The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel » General http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:34:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Beer Me! http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/11/08/beer-me/ http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/11/08/beer-me/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:02:21 +0000 Bruce Gorelick http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/?p=1031 Angelenos we really have it made. About 329 days of sunshine, Hollywood Bowl, a plethora of cultures and cuisines, the Lakers. In addition,  we have been slowly but surely building a fleet of breweries. The newest edition is Golden Road Brewing.

Located just 5 miles away on the edge of Los Feliz and Atwater Village the young owners are making quite a name for themselves. Lucky for us, the Renaissance Hollywood will carry two of Golden Road Brewing’s beers on tap.

The Renaissance Hollywood will be serving up Golden Road Brewing’s “Point the Way IPA,” which will pair beautifully with the Butter Based Filet or Black Truffle Risotto. Or, try their Hefeweizen, with Blue Ribbon’s BBQ Pork Sliders or the Salmon Toast while you’re watching Luca Ellis in the Lobby Bar.

Stop in for a brew, we’ll have one waiting for you.

This is Bruce, signing off.

]]> http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/11/08/beer-me/feed/ 0 The Coterie @ The Renaissance Hollywood http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/11/04/the-coterie-the-renaissance-hollywood/ http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/11/04/the-coterie-the-renaissance-hollywood/#comments Sat, 05 Nov 2011 04:07:37 +0000 Bruce Gorelick http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/?p=1029 Faithful followers and curious browsers, I must vent to you. The other day at a party while deep in conversation with friends, I was interrupted by an acquaintance’s suggestion that I falsified my blog posts. (Insert gasp). I was shocked, appalled then furious. How could anyone accuse me of such a thing?! I suppressed the part of me that wanted to introduce this man to my fists and took the high road. The road they should probably just refer to as the Bruce Gorelick Highway. All this speculation for a man that once was asked by Andrew Lloyd Webber of Cats fame (the musical not the feline) to share his story on stage. That’s right, old Brucey was asked to turn his life full of action and adventure into a Broadway play. I ultimately decided not to go through with it. I want there to be intrigue and mystery surrounding my life, besides I don’t think they could afford the pyrotechnics needed for that little incident in the Caribbean in ’92.

Although, I lost my shot at Broadway doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a great musical, which is why I couldn’t be happier about the Renaissance Hollywood’s partnership with cabaret concert producers The Coterie. On various nights throughout the week, Twist Restaurant will be transformed into a chic, luxurious supper club, showcasing the best and brightest talent from Broadway, Film, Television, Comedy and all genres of Music.

Starting the month off right, Emmy-winng composer/songwriter Lance Horne held his “First Things Last” songbook release party at Renaissance’s Twist during Coterie.  He was joined by comedienne Margaret Cho, Milena Govich, Kathryn Gallagher, Julie Garnye. Everyone was surprised when Ricki Lake  joined after her Dancing with the Stars performance.  It was a GLEEful crowd when Darren Criss joined in with his ode to girl power, “The Coolest Girl.”

November the Renaissance Hollywood welcomes Boubliland Schonberg’s Les Miserables: Unplugged produced by Jordan Beck. The show will play on November 3. 4. 12 & 13 at 8:30 pm in the Renaissance Hollywood’s Twist Restaurant. For more information visit www.thecoterieLA.com.

You’re not going to want to miss anything. Our new RLife LIVE Calendar will be coming out this week, a great resource to be in the know for our upcoming shows.  The Coterie has transformed the old Twist into an incredible RLife LIVE venue.

Oh and if you’re wondering how my encounter ended with that vile gentleman that made such harsh accusations. I simply smiled politely and answered, “I guess you’ll never know.”

This is Bruce, signing off.

]]> http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/11/04/the-coterie-the-renaissance-hollywood/feed/ 0 The Art of Friendship http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/08/29/the-art-of-friendship/ http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/08/29/the-art-of-friendship/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2011 04:44:47 +0000 Bruce Gorelick http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/?p=1014 Just the other day I was enjoying lunch with two old friends, Rudolph Giuliani and current Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë. We had friendly debates over our hometowns ranging from who had the best street food (LA) and who had the most tourists (Paris). To completely absurd topics such as who has the most traffic (NYC).

