July 4, 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."
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.