Photography via The Standard
22 January 2021: West Hollywood’s fabled celebrity hangout The Standard Hotel shuts its doors today after 22 years, signalling the end of an era.
The Sunset Boulevard hotel’s history is riches to rags – and back again. Built in 1962 as the Thunderbird Motel, it had several monikers and roles over the years, including a long stint as a retirement home. It opened in 1999 as The Standard Hotel under the helm of hotelier André Balazs, with support from a cache of A-list stars including Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz, and glitzy interiors by film set designer Shawn Hausman.
The venue quickly became legendary for its larger than life parties and events, which attracted a stellar cast of stars throughout the 2000s and 2010s to its nightclubs Purple Lounge, Mmhmmm and Giorgio’s.
An announcement on the company’s website said: ’It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the closure of The Standard, Hollywood, which will shut its doors indefinitely on Friday, January 22nd. Despite 22 years of unconditional love for our hotel, our guests, our team and our community, the hotel was unable to prevent a significant increase to its lease, which makes operating the property impossible.’
Balaz sold his stake in the company in 2017 though The Standard group also has locations in downtown Los Angeles, Miami and New York.