Things took a turn for the worst when not one of us could come to an agreement over which city had the best collection of art. “Think about the Met” cried Giuliani. “What about the Louvre?” proclaimed Delanoë. The argument went on and on until we arrived at the agreement to just disagree. The three of us left the restaurant on an unfriendly note. Perhaps calling the Mona Lisa fat was in poor taste. But seriously, how could these two elitists overlook MOCA, LACMA and the Getty?! I eventually moved passed the argument. That was until the Pacific Standard Time: Art in LA. 1945-1980. Check and mate boys.

What is Pacific Standard Time you ask? Not just a time zone my friends, the Pacific Standard Time is collaboration between 60 cultural institutions across Southern California celebrating the birth of the L.A. art scene and the iconic artists who shaped many of today’s trends both nationally and internationally. This first time collaboration is monumental! Never before has any metropolitan area ever mobilized all its cultural institutions this way (take that NYC!). The project’s mission is to uncover the largely hidden historical record of Southern California art and present its richness and diversity.

Because the Renaissance Hollywood knows a good thing when we see it, we are offering a deluxe guest room, valet parking, breakfast for two and passes for participating Pacific Standard Time museums. Rate program for this package is ECEO, internet code is CUE.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some gloating to do. This is Bruce, signing off

]]> http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/08/29/the-art-of-friendship/feed/ 1 Come One, Come All http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/07/05/come-one-come-all/ http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/07/05/come-one-come-all/#comments Wed, 06 Jul 2011 06:32:19 +0000 Bruce Gorelick http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/?p=1000 I’m rarely impressed and never easily excited. I remember my trip to the Vatican, gazing up at the Sistine Chapel and thinking mmmmmm okay. Not that the art work isn’t amazing, which it is; it just did not blow my figurative skirt up. Now given my high enthusiasm tolerance, imagine my surprise when I was completely blown away by a little Canadian entertainment company called Cirque du Soleil. Ever heard of them?

I can go on explaining how fantastic the costumes are, how skilled their performers and how the music evoked every human emotion out of me. But I won’t, instead I will let you be the judge with this clip.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”349″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/MFU1yR3-X4M?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

See, what I’m talking about?! My excitement level was raised even further when I found out Cirque du Soleil’s IRIS – A Journey Through the World of Cinema is the new resident show in my very own ‘hood, at the Kodak Theatre. It all starts on July 21st. To celebrate IRIS coming to town the Renaissance Hollywood is offering a Cirque du Soleil package.

We are throwing in:

- Deluxe room accommodations*

- Breakfast for 2 adults in Twist

- Complimentary Valet Parking per night

- 25 percent off regular performance ticket price

- 25th Anniversary Cirque Du Soleil complimentary iTunes CD (exclusive to the Renaissance Hollywood)

Need more info? Visit http://www.renaissancehollywood.com/, or http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/iris/default.aspx OR follow us on Twitter or Facebook for updates.

*Because there is always fine print:

*Booking dates are July 21-September 24, 2011

*Rate is based on availability and is subject to blackout dates.

*Offer cannot be used with any other discount or promotion, and

cannot be used for 10 or more rooms.

Make sure to come see the new Cirque du Soleil IRIS – A Journey Through the World of Cinema at the Kodak Theatre.  I have gotten a few sneak peaks when they asked me to give pointers to the acrobats.  The show looks absolutely fantastic.  I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.  Or come stay with us and make night of it.  You even get to eat our fabulous breakfast buffet or have some lemon soufflé pancakes (my personal favorite) the next morning.  And the best part of it all. . . . . . you don’t have to travel to Rome to check it out.

This is Bruce signing off.

]]> http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/07/05/come-one-come-all/feed/ 0 Hollywood…where the summer is easy http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/06/08/hollywood-where-the-summer-is-easy/ http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/06/08/hollywood-where-the-summer-is-easy/#comments Thu, 09 Jun 2011 04:34:47 +0000 Bruce Gorelick http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/?p=996 Summer has hit my friends, time for beach trips and barbecues.

