Each hotel room was stocked with 90’s inspired decor -band posters, teen magazines, scrunchies etc, and 90’s snacks like Hot Pockets and Capri Sun. 90s music played in every room before and after. Guests were invited to stay overnight if they wanted to. What a fun night! Cruel Summer is about a missing teen and the story takes place on a single day in 93, 94, and 95. Catch it on Freeform or Hulu, later on.
Photo: Freeform
Sorry to say this, because I’ve been a fan of Robert De Niro’s acting since Mean Streets, but as a person, he turned out to be a big disappointment. In 2017, he railed against the The New York Post for writing that he was heard complaining to his then-wife Grace about her extravagant spending. He told her “I wouldn’t have to keep making these sh—-y movies if you didn’t spend all my money!” His publicist Stan Rosenfeld swore that it never happened. Last week De Niro’s divorce attorney made exactly the same claim in court – that De Niro was overworked trying to pay for Grace’s thirst for Stella McCartney. I had a similar experience with the not-so-honest not-so-nice actor. Back in the 90’s my source -an employee at a posh NY hotel – was laughing when he called to report that De Niro had made a “Don’t you know who I AM?” scene late that night in the lobby, trying to access the room of a woman staying there. He was told by the hotel manager the room occupant would have to come to the lobby and get him. Hotel rules. An attractive back female celebrity came to the lobby in her robe to retrieve the sputtering and furious actor. When the gossip item came out in Star Magazine, De Niro had his people call my editor and try to get me fired – he claimed the story was NOT true- and he called the hotel to gripe about the “leak,” hoping to get someone fired. My source and I were both scared. A few weeks later I was at an event and the woman De Niro visited at that hotel came up and told me the story was absolutely true and SHE thought it was funny.
Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA
Rob Pattinson won’t be buying a house in your neighborhood any time soon. With all his money, it might be a good investment, but Rob fears that his fans will be hanging out around the property (or sneaking IN) and paparazzi might camp outside. He figures the best way to avoid all that aggravation is to move around a lot and live in hotels. He already has trouble enjoying a drink in a bar – he’s the target of his fans’ jealous boyfriends who want to start a fight. Rob just leaves.
The best news we’ve heard in ages is the possibility that Chelsea Handler’s boyfriend, hotelier Andre Balazs, is considering building a boutique hotel at the empty Eero Saarinen designed TWA terminal at JFK. The Port Authority is hoping for just this kind of salvation for the architectural masterpiece. The space age terminal was completed in 1962, and reflected the optimism of jet travel of the future. Sadly, it has been empty for years, but is still unsurpassed as the most magnificent and seductive terminal in the world. Those lucky enough to have experienced the terminal when it was functioning felt their spirits soar as they walked into “the world of tomorrow.” (We confess we are very passionate about this structure.) Hopefully, if Balazs takes over, he will keep it as intact as possible. As you can see, it is incredibly photogenic.