|
West Hollywood’s Pride
Weekend 2012 is upon us, complete with a parade, a
festival, and pride within the LGBT community.
Not everyone can live the life of a WeHo local,  | | The Orlando Patio Suite |
but you can get a taste
of the fabulous this weekend with The Orlando Hotel’s special VIP Pride Package.
The Pride Package includes:
·
a two night stay at the newly renovated,
sleek and chic Orlando on Third
·
a box of “Out and Proud” cupcakes (with
rainbow sprinkles—fun!) from the Magnolia
Bakery, whose New York location was featured on Sex and the City
·
an in-room mimosa, Bellini, or Bloody Mary
bar to keep the good times going all weekend long
·
roundtrip transfers to the parade at 11
a.m. on Sunday via town car
·
VIP entry to WeHo’s gay nightlife scene at Eleven Nightclub,
meaning:
o
No cover or lines
o
Four premium drink tickets
o
A complementary bottle of Moet champagne
($120 value) with the purchase of bottle service
·
A bottomless “Champagne and Bloody Mary
Brunch” on Sunday at the hip, cool, and bustling restaurant, The Churchill
 | | The Orlando entertainers suite bathroom. |
To see if the VIP Pride Package lives up to its name, I
checked out some of the rooms, amenities, service, food, and drinks The Orlando
has to offer. The Orlando Hotel, from
the outside, looks like a five story box of grey concrete wedged in between the
countless shops that line West Hollywood’s lively Third Street shopping
district. The exterior is the oyster,
with the interior being the pearl (and six million dollars of renovations) hidden
inside.
The hotel is adorned with many pieces of artwork and
furniture I would love in my apartment—the starfish on the shelf, or the
abstract, colorful painting by the elevator.
I appreciate the unique artwork and accents, the simple, geometric
designs, muted décor with pops of bright color, dark wood furnishings, and
metal adornments. Every room features a
42’’ flat-screen HDTV, a desk, a sitting area, and the most amazing bathroom I
have ever seen. These bathrooms are the
perfect place to glam yourself up for this weekend’s festivities with their
state-of-the-art fixtures and marble sinks. The Deluxe Patio Suites let you
enjoy the SoCal sun on their private balconies, which you might as well take
advantage of considering it’s always sunny here.
If you decide to stay at The Orlando, don’t forget to
take your designer doggies along in your handbag because pets are welcome too. To truly feel like a queen with a capital Q,
upgrade to the West Third Street Suite or Entertainers Suite. These amazing suites, at 650 square feet, are
larger than my L.A. apartment. These
rooms, besides the standard amenities, feature Hollywood Hills views, a dining
area and powder room, a leather living room sofa that converts to a Queen sized
sleeper with a comfy Tempurpedic mattress, a folding Murphy desk, and televisions
in the living room, master suite, and yes, even in the bathroom.
The Orlando’s amenities include a cute and quant
saltwater pool, a fitness center and massage room, a meetings space, a fully
equipped business center, and the all-new Churchill restaurant (which also
delivers room service to hotel guests).
24-hour concierge, Wi-Fi, morning paper, and evening turndown are
complimentary with every room. The area
surrounding the hotel is very walkable, with locally owned shops, The Grove,
and the Beverly Center.
The Churchill gastro pub, adjacent to the hotel, is a
WeHo hotspot that is especially known for their all-day brunch. It serves seasonal American cuisine
including house made  | | The Churchill |
cured meats, pastas, pickled vegetables, breads and
desserts, as well as an extensive list of handmade signature cocktails, 20
regional craft beers on tap, and a California-centric wine menu.
The look is much like the hotel—sleek, modern,
industrial—but slightly more rustic and hip.
Design highlights include reclaimed wood communal tables, polished
concrete floors, iron table tops with retro crank bases, antiqued mirrors,
Edison bulbs lights, and vintage records and books.
When I arrived at the restaurant, I was promptly seated
by the friendly wait-staff in the outdoor patio area close to the beautiful
fireplace, where I watched the crowds of people and cars pass by. The restaurant was just as busy inside as the
rush-hour traffic was outside. Thursday
through Sunday nights, a DJ spins, transforming the second floor into a dance
floor for the WeHo clubbers.
Upstairs, there’s also a vintage photo booth, so you’ll
have a little piece of Pride weekend you’ll always remember, or not, depending
on how many of the tasty drinks you consume here. They make them strong! I recommend the Revolver, a sweet cocktail
with a kick, made with fire roasted pepper infused Herra Dura Blanco tequila,
hibiscus reduction, agave nectar, lime, cassis, xocolati mole, that’s shaken
and served on the rocks with a jalapeño slice.
If you’re going for lunch or dinner, get a pizza. The wood-fired Wild Mushroom Pizza, with wild
mushrooms, fontina cheese, truffle oil, and oregano was to die for. The mushrooms were hardy, the fontina cheese
was  | | Wild Mushroom Pizza a must try |
gooey (in a good way), and the truffle oil was a nice touch that really
completed the dish. The baked
mac-and-cheese, with the bacon option, because everything is better with bacon,
is also a really good, homey dish. The
herb-parmesan bread crumbs added some texture to the dish that I really
appreciated. I think the quality of
food, friendly service, and cool atmosphere at The Churchill is worth the
price.
The VIP Pride Package is sure to please even the divas
among the 400,000 guests that flock to WeHo for Pride Weekend. Whether you’re a local or a tourist to L.A.,
you can “get away from it all” by staying at The Orlando or getting drinks and
good eats at The Churchill.
The VIP Pride Package starts at $999 and can be booked
by calling 800.62.HOTEL. For more information visit www.theorlando.com.
|