Summer is also infamous for that yearly voyage that both delights and frights; the family summer vacation. Of course we all love quality time with the family but the process of figuring out how to please each individual member is something I personally could do without.

I remember a summer from my youth when my parents took the Gorelick clan on a classified mission to Russia. Sure it is fun to see your parents outsmart Leonid Brezhnev, but the Soviet Union as a kid is just a tad boring.

Learn from my family’s mistake and head to Hollywood this year where there is something for everybody. For example track down a celebrity’s star at the Walk of Fame.  Take a picture with a wax replica of your favorite star at Madame Tussaud’s Hollywood, the figures are so realistic you may be able to fool your friends into thinking it is the real deal. Enjoy a family friendly Disney movie in the historical movie palace of El Capitan Theatre. And my personal Hollywood must-do this summer is catching a preview performance of Cirque du Soleil’s Iris at the Kodak Theatre. The best part (I know you’re thinking how could this possibly get better) is that all of this is conveniently located within walking distance of our fabulous hotel and the Hollywood and Highland Center.

No matter what your family’s interests may be, everyone can agree that you need to eat. Take the family to one of the many eateries in the Hollywood and Highland Center. New to the block is LA Boho, Hollywood’s first gastro pub, Rolling Stone LA, the first venture into the restaurant club scene from my personal favorite rock magazine and the latest star of America’s Next Top Restaurant fame- Soul Daddy.

Hollywood is a one stop-spot to make all sorts of family memories.  Put down the charcoal, leave the swimsuits in the drawer for a weekend and have a fun, Hollywood hip, urban, family vacation.  Our cast members will be waiting to treat you like a celebrity.

This is Bruce signing off, wishing you and your loved ones a terrific summer.

]]> http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/06/08/hollywood-where-the-summer-is-easy/feed/ 1 Mother Dearest http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/05/04/mother-dearest/ http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/05/04/mother-dearest/#comments Wed, 04 May 2011 15:48:51 +0000 Bruce Gorelick http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/?p=982 Mom, madre, mutter, mere….what am I talking about? Mothers of course. Let me tell you something about mine, she’s the best…ever. I beg you to find me another mom, besides my own, who successfully taught her child to speak four different languages by the time they were four. No moms coming to mind? That’s because mine is the best. Which is why she deserves the best, which is also why  I will be bringing her to the KJAZZ Mother’s Day Brunch at the Renaissance Hollywood this Sunday, May 9th.

The all you can eat brunch will feature your classic breakfast foods.  A waffle station with berry and whipped cream topping, an omelet station, cold smoked Norwegian salmon, various breakfast meats and cheeses, traditional eggs benedict, herbed seasoned potatoes and enough fruit to keep the doctor away for life.

We’ll also be carving up prime rib with au jus sauce and roast rack of lamb with blackberry sage reduction.

The hot station will include herb roasted chicken, pistachio crusted sea-bass, caramelized onion smashed potatoes, rice pilaf, medley of grilled vegetables and potato & leek soup.

I am only getting started. At the cold station there will be a full salad bar, taco shimi crisp, buttery poached shrimp, spicy Italian panzanella salad with grilled chicken, fresh Caprese salad and a Waldorf salad.

I hope you didn’t think we forgot about the kiddies. Their taste buds will be tantalized with the kids’ pancake making station, allowing them to create their own masterpiece. Who knows maybe we will help create the next Wolfgang Puck or Rachael Ray.

RenHollywood will also dish up desserts almost as sweet as momma herself. Better save room for our pecan tarts, mixed fruit tarts, passion fruit cake, tiramisu, Zucotto (an Italian chocolate cake) and assorted mini pastries. 

To wet your pallet we will be serving coffee, tea, juice, soda, milk, water and of course mimosas.

