Lots of hotel news going on: First off, nightlife guy Sam Nazarian will take Le Meridien at Beverly Hills and rebrand it SLS Los Angeles. Scheduled to open in 2008, the hotel will fall under Nazarian's SLS Luxury Group. Nazarian claims SLS doesn't stand for anything in particular, which makes us wonder why he chose a not very compelling name. But otherwise we are fans of Sam.
David Geffen's Malibu Inn, which he purchased last year for a reported $29 million, will re-open in mid-June. The hotel will have 47 rooms; rates start at $390/night. There'll also be a 44-seat restaurant called Carbon Beach Club on the premise. Our favorite part: guests will be offered six to eight award-winning wines from the Malibu Family Winery.
Finally, via this week's edition of The Week, we come across a LA Times' story that the Beverly Wilshire is suddenly hip following its $35 million renovation. The walls are clad in black leather and there are cabanas. Rooms start at $450, according to the hotel's web site. Too rich for Curbed blood, we say.
· New Hotel Group Launches Luxury Brand [Globe St.]
· Malibu Beach Inn set to reopen in June [Malibu Times]
· My, how the Beverly Wilshire has changed [LA Times]