Banking of the success of its popular Mad46 rooftop bar (set to reopen for the season this week), Manhattan’s grand Roosevelt Hotel has recently unveiled Vander Bar. Taking its name from the Lilliputian avenue that runs parallel to Grand Central Terminal-along the Roosevelt’s backside-Vander Bar makes a serious play for the mid-town clientele who frequent both of these New York City institutions. Whereas Mad46 is meant to compete with stylish downtown al fresco drinking options like those found at the Hudson or Thompson hotels, Vander Bar aims more for the local happy hour crowd, where Hermès ties become loosened before the Metro-North train ride back to Westchester. Offering a fully stocked bar, along with beers on-tap, the property’s small-plates menu of contemporary favorites, such as burger sliders, lobster rolls, and mac and cheese, should provide ample ways to spoil dinner. Of course these days a bar is only as good as its signature drinks, and Vander Bar gives a knowing wink to the neighborhood with a Belvedere black raspberry vodka and lime juice concoction, known as “The BlackBerry.”

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed)

Luxist

A stiff drink and a view of Nelson’s Column. Lovely.

London may be suffering from bad weather today, but that doesn’t mean we can’t dream about the sunny days which (positivity, people) we’re sure will come along any day now.

And when they do come, we’ll be popping up to the new rooftop bar at the Trafalgar Hotel (Hilton’s first unbranded London property just off the side of Trafalgar Square), Vista, which opened last week.

There was a bar up there before (called The Trafalgar Roof Garden), but this one sounds pretty special – it was designed by the same people who did Whisky Mist (the superswanky, favorite-of-the-royals-and-their-hangers-on at the Hilton Park Lane) and the roof has been completely revamped to maximize the views and bring in a “relaxed atmosphere of Mediterranean chic”.

Talking of Mediterranean, the menu includes things like stuffed baby pepper with halloumi and herbs, platters of antipasti and a watermelon, tarragon and feta salad, while there will also be a cocktail menu of drinks made with English fruit and herbs grown on the roof.

The catch? There’s a £5 cover charge. Not good, but seeing as cocktails start at £10, it could be worse. Plus, at least this way, you should get a seat, no?

Juliab @ hotelchatter

Celebrate your inner “Vanity” this New Year’s Eve inside the latest indulgent nightlife creation at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.  Located in the luxurious new HRH Tower, Vanity nightclub opens its doors Thursday, December 31st to ring in 2010, followed by the official grand opening party January 2nd with illustrious party host Diddy.

Brought to you by The Nightlife Group (Body English, Rare 120, Rehab, Wasted Space) and co-owner Jason Giambi, Vanity focuses on the most important person in the room – you. The entrance welcomes with a sparkling collage of reflective tile and antique vanity mirrors. The interior, courtesy of Mr. Important Designs, transports guests into an eclectic jewel box adorned with pearls, hand cut crystals and reflective walls of bronze fused with metallic gold.

The heartbeat of the club is a spectacular cyclone chandelier lit from within by more than 20,000 LED lights that truly bring the dance floor to life.

“We’ve taken everything we learned from Body English, one of the best nightclubs to hit Vegas, and brought it to the next level,” said Cory McCormack, Hard Rock’s managing partner of The Nightlife Group. “Vanity will cater to a person’s every whim.”

The 14,000 square-foot venue features two marble bars, 50 intimate VIP booths, an outdoor terrace with cabanas, fire pit, and offers direct access to the new outdoor Sky Bar opening April 2010. For those who are just a bit more vain, the ladies lounge is complete with nail and makeup technicians available for touch ups and all bathrooms are equipped with full-length three-way mirrors, naturally.

VIP seating lines the 80-foot sunken dance floor, while a larger center seating area borders an onyx catwalk lined with tall lanterns. Staff in rocker-style uniforms offer champagne menus engraved on handheld antique mirrors.