For yours and mom’s musical enjoyment Judy Wexler will perform. Deemed by JazzTimes “as one of the most focused, unpretentious, no-nonsense, bop oriented jazz singers around,”

The brunch will be this Sunday, May 8, from 10 am to 2 pm (music will start at 11). $44.95 for adults, $21.95 for kids 12 and under, free for children 6 and under. Reservations can be made by calling 323-491-1000 or visiting www.jazzandblue.org

]]> http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/05/04/mother-dearest/feed/ 0 And the Award Goes To… http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/02/24/and-the-award-goes-to/ http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/02/24/and-the-award-goes-to/#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2011 01:27:12 +0000 Bruce Gorelick http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/?p=960 You feel that energy in the air hanging above Hollywood? If you’re a Los Angeles native you know what I am talking about. It’s that excitement that can only be sparked by those long days of anticipation leading up to the Oscars.

Now take that energy and multiply it by 3, then take that to the fifth power and you have a fraction of the excitement that we folks at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel  & Spa experience. With our lovely neighbors, the Kodak Theatre, hosting the annual event, we get front rows seats to the hustle and bustle that goes along with this spectacular event.

However this year it is a little hard for me to watch the Oscars. I think about what could have been if I had not let Mark Wahlberg have The Fighter. Originally, David O. Russell or O’Russ as I prefer to call him, approached me for the lead role since my body is already in pristine boxing condition. After preparing Muhammad Ali for the Rumble in the Jungle, I have never lost my boxing prowess or fabulous physique. Following his Fight of the Century, The Great One was having a hard time finding sparring partners. That was until he heard of an up and coming, recreational boxer, that boxer was me. We would train for hours upon hours. Let me tell you something, Ali may float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, but both of those things could be stopped with some BRUCE force. This one time…Wait a minute, I was telling another story. 

Oh yeah, The Fighter role. Well, I had to really consider my options. Which is more important to me, my potential acting career or maintaining the greatness of the Renaissance Hollywood? Ren Hollywood always K.O.s competitors in my heart. 

Despite my miss at Oscar greatness I am generally excited about all the nominees this year. We’re seeing some fresh new faces light up the silver screen and old favorites remind us why they still command that star power. With an Oscar nod to street artist Banksy, our little Hollywood is finding that its street walls are now elevated to galleries. It is a great time of year to live or visit Hollywood. I wouldn’t trade it for all the Best Actor nominations in the world.

Now if you don’t mind, I will be strolling across the street to the Kodak Theatre to see them prep for the Oscars.

This is Bruce, signing off.

]]> http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/02/24/and-the-award-goes-to/feed/ 1 Sweet Tweets Contest http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/01/30/sweet-tweets-contest/ http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/01/30/sweet-tweets-contest/#comments Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:36:58 +0000 Bruce Gorelick http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/?p=949 If you’re reading this, chances are you saw our Facebook or Twitter post that we’re having a Valentine’s Day contest giveaway. If not then you just stumbled onto a great offer, lucky you.

This Valentine’s season my heart is filled with so much joy. Couldn’t be happier with the missus or the Renaissance Hollywood for that matter, so I want to pass along the love and fortune and give away one of our Romance Package to a lucky couple in our Sweet Tweets contest.

The package includes

• Deluxe room accommodations for two at the Renaissance Hollywood
• Complimentary breakfast for two at Twist
• Chilled bottle of sparkling wine and truffles upon arrival
• Late check-out.
• Valet parking

The package is usually $289, but for you it could be free.

All you need to do is visit our Twitter (if you’re not following us, now would be a good time) retweet “Sweet Tweets Contest: Win a Romance Package for Valentinte’s Day, retweet to enter. Visit our blog for more details.”

And ta-da you will be entered to win our Sweet Tweets contest. Now isn’t that easy? Contest will begin January 31st and will end at 5pm on February 1st. Only one retweet per person, meaning numerous retweets will NOT increase your chances at winning. Winner will be randomly selected and announced February 3rd on Twitter and Facebook. Must be 18 or older to win.

Best of luck to you all.

]]> http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/01/30/sweet-tweets-contest/feed/ 0 The Smell of Success…and Cupcakes http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/01/27/the-smell-of-success-and-cupcakes/ http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/01/27/the-smell-of-success-and-cupcakes/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:44:49 +0000 Bruce Gorelick http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/?p=946 In all of us lies the need to be competitive; an undeniable urge to be better than someone else. Don’t fool yourself, we all have it. I for one have been known to divulge in my competitive side.

