Laid Back…Literally
As the glass doors allow me to enter into The Standard Hotel, I did not expect what I received. On my way to The Standard Lounge, I can't help but stop and breathe the air of the future, while in the present. First, I will take you to the past of this very inviting atmosphere.
What is widely known as The Standard hotel was first the Thunderbird Motel when it was built in 1962. The building is rooted on Sunset Blvd., one of the most popular strips in California. History lives in the footsteps of the night lifers on this Wednesday night. For it is their parents who eagerly marched this exact strip in search of something…something that only Sunset Blvd. can offer.
Owner of Chateau Marmont and New York's Mercer Hotel, Andre Balazs bought The Standard when it was an old, retirement home. What he did was target a young, chic, trendy crowd while still being generous to their pockets.
And so…as I stand in a hotel lobby that has a d.j. booth built into the front desk and is accompanied by a glass vitrine with a sleeping beauty resting peacefully; I have no choice but to pause in hotel designers, Shawn Hausman and Marc Newson's vision.
The décor of The Standard can be easily described as the Jetson's living room, or an Ikea display. Would it be an oxymoron for me to call it a historical future? You be the judge. Let the Arco lamps, blue Astroturf in the pool area, Ligne Roset chairs, and a 50's-70's themed diner help you make your decision.
The Standard Lounge is open from 10-2am. Suede hammocks hang lazily and luxuriously in the darkness of the lounge. I watch an attractive woman freely push her friend softly in one of the hammocks. This place is laid back. Purple and red fluorescent lights make The Standard Lounge seem like an illusion from the mind of someone with a fun, vivid personality.
Couches and tables are placed for everyone to sit, eat, lay, lounge…be. Everyone is VIP here and that is what matters the most. The mirrored walls will feed the Narcissist in all of us. You would be a fool not to take a peek. I just noticed that the people here are not only young, but they are business types as well-especially the men. They are all well on their way. The people that I share this night with are happy, and I get the feeling that they are all here to take a large load off. This night is needed by many to make it through the rest of the week.
I watch the bartenders make Apple Martinis, pour shots of Patron, and mix exotic drinks for sexy ladies to the beats of the music that a female disc jockey dressed in pink feeds our ears.
Dancing and networking. Laying and talking. Sitting and smiling. Laughing and drinking…lounging. The Standard Lounge is truly laid back…literally.
