Star-studded parties and lively nights out on the town are an integral piece of Los Angeles celebrity culture. Like the rest of us, celebs enjoy dancing, living it up, and letting loose. We hear detailed accounts of late night escapades—what they wore, who they arrived with, and even whom they left with. The glitz and glamour of Hollywood nightlife creates a mystique that has many people dreaming of being a part of…even if just for an evening.
Celebrity HotSpots wondered where all this hot activity was taking place and where one could go to for such an experience. The result: an insider’s guide to 70+ L.A. bars and clubs, ranked by where the most celebrities have recently been spotted. These celebrity spottings consisted of an eclectic mix of more than 1700 celebrities including actors/actresses, athletes, fashionistas, musicians, reality TV stars, socialites and many more famous (and infamous!) personalities.
After documenting over 2500 celebrity spottings, the Top 5 Celebrity HotSpots, according to the 2012 Celebrity HotSpots Bars and Clubs Guide: Where Your Fave Celebs Party are:
1) Avalon Hollywood – Hollywood
A legendary club housed in one of Hollywood’s most historic landmarks. In early incarnations, The Beatles had their first West Coast performance in 1964 at this venue and Sasha’s first West Coast DJ residency took place. More recently, Billy Idol and Ozzy Osbourne performed at the Los Angeles Youth Benefit Concert and Carrie Fisher, Perez Hilton, Lisa Lampanelli, Adam Lambert, and Sara Rue bonded at the Annual Logo NewNowNext Awards 2011. Friday nights and Saturday nights (Control and Avaland, respectively) are known for their weekly events incorporating nu-electro, techno, and house music with the freshest DJ talent.
2) Chateau Marmont’s Bar Marmont – West Hollywood
A romantic bar with an old Hollywood feel, located within the iconic Chateau Marmont Hotel and Bungalows. The design and architecture are unrivaled, as is the crowd. The quirkier, the better. The European influenced menu is far from standard bar fare and offers a gastronomic dining experience. Mila Kunis, Claire Danes, Aaron Paul, Hugh Dancy, Minnie Driver, and Natalie Portman reveled at the Vanity Fair Campaign Hollywood 2011 event, while Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, along with Nicole Scherzinger, Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Hamm partied at the GQ Men of the Year shindig. And in a special moment, Mary J. Blige sung and Oprah Winfrey engaged the crowd during the Precious screening after party at this celebrity haunt near the Sunset Strip.
3) Drai’s– Hollywood
A super trendy and opulent nightclub (and restaurant) that sits atop the W Hollywood hotel, providing an idyllic Hollywood and L.A. skyline view. Plush couches and a dance floor adorn the inside and Moroccan-style cabanas sit poolside. This is where the beautiful people hang. Not coincidentally, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Scherzinger and Paris Hilton were among those spotted showing their hotness at the Us Weekly Hot Hollywood Style Issue event and Kim Kardashian was guest of honor at the World’s Most Beautiful Magazine launch event. Brandy, Cheryl Burke, Sasha Grey, Sarah Silverman, and Colin Egglesfield partied at Rolling Stone`s Awards Weekend Bash. Sport upscale, fashionable attire and the doorman may let you in. Better yet, sign up for the guest list ahead of time, get pumped from the energetic vibe, and dance to house/electronica, hip hop, and a bit of top 40 at this Vegas-like club in the heart of Hollywood.
4) Voyeur – West Hollywood
An avant-garde, elegant, and sexually-sophisticated nightclub complete with provocative live-art installations and music from all genres. It was here that Lindsay Lohan famously was punched by a waitress as she celebrated her 24th birthday—sober and wearing her SCRAM bracelet. It was here, too, that a Republican Party scandal erupted over funds being spent at the club. While the usual suspects Lindsay Lohan, Whitney Port, and Paris Hilton are among those raising the roof most often, race car driver Danica Patrick was spotted DJ’ing at the Auto Club Speedway Running Wide Open event and Sharon Stone (known best for the erotic thriller, Basic Instinct) celebrated her 53rd birthday at this club that exudes sensuality.
5) Boulevard3 – Hollywood
A ‘counterclub’ designed to fuse the intimacy of a party at a private home, the luxury of a four-star estate and the spirit of play. This spacious, multi-level nightclub was formerly The Hollywood Athletic Club, which for decades was revered as the “playground of the stars” (e.g. W.C. Fields, John Wayne, Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power Jr.). Much more recently, the unlikely combo of President Bill Clinton and musician Drake enthusiastically co-hosted the Millennium Network fundraiser attended by a diverse crowd including Chelsea Clinton, Maria Bello, and Michael Strahan, while Dancing with the Stars celebrities Brooke Burke, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Kyle Massey were on the Fashion Minga red carpet during L.A. Fashion Week at this club whose motto is: keep it active and deliver the unexpected.
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Susan Zechter is the author of the 2012 Celebrity HotSpots Los Angeles Restaurant Guide: Where Your Fave Celebs Dine, available at Amazon.com along with the newly published companion guide 2012 Celebrity HotSpots Bars and Clubs Guide: Where Your Fave Celebs Party. For more info, visit celebhotspots.com.