For example the time Lance Armstrong was determined to prove that he was a better bicyclist than me. I don’t like to step on toes or anything. Lance has his bikes and his little races, I have the Renaissance Hollywood. We’re both amazing at what we do why the need to compete? But he kept pushing and pushing and pushing until enough was enough. I had to silence him and his Madone SL, so I agreed to participate in this little competition of his. It was to be a bike race to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro; first one to the top was the undisputed champion.  I won, naturally, but I also learned something about myself. Sometimes you need that competitive nudge to push you to do your best. Had Lance not baited me I would never have known I could make it up Kilimanjaro on bike. The part where I did it with no hands was just a little Gorelick flair I threw in.

Not only do I love to surrender to my competitive nature I love to be a spectator and watch others compete. Whether it’s at a fencing tournament or the exclusive invite only, underwater Great White Shark races, now those jockeys really want to win. However the sweetest competition for me is one that involves, well sweets. This is why I adore DrinkEatPlay’s annual Cupcake Challenge.

It is a real Battle Royale except with cupcakes! In this cut throat pastry fight, competitors from all over the great city of Los Angeles put their cupcakes to the challenge in a fight to determine once and for all who the best is. Past years have included traditional favorites such as red velvet to more original creations like peanut butter and jelly. Unfortunately my all time favorite cupcake the Palazzo’s Decadence D’Or will not be in the competition. How you can have a cupcake challenge without a chocolate cupcake sprinkled with Tahitian Gold Vanilla Caviar is beyond me.

The event will be held at the Renaissance Hollywood on February 5th from 4-7pm, need tickets and more information check out DrinkEatPlay’s website at http://www.drinkeatplay.com/cupcakechallenge/.

Until next time my sweets, this is Gorelick signing off.

]]> http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/01/27/the-smell-of-success-and-cupcakes/feed/ 0 Hello, Hola, Buon giorno, Guten Tag, Ello Mate! http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/01/08/hello-hola-buon-giorno-guten-tag-ello-mate/ http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/2011/01/08/hello-hola-buon-giorno-guten-tag-ello-mate/#comments Sat, 08 Jan 2011 19:43:09 +0000 Bruce Gorelick http://blog.renaissancehollywood.com/?p=943 If someone were to ask me when my favorite time of year was, without hesitation my reply would be right now, yes, right here and now. Mid-January comes as such a relief. You can wind down from the holiday high, the air is crisp and light and above all the International Wine Festival is here. For many, Christmas comes during the end of December, but for a cultured man like yours truly, the REAL gift receiving comes courtesy of the International Wine Festival. Only there am I able to sample wines from Italy, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, Australia, Israel, France, New Zealand and beyond.

Every year I am greeted by old memories from my travels abroad. Each sample of pinot noir I am reminded about the time I gave Coco Chanel fashion advice. I’m happy that she took my words of wisdom; the little black dress is really all you need. With every taste of an Australian Riesling I can still feel the pain from the time I boxed a kangaroo on a bet (Crowe you still owe me.)

Typically I prefer to sip on a Spanish Cava beachside at my late-spring, early summer house off the Bay of Biscay. Soccer or “futbol” star Andres Iniesta is a usual guest at Casa de Gorelick and let me tell you that guy can really pack away the tapas. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to tell him “no mas.” Kid just doesn’t know when to quit, that’s what I love about him.

However there is something to be said for staying in your own area code and enjoy some well balanced wine paired with some fine cheese. Pretty quaint I would say. The International Wine Festival saves you the time and money of traveling and brings the best wines from around the world to you. Sponsored by DrinkEatPlay and the Renaissance Hollywood, admission is a cool $60 and includes an assortment of cheeses, desserts and bread, unlimited sampling of hand selected wine from K&L Merchants.  The event will be on Jan 15th from 5-8pm at the Renaissance Hollywood. Visit http://www.drinkeatplay.com/intlwinefestival/ for more information.

Until then, this is Senor Gorelick signing off.

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