West Hollywood's iconic Standard hotel is the latest COVID-19 casualty
Right on Sunset Strip, the Standard hotel was where all the cool kids went.
Known for the dour doormen guarding the red velvet rope outside its top-secret club called mmhmmm, no riff-raff allowed please, it was the ultimate place to see and be seen.
When it opened 22 years ago, the Standard, with financial backing from both Leonardo di Caprio and Cameron Diaz, was a Nineties mecca of Hollywood glam. Think a Damian Hirst live art installation, giant Perspex egg chairs and acres of shag carpets.
But sadly, it's the latest institution to fall victim to COVID-19. Today, it announced it would shut its doors for good -- effective immediately.

A representative of the hotel said that due to increased building leasing fees, it "rendered it unsustainable to operate the hotel." She also said the hotel tried to renegotiate the lease with the landlord.
The Standard brand, with other hotels in Downtown LA, New York, Miami, London and the Maldives, is easily recognizable with its distinctive upside-down logo and high concept design, not to mention its hip cocktails and celeb-spotting opportunities.
The West Hollywood branch was the very first that hotelier Andre Balazs opened in the Standard chain of boutique hotels. It now operates under parent company Standard International and Balazs stepped down as the company's chairman in 2017.

Coronavirus has dealt the hospitality industry a crushing blow in the past 12 months -- the Standard is just the latest hotel to succumb due to lockdown and severe travel restrictions, making it difficult for businesses to stay afloat.
Other major COVID-19 casualties include The Roosevelt in New York -- a true Big Apple institution -- the InterContinental Moorea in French Polynesia, the uber-chic Ace hotel in London, Luxe Rodeo Drive in LA and the Colorado Belle in Nevada, among others.
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Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
