Waldorf Astoria Lobby - H 2014
Courtesy of Waldorf AstoriaGraff Diamonds, a 5,000-square-foot Cinque Mondes spa and a mega-name chef will be part of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, which will open next to the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 2017, says property owner Beny Alagem, chairman of Alagem Capital Group.
“It’s the gateway to Beverly Hills. We want this to be one of the most luxurious hotels in the city,” says Alagem of the $200-million project, located at the intersection of Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards.
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Alagem, who purchased the Beverly Hilton and its 8.9 acre property from Merv Griffin in 2003 for $130 million, says that the new hotel, which will be 12 stories tall, was designed to complement the Welton Becket-designed, eight-floor Hilton. “The design of the Waldorf has been evolving for seven years because we wanted to create something very special,” he says. “The concept was to create a streamlined Moderne architectural style that is sensitive to the horizontality of the Beverly Hilton, and to our neighbors.”
And as for that big-name chef who’s slated to open a restaurant within the 170-room hotel? “We are in advanced negotiations with Jean-Georges Vongerichten,” says Alagem of the New York restaurateur.
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Last week, the hotelier was joined by John Vanderslice, global head of Hilton Luxury Brands, and Chris Nassetta, CEO of Hilton Worldwide, as well as Christina Hendricks and Natalie Cole for the official announcement of the new five-star property, which will feature a triple-height lobby with striking Art Déco-inspired design and hand-painted murals of California landscapes.
Developed by Alagem’s company and client Guggenheim Partners (the parent company of The Hollywood Reporter), the project will eventually include two residential towers on the site.
