The award-winning hospitality group, Salt Hotels, has announced the opening of The Aster – an adults-only members’ club and hotel situated in an impressive six-story building on the iconic Vine Street and Hollywood Boulevard intersection in California. The hybrid members’ club and hotel has been conceived around the deeply held belief that the next generation of private members’ clubs will embody the warmth, welcome, and sophistication of the world’s best luxury boutique hotels.
A destination to refresh and refocus, The Aster weaves the pleasures of hospitality into everyday living. The sprawling club features an expansive range of amenities all under one roof, including a screening room, pool, cabaret room, lounges, salon by renowned hair stylist Jonathan Antin, dedicated workspaces, a recording studio and much more.
Named after the native Aster flower which blooms across Los Angeles, the property also offers 35 expansive all-suite bedrooms with old-Hollywood-inspired interior décor. Suites are available for the public to book, welcoming hotel guests as temporary members with access to all amenities and programming during their stay.
Members will find programming weaved throughout the varying spaces within The Aster, including educational talks, master classes, screenings, DJ sets, musical shows and unique performances. With a culture created by Salt Hotels co-founders David Bowd and Kevin O’Shea and their team, The Aster keeps kindness at its core, where anyone who wishes to join is welcome – there is no set criteria. Membership is distinctly not exclusive to creatives or like-minded individuals, with a vision to welcome a melting pot of personalities from different backgrounds and industries.
Members and hotel guests alike can expect a diverse, ever-changing array of experiences, free from any strictures. There are no check-in times or unnecessary rules such as limited laptop or phone usage. The space serves as a destination to activate minds and bodies, where individuals can work, play, and stay, surrounded by robust programming in the heart of Hollywood.
In celebration of The Aster’s launch, Hollywood-born visual artist, Tristan Eaton, has been commissioned to create an imposing mural on the south side of the building. Using the exterior of the members’ club and hotel as a canvas, Eaton installation will pay tribute to the history of Hollywood and its subculture as its foundation, featuring portraits of Sidney Poitier and Judy Garland.
Opening atop The Aster in September 2022, Lemon Grove will offer a destination indoor-outdoor restaurant, bar and garden. Situated on one of the largest rooftop spaces in Hollywood, Lemon Grove will launch under the direction of award-winning celebrity chef Marcel Vigneron. He will offer a menu honouring the land’s rich history – previously a lemon grove farm prior to the construction of Hollywood – through the complex flavours and culinary influences that made Los Angeles a food destination.
“Lemon Grove draws its inspiration not only from the soil where these lemon groves grew, but the concrete and graffiti that now surrounds the space, the oceans that hug our beautiful beaches, and even the smog-filled skies. All of these elements are used as culinary muses for our cuisine,” said Vigneron.
The Aster is composed of five distinct floors that each serve as a sensory destination for members and guests to experience. Upon entry, The Aster welcomes visitors with an inviting lobby space with a grandiose staircase that leads to the decadent Aster Park. Aster Park presents two distinct spaces, the outdoor pool deck and the indoor lounge space, both of which are open from early morning until 4pm. Inside, a display of Hollywood glamor with hues of pink and large palm trees adorn the centre of the room complete with lounge seating all around.
Beyond the glass doors of the lounge, the second floor of The Aster is home to the club’s pool deck with 18-foot native trees and plush chaises. Inside, amenities also include a salon space that is helmed by renowned hair stylist Jonathan Antin, as well as two gym spaces, a Pilates studio, and a wellness suite that offers a variety of treatments for members and hotel guests.
Available for the public to book, the third and fourth floors present 35 expansive all-suite hotel rooms, starting from 750 sq. ft. Each suite features separate seating and dining areas with details such as white oak, 40-inch tables. A delicate partition with a three-way dressing mirror divides the space to create a dressing area with antique armoires for discreet clothing storage. Rooms are filled with light and bright tones, exuding a large-scale residential feeling.
Hand-glazed ceramic lamps sit above the nightstands and a hyper-local mini bar is available with curated partners such as AMASS (whose natural botanica gin is crafted in Downtown L.A) and MAUDE (the sexual wellness brand under the co-creative direction of Dakota Johnson). The bathrooms feature custom vanities and French fixtures as well as toiletries from sustainable wellness brand, UNI. During their stay, hotel guests become temporary members and are able to access all facilities and programming at The Aster.
The fifth floor of The Aster is home to The Club Room, the heart and epicentre of the building. This multi-purpose room is open 24 hours per day with an ongoing food and beverage service under the direction of chef Vigneron. The expansive space is adorned with a hand-painted mural by Jason Gaillard, depicting the twinkling Pacific Ocean at golden hour, that overlooks the versatile lounge, dining, bar, and meeting space. Adjacent to The Club Room is The Vine Room, a charming and private space filled with rich velvet textures that is perfect for cocktail hour and available to rent for special events.
Leading off The Club Room, members and guests will cross The Bridge, a conservatory-inspired space with over 120 potted plants that serves as an overpass connecting through to The Cabaret Room. This space exudes a funky style with bentwood chairs, marble tables, and the classic shaded lamp. A grandiose stage hosts musical performances, educational talks, comedy shows, and more. Also on the fifth floor lives a fully equipped recording studio, expansive 35-seat movie theatre, and multiple spaces dedicated to coworking.
“The design is inspired by California, we want to give our members and guests an authentic sense of place whilst offering a calm oasis in the centre of Hollywood to socialise and conduct business. Our sweeping rooftop is inspired by the lemon groves that once dotted the landscape before the development of Hollywood, an agrarian escape from the hustle and bustle of LA,” explained co-founder O’Shea.
Offering one of the largest rooftop spaces in Hollywood, the sixth-floor terrace towers high above the skyline with three distinct areas – The Hollywood Deck, the outdoor theatre, and the soon-to-launch Lemon Grove restaurant, set to open September 2022.
The Hollywood Deck will transport guests into a classic Californian oasis with unobstructed views of the Capitol Records building and Hollywood sign. Adorned with plantings, the entire rooftop is designed to honour the land’s rich history as a lemon grove farm. Meanwhile, an outdoor theatre space features firepits, custom banquettes, and screening abilities for members and guests to enjoy.
Perfectly situated in the midst of Hollywood, The Aster is designed for the curious, inspired by the creators, and curated by the tastemakers of Los Angeles and beyond. Programming is at the heart of this operation and an ever-evolving schedule of activations is available to members and hotel guests. Starting with the Salon on the second floor, the state-of-the-art creative space will welcome a curated revolving door of nail artists, barbers, and makeup artists, designed to complement offerings from resident hair stylist Antin.
On the fifth floor, the Cabaret Room is programmed daily with comedians, burlesque dancers, inspirational speakers, and much more sharing their respective crafts with members and guests of The Aster. The movie theatre, also on the fifth floor, is regularly showing films and hosting exclusive screenings.
Available to members only, Aster Park Lounge, offers a menu focused on salads and tartars which are available all day long, accompanied by a curated morning juice programme. Aster Park Lounge lends itself to the perfect spot for a mid-day ceviche and green juice, after having experienced the wellness suite next door.
Factbox
Address: The Aster, 1717 Vine St, Los Angeles, California
Membership rate: $3,600 annually
Room rate: from $500 per night
Reservations: +1 323 962 1717 | reservations@theasterla.com
Website: theasterla.com
All imagery used in this article credit: Sam Frost
