While Vegas nightclub impresario Victor Drai and his twin dynamos Cy and Jesse Waits all remain tightlipped on their plans for expansion to the City of Angels, some details about the club are starting to surface. It’s no new news that the rooftop of the W Hollywood Hotel, on the corner of the iconic intersection of Hollywood and Vine, will house the new club; that knowledge has been widely available for some time. However, most other details have been hush-hush — until now.
We now know that Drai’s Hollywood, his fourth nightclub entity and first outside of Las Vegas, will possess a nearly 26,000-square-foot multi-level footprint. Certainly substantial when compared to any venue not named XS and on the larger side compared to most other Los Angeles haunts, the new venue is reported to carry a $4-million-plus project budget. On the ground level of the property there will be a 2,300-square-foot VIP lounge with a private entrance separate from the public lobby entry. On the 11th floor, guests reportedly will find a massive glassed-in penthouse bar with ceiling-to-floor windows and a 1,000-square-foot open-air balcony with an unobstructed view of the famed Hollywood sign. Adjacent to the penthouse bar is a much smaller rooftop pool deck and bar measured out at more than 2,000 square feet, which includes a small pool, a raised wooden deck, elaborate tile work and the requisite poolside cabanas.
Décor-wise, the venue is strongly inspired by Drai’s Vegas locations, with dark wood, custom interiors and high-end finishes, including $75,000 leather-upholstered bathroom stall doors. According to sources, the lighting system is one aspect of the club that will draw rave reviews, with more than $1 million worth of color-changing LED and neon lighting throughout the venue. Interestingly, in order to soundproof the 11th story club from the 10th story residences below it, construction company R.D. Olson Construction created an adjustable concrete slab that insulates the venue … although we have no idea what that means.
With the W project eyeing a December opening, it’s somewhat safe to assume that Drai’s Hollywood would open within close proximity. We’re guessing it’s the kind of New Year’s Eve launch that Vegas operators love so much (this year, new clubs at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and CityCenter will launch that night.) Expect more operational details to be released or leaked in coming months.