Venue entertainment will include:

Thursday – Godskitchen with world-class dance DJs

Friday – DJ Eric D-Lux

Saturday – DJ Clinton Sparks

Sunday – Sin at Vanity with DJs Presto One, Five, and Eric Cubechee

Vanity Nightclub will be open Thursday through Sunday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Cover charges will be $20 for women and $40 for men; local ladies will enter for free at all times. VIP booths and tables start at $500 and include crystal punch bowls. For VIP booths and tables, Vanity guests can call 702.693.5555 or visit www.VanityLV.com

Vanity is part of the Hard Rock Hotel’s $750 million expansion which includes the addition of approximately 860 new guest rooms – the recently opened Paradise Tower and HRH Tower opening December 28.

HRH Tower will also house Reliquary Spa across from Vanity, as well as three new restaurants, approximately 60,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, and more than 40,000 sq. ft. of casino space.

HRH and Paradise Towers will be finalized with the new pools and Skybar in the first half of next year. By spring 2010, the property will have created more than 1,200 jobs for Vegas when the expansion is complete.

For room availability and additional information call 800.HRD.ROCK (800.473.7625) or visit www.hardrockhotel.com.

www.citycenter.com

Scheduled to open this December, the CityCenter has been in the news all year. But what is it, and where will it be located?  Inquiring minds want to know right!  Well here is a little something for you to digest and get excited about.

The CityCenter sits on 67 acres between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo. Who knows where they found this space, but they are definitley using every bit of it. What we know is that the project is a joint venture between MGM Mirage and Infinity World Developement Corp., a subsidiary of Dubai World….go figure right.

There are three hotels: Vdara, Mandarin Oriental, and Aria.

Vdara (www.vdara.com) will be the first hotel to open on December 1. 1500 rooms with a large spa at 18,000 square feet with 11 treatment rooms!  Vdara will be signed as a non-gaming condo-hotel, which means all rooms will have kitchens. Rates will range from $159-$2000, not too shabby.

Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas (www.mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas) will open on December 4. This will be the brands first move to the Las Vegas market, and will be considered an ultra-luxe property. It will be a non-gaming hotel with 392 guest rooms and 227 residences with the lobby sitting on the 23rd floor (47 stories in all). Opening rates are running $545 per night.

Aria (www.arialasvegas) will be opening on December 16. This mega hotel resort will have more than 4,000 rooms and a huge casino. Aria will be considred the core of CityCenter.  Cirque du Soleil will have a musical production based on Elvis Presley’s life at the resort. Expect the technology at Aria to be nothing but the best. The hotel will also have a two-level spa with 62…..yes 62 treatment rooms!

Shopping at the CityCenter will have high-end brands such as Luis Vuitton, Hermes, Prada, Christian Dior and Bulgari. The retail complex Crystals will have more than 500,000 square feet of shopping and dining venues.

So that’s your little sneak peek into the Las Vegas CityCenter. To find out more, just come out to Vegas in December and experience it yourself, it should be swell!

Los angeles | chinese checkers.

Dining is all about the chow; Philippe Chow, that is.

This 5,000-square-foot chinese eatery is decked out in candy red furnishings with bamboo accents. imagine sleek, theatrical flair with room for 175 of your nearest and dearest. start by dipping some satay (chicken, beef, maine lobster, or shrimp) into chow’s famous cream sauce. then, try the glazed and crispy peking duck with house made pancakes. if you’re game for peking turkey, make sure to allow 45 minutes, or call ahead. fish out the sig nine seasons spicy prawns in sweet and sour sauce or, the pan crispy salmon. you won’t get tipsy on the drunken sea bass, but a sinful twist on the martini, the white chocolate bliss (navan vanilla and white godiva liqueur), is another story. dining tete a tete? philippe’s surf and turf (mignon and south african lobster tails) is made for two. an intimate wine cellar seats 14 for private events, but for an everyday kind of taste stop in for the three course lunch special; at $20.10, it’s a tribute to the fast approaching new year. sure, you can order take out, but with obama, clinton, clooney, diddy, lebron, and denzel as loyal clients, you’re not going to want to miss the celeb fest.

8284 melrose avenue. at sweetzer. west hollywood. 323.951.1100. www.philippechow.com
-julib