Tara Finley
Concert venue or luxury hotel? All-star concert or grand opening? These are the questions that were no doubt on guests’ minds as they attended Hotel Ziggy’s opening event.
The newest boutique hotel to debut on the famed Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, Hotel Ziggy paid tribute to the rebellious spirit of its local music scene by welcoming hundreds of guests to make their way through the newly transformed property (formerly The Grafton Hotel), complete with four floors of entertainment, bars and food found around every corner. The preview also included access to Hotel Ziggy’s newly redesigned “rockstar style” suites and poolside cabana rooms and what has become West Hollywood’s largest saltwater hotel pool.
The grand opening party, which took over the entire hotel for an epic “rockstar” style ambiance paying tribute to the heyday of the strip, included a surprise rock performance by Billboard Chart-topping artist Haley Reinhart. Guests were also treated to an appearance by Pink Floyd’s legendary sax player Scott Page. Together, the artists took Hotel Ziggy’s revelers to rock’s golden age, singing hits from Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, Radiohead, Stevie Nicks and other icons from the 60s through to the 90s.
Hotel Ziggy has just opened, but they’ve already solidified their image as the place to be for music lovers, thanks to a late-night performance by an eclectic all-star band featuring Nine Inch Nails’ drummer Alex Carapetis, bassist Kristian Attard, singers Josh Landau and Diimond Kilani as well as guitarist Nick Maybury. This talent mashup continued the theme of rock n roll tribute, with songs from The Doors and David Bowie to Guns N’ Roses and Ziggy Stardust. DJ Pookie followed with a set that brought the evening to a 2 a.m. close.
The hotel’s new B Side pizza window served street-side slices while enjoying curated cocktails made with Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston‘s Dos Hombres Mezcal, along with The Chainsmokers’ JAJA Tequila, Ciara’s Ten To One Rum, NEFT Vodka, Brother’s Bond Bourbon by Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, and Mulholland Gin. Among the featured cocktails was a constant flow of Heineken beer, Bon Jovi’s Hampton Water Rosé, Malibu Rocky Oaks Wine and BEV Canned Fizzy Wines. Partygoers stayed hydrated by Liquid Death water.
The guests, who were welcomed with jello shots and boozy popsicles, were a mix of everyday people and VIPs such as Malin Akerman, Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver), Jamie Weiland, Alana Hadid and more. Invitees enjoyed artistic performances themed to the stylings of Ziggy Stardust, airbrush tattoos, tarot readings and more.
Earlier in the night, before the joyfully raucous opening party, Hotel Ziggy kicked off its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister and members of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, alongside the hotel owners and its executive team. Pink Floyd’s saxophone player Scott Page was on hand for the celebration, which proceeded with notable food critic Sophie Gayot saber-cutting a bottle of champagne with a sword… while blindfolded.
If this is what Hotel Ziggy’s opening is like, we can only imagine what parties they’ll throw in the future. For more information on the Hotel, including how to book a room or host an event, visit www.hotelziggy.com or follow @hotelziggy on Instagram and Twitter.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.