Creating the Sunset Tower Hotel & the San Vicente Bungalows
With Jeff Klein
Hello everyone,
Happy Wednesday. I’m excited to share a special podcast episode for the month of July.
Last summer, a friend of mine mentioned to me that he saw Jeff Klein had been following The Stanza on Instagram. It turns out that Jeff had found The Stanza through my interview with Annabel Schwartz (who used to work at San Vicente Bungalows as director of member relations). Naturally, I asked him if he’d be interested in being interviewed, to which he politely declined as he rarely does interviews, and has never done a podcast.
Back in February, we ended up meeting in person in LA and nerding out over all things hospitality. By the end of the conversation, he agreed to do the podcast with me. In this rare interview, Jeff opens up about his perspective on hospitality and placemaking, and I hope you get as much value out of it as I did.
Enjoy,
Nadine
Huge thank you to Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode (and making the podcast possible this year)! Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com.
Today's guest is Jeff Klein, the hotelier behind the Sunset Tower Hotel and San Vicente Bungalows.
Jeff Klein started his hospitality career in 1993 as a bellman at The Franklin Hotel, where he learned the ropes of running a hotel in various operational roles. His first hotel project was the successful repositioning of a midtown office building into The City Club hotel. After The City Club, Jeff raised capital to acquire the dilapidated Argyle Hotel on Sunset Boulevard, and repositioned it to The Sunset Tower Hotel, an iconic LA destination. The Tower Bar at that hotel was his first restaurant, and remains an elegant destination for celebrities, Hollywood elite, and cultural tastemakers.
In 2013, Jeff acquired the San Vicente Inn, which was a run-down seedy motel in the heart of West Hollywood, and transformed it into the San Vicente Bungalows, an exclusive private members club known for attracting high profile industry executives. Most recently, due to the demand for the privacy and discretion that the club distinctly offers, Jeff has expanded San Vicente Bungalows to Santa Monica on Ocean Boulevard and at the Jane Hotel in New York's West Village.
Jeff is one of the rare hospitality entrepreneurs that has an intuitive understanding of how to buy good real estate and how to curate a timeless experience that fosters longevity and loyalty. In this interview, Jeff shares the stories behind the deals that made his career, and the valuable lessons learned along the way.
Interview Highlights:
How Jeff got his start in hospitality
Creating the Sunset Tower Hotel
Jeff's various investors in Sunset Tower
What makes a great capital partner?
Opening the Monkey Bar with Graydon Carter
The subconscious elements have big impact
The acquisition story behind San Vicente Bungalows
Fundraising challenges with San Vicente Bungalows
Building properties loved by Hollywood
Hospitality is the business of emotions
Lessons about human nature
Advice for emerging hoteliers
Learn more about JK Hotel Group here.
Follow on Instagram: San Vicente Bungalows and Sunset Tower Hotel
Follow The Stanza here.
What a great interview! I love how there is a story part which is always inspiring to hear from founders themselves but also the elemnt of the “how” and “advice” gives so much value.
Great job