If you want to be successful at anything, identify what's missing and then provide it! Essentially, that's why you have this magazine in your hands.
Thirty years ago, I put together a small group of Hollywood stalwarts who thought, as I did, that the Hollywood name was gold and the millions of visitors we were getting should could spend more time here than 15 or 20 minutes checking out the handprints and footprints at the Chinese Theatre.
We conducted a month long series of surveys on Hollywood Boulevard and 98% of those we interviewed said they had no idea what was here. What was missing was information. So, I decided to provide information to residents and visitors about the unique culture and lore of Hollywood in the form of Discover Hollywood Magazine. Today, our publication is successfully helping to keep those millions staying and playing in Hollywood.
Fifteen years ago, while I had the privilege of serving as the Chairman of the Board of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, I identified another major missing in Hollywood, hotels. So, Chamber President Leron Gubler and I stated calling on the Hiltons of the world and urged them to bring their brands to Hollywood. They didn't hear us then but today is another story.
Today, besides the venerable Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, we have the Loews Hollywood Hotel, W Hollywood, Redbury and Hollywood Hotel and, yes, the Hilton Gardens (the Baron finally saw the light). And, importantly, there are another 11 other properties representing over 1000 rooms in development.
Hotels in development include the 225 room Argyle Hotel at Argyle & Yucca, the 182 room boutique Dream Hollywood Hotel on Selma and Cahuenga, the 66 room luxury boutique hotel in the classic 1921 Security Bank building at Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga and the 31 room Chateau Celeste Suites housed in a 1927 architectural gem on Vermont Avenue.
Indeed, Hollywood is the place not only to play, it is the place to stay!
