LA’s classic Mondrian Hotel has completed it’s renovations. Here’s the press release:
The newly redesigned Mondrian Los Angeles hosted its launch event yesterday evening, September 4, 2008, allowing guests to experience first hand the renovations to this landmark Los Angeles property. Acclaimed designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz was commissioned to reinstate the beloved destination, building upon the original vision for the property. During the event, Ortiz hosted an intimate reception in the brand new ADCB, Mondrian LA’s remodeled interior bar within the lobby. Guests included Jamie Foxx, Samaire Armstrong, Shane West, Shawn Ashmore, among others and the highlights of the evening – a live solo performance by Cat Power and the exclusive after party hosted by Amy Sacco in the new “Apartment” on the 11th floor, guests included Paris Hilton, Giovanni Ribisi, Catherine Keener, among others.
In 1996, Morgans Hotel Group and iconic designer Philippe Starck dazzled the hospitality industry with the opening of Mondrian Los Angeles. The design united a quintessentially Californian embrace of nature, the outdoors, and the casual with the West Hollywood tradition of glamour and fantasy. Now, in 2008, Morgans Hotel Group commissioned visionary designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz to rejuvenate this beloved destination.
Built in celebration of the equal and the opposite, Mondrian Los Angeles captures the heartbeat and soul of its unique surroundings. It is the ultimate balancing act, not only bridging the gap between the seemingly disparate elements that make up the California lifestyle – night and day, reality and fantasy, relaxation and excitement – but articulating the playfulness of a perfect hotel experience.
Entering Mondrian through Philippe Starck’s signature, thirty-foot mahogany doors, guests are bathed in a sensuous daylight that highlights the creamy whites and warm Mondrian marigold palette of the entryway. Glamour is deeply defined throughout the space, and appears in the sophistication of the new orange hued “Sunset Bar”, in its undulating banquets — inspired by Gaudi’s Park Guell bench in Barcelona — that bisect the lounge, transforming it into an indoor-outdoor patio. Gold leaf vines run up and down and across the ceilings and columns, referencing both the lush trees of nature and the exquisite fantasy of Hollywood.
“The design of the hotel is so adored in the industry that I’ve heard the word Mondrian used as an adjective,” says Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz. “I didn’t want to eradicate Philippe Starck’s original vision, I wanted to build on it; I wanted to enhance it.”
Progressing deeper into the lobby, the sun sets. Day becomes night; reality becomes fantasy as Noriega-Ortiz invites the imagination down the proverbial rabbit hole. Deep blues and purples surround the space, and ushering the guests towards Asia de Cuba, and Mondrian’s perennial hotspot, Skybar. Here the hotel’s original concept of the hotel as theater and the Morgans history of “lobby socializing,” is complimented by custom-designed furniture by Noriega-Ortiz. A Lucite love-seat indoor swing and a mushroom-inspired concierge center are subtle and winking references to Starck’s original wonderland of a lobby.
The spectacle continues upstairs, where new accommodations greet guests with their own reflection, seen in grand mirrors detailed with white lacquer frames that continue Noriega-Ortiz’ veneration of the surrealist, looking-glass theme. Pivoting full-circle to reveal framed, flat-screen televisions on the opposite side, the mirrors are just one example of the close relationship between modern comforts and breathtaking design. Each of the hotel’s 237 rooms and suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning views of Sunset Boulevard and Downtown Los Angeles and Silestone tiled bathrooms with waterfall shower fixtures. Oversized daybeds, sustainable bamboo floors, and Korres Natural Products bathroom amenities are just a few of the little luxuries that have been exclusively designed with the pleasure of Mondrian’s guests in mind.
Mondrian’s penthouse boasts amazing cityscape views with a palette of antique gold and bronze, detailed with honey-colored bamboo floors and visually pierced with touches of warm white and black. Two antique mirrors flank the north and south of the room, creating a virtual opening, and a collection of crystal chandeliers hovers over a simple square table surrounded by “X” Spot black chairs. The Apartment suite is centered around a platinum palette; complementary silvers to its sister suite’s golds and again articulated moments of black and white furniture and fabrics pierce the space. The suite features a large terrace with plush outdoor lounging furniture by Tord Boontje and stools by Marcel Wanders, contributing to this overall aesthetic of playful pleasure and vibrant storytelling.
Story and theatrics have played a substantial role in Mondrian since its conception, and the new Mondrian reflects that with an added sophistication. “We have undertaken the redesign of our flagship property during a time of substantial growth for the Mondrian brand. With Benjamin’s new design, we have fully exited our shabby chic phase,” explains Fred Kleisner, President and CEO of Morgans Hotel Group. “The age of pastiche is over, and with it has gone the slipcovers – once again this hotel exudes authenticity and glamour. With the renovation of this property, our first Mondrian, we renew our commitment to the intensity of spirit and the promise of possibility that the Mondrian name represents. We look forward to delivering on this promise in South Beach, Chicago, Soho and Las Vegas in the months to come.”
In 2006, Morgans Hotel Group opened Mondrian Scottsdale, also designed by Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, providing Scottsdale with a much needed oasis. With the Los Angeles location’s new design and Mondrian South Beach, designed by Marcel Wanders, opening this year, 2008 is the year that Mondrian rolls out its stage of perpetual possibility and instant enchantment. A truly unique hotel concept, each Mondrian is alike in only its pervasive intensity and atmosphere. Morgans Hotel Group invites you to check into the Mondrian world and make drama.
About Morgans Hotel Group
Morgans Hotel Group Co. (NASDAQ: MHGC) operates and owns, or has an ownership interest in, Morgans, Royalton and Hudson in New York, Delano and The Shore Club in Miami, Mondrian in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Clift in San Francisco, and Sanderson and St Martins Lane in London. MHG and an equity partner also own the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and related assets. MHG has other property transactions in various stages of completion, including projects in Miami Beach, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; SoHo, New York; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Palm Springs, California. For more information please visit www.morganshotelgroup.com.
