The Aster club has launched in the heart of Hollywood, complete with hotel suites, workspaces, a screening room, cabaret club, recording studio and events programme. Rose Dykins reports
Salt Hotels has opened the Aster in Los Angeles, an adults-only members’ club and hotel created to embody the “warmth, welcome and sophistication” of a luxury boutique hotel – with 35 suites bookable for temporary members. It looks like Soho House has competition…
Named after the native aster flower that blooms across LA, the property is housed in a six-storey building on the intersection of Hollywood’s iconic Vine Street and Hollywood Boulevard. Membership is US$3,600 per year, while rooms can be booked from US$500 per night for both members and guests.
Hollywood-born visual artist, Tristan Eaton has been commissioned to create a mural on the south side of the building that will will pay tribute to the history of Hollywood and its subculture, featuring portraits of Sidney Poitier and Judy Garland.
The Aster’s suites also have an old Hollywoord-inspired design theme. They can be booked by members of the public, and hotel guests are welcomed as temporary members of The Aster, with access the members’ club’s programming and amenities during their stay.
The Aster’s suites are spread across its third and fourth levels. Sized from 70 sqm each suite features separate seating and dining areas and light, bright colour tones. Design touchpoints include hand-glazed ceramic lamps, 40-inch white oak tables, three-way dressing mirrors and antique wardrobes.
Guests can take advantage of the “hyper-local” minibars created by Amass (whose natural botanica gin is made in Downtown LA), as well as intimacy kits from Maude (the sexual wellness brand under the co-creative direction of Dakota Johnson). Bathrooms have custom vanities, French fixtures and toiletries from sustainable wellness brand, Uni.
Elsewhere in the Aster, facilities include a 35-seat screening room, pool, a cabaret room, lounges, a hair salon by renowned stylist Jonathan Antin, dedicated workspaces, two gym spaces, a pilates studio, a wellness suite offering treatments and a recording studio.
The fifth floor of the Aster is home to the Club Room, the heart of the building. The multi-purpose room is open 24 hours per day, with an on-going food and beverage service.
The space is adorned with a hand-painted mural by Jason Gaillard, depicting the twinkling Pacific Ocean at golden hour. The Club Room’s all-day menu features avocado toast, a “harvest bowl” and five-spiced French toast.
Adjacent to the Club Room is the Vine Room, a 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 cross the Bridge, a conservatory-inspired space filled with greenery that serves as an overpass connecting through to the Cabaret Room.
This edgy space is styled with Bentwood chairs, marble tables and shaded lamps. It also has a stage for performances and talks, and is where guests can find the on-site recording studio, and dedicated coworking space.
The Aster’s sixth-floor rooftop terrace is one of the largest in Hollywood. It has fire pits, custom banquettes and equipment for open-air film screenings, the Hollywood Deck, the outdoor theatre, and the Lemon Grove restaurant.
Helmed by award-winning celebrity chef, Marcel Vigneron, Lemon Grove will celebrate the agricultural traditions of Los Angeles using modern and classic cooking techniques. “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,” says Chef Vignero
Designed for curious types, inspired by creators and curated by LA’s tastemakers and beyond, the Aster’s programme of events and activities is at the heart of its offering – available to both members and guests.
The Aster ethos is to keep “kindness at its core, where anyone who wishes to join is welcome”. Membership is not exclusive to creative a like-minded individuals. Instead, the vision is to welcome a melting pot of personalities from different backgrounds and industries.
The Aster’s programming includes educational talks, master classes, screenings, DJ sets, musical shows and unique performances. For example, the Cabaret Room features a daily programme of comedians, burlesque dancers, and inspirational speakers, while the movie theatre on the same floor will regularly show films and hosting exclusive screenings.
The Salon is will welcome a “revolving door” of nail artists, barbers, and makeup artists, designed to complement the work of the Aster’s resident hair stylist Jonathan Antin.
Available to members only, Aster Park Lounge, has a menu focused on salads and tartars (available all day), as well as a morning juice programme.
The Aster is free from check-in times or rules, such as limited laptop or phone usage. The members club aims to be a destination to “activate minds and bodies, where individuals can work, play, and stay, surrounded by robust programming in the heart of Hollywood”.