Where Haute Holiday Cheer Will Be Spread

You may be sweltering in your sun block, but in the social world, the holiday season is upon us. If you haven’t booked an inspired location for your charity / business / family holiday party by now, you may be too late. The reason is that everyone ferrets out the hot new places at the same time.

The very same people make has-beens out of locales still in their infancy. Without inflicting the pain of naming the passe ones, let’s just say that every event planner in town must have held court at the museum that suddenly worked so beautifully. And there was the music club. And the studio. And so on.

Now a new group of magnetic locales has emerged.

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Spago Beverly Hills: This one is a no-brainer since Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff have the golden touch. Open since April, Spago Beverly Hills booked 61 private parties in June alone. The private dining room holds 88, or, when an etched glass paneled accordion is put to work, it can be down-sized for smaller gatherings. The New Yorker magazine, “The Tonight Show,” the Colleagues, Saks Fifth Avenue and producer John Davis have held parties there. Almost every weekend in December is booked, says Pam Brunson, director of special events.

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Merv Griffin Hangar: The Gucci gala, a fund-raiser for AIDS Project Los Angeles, not only launched Merv Griffin’s hangar at the Santa Monica Airport in style, but apparently gave it the sure stamp of power chic when the hangar was transformed with a fashion show stage and a Studio 54-type nightclub for the night. Gucci’s Tom Ford is said to have personally selected the place, as if it were a bolt of black silk that caught his eye.

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. It’s a great venue,” says Paul Cunliffe, senior vice president of Merv Griffin Productions, a new event planning company owned by the onetime entertainer. “I took [Ford] to almost every conceivable site in L.A.--from the Music Center Plaza to the equestrian center in Burbank to the old May Company, to underneath one of the highways downtown, to sound stages, to Griffith Park Observatory. You name it, we saw it.”

For those who aren’t rocket scientists, when the hangar is empty, it is “just four walls,” a blank canvas to a party designer’s eye, and can accommodate 2,500 for a sit-down dinner.

Though the proprietors are “barraged with interest,” the hangar won’t be easy to reserve. “We’re being particular about what comes in. We want to keep it very exclusive,” Cunliffe says.

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Hollywood American Legion Post 43: Built in 1929, the American Legion has yet another lease on life. Due to pent-up interest since the long-running play “Tamara” left the premises in 1993, the legionnaires hired a special events administrator three years ago.

“Our business has increased 15% to 20% a year,” says Terry Duddy, who holds the title. Steven Spielberg’s father’s birthday party and last year’s BMG Grammy party are among the noteworthy events at the site. A national historic monument, the Egyptian revival structure, with its Moroccan Deco bars and anterooms, holds 1,100. To the delight of many event planners, Hollywood American Legion boasts a professional kitchen, an auditorium, even shower rooms.

That’s not all. “There’s an aura about the building because of its memorial status, and the people who have given their lives for the United States watch over all of our activities,” Duddy says. The nonprofit organization also contributes large parts of its fees to service organizations. Some open dates are available in December.

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The Beach: Albeit better suited for a Labor Day bash than Christmas dinner, L.A.’s beaches have been discovered by brides, corporate event planners, even restaurants and hotels for entertaining clients. Peak season: May through September. Preferred beaches: Point Dume (just below the bluff) and Will Rogers (northern end, level with the parking lot--ideal for caterers).

Groups of more than 50 people or “out of the ordinary” events, including those that are catered, require a $150 beach use permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors ([310] 305-9565). In addition, a $1 million general liability insurance certificate must be issued to same, priced from $160 to $255 depending on the group size. (The department will write the policy for you.)

“People want to get out on the beach and enjoy the great outdoors,” confirms Pat Ryan, president of Party Planners West. “You can do a great casual party for 500. Generally a tent is provided for food service.

“Beach parties,” Ryan adds, “start a little earlier and end earlier.”

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The Mondrian: Miramax’s Academy Awards fest for a cast of thousands put the Sunset Strip’s Mondrian Hotel on the map. Since then, Keenen Ivory Wayans and Magic Johnson announced their television shows there, Hugo Boss unveiled a new line, and Robin Williams and Billy Crystal celebrated the premiere of “Father’s Day.” Great big to-dos take place in the outdoor lobby. This area, including the fashionable SkyBar, poolside and terrace, can hold 400.

An arbor of potted ficus trees has proven to be a desirable spot for weddings. The only problem is, the area wasn’t designed for throwing parties. Its main function is to accommodate hotel guests and SkyBar patrons, says the hotel’s Tim Miller. “It’s obviously a great space for parties, and we have parties there, but it’s not our primary goal,” Miller says by way of explaining that parties are being booked only on a “case by case” basis. Two hotel penthouses that can comfortably receive 50 people are less selectively available.

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Crustacean: “It’s different. It’s fun. You walk right over these fish. It’s very cool,” says professional event planner Sharon Sacks, of Sacks Productions, of the new Eurasian seafood restaurant in Beverly Hills. “I haven’t booked a party there yet, but I’d like to.”

Movie studios, talent agents and the trade paper Variety are among those who have held parties at the French Colonial-style space with its dazzling koi stream topped with tempered glass that forms a pathway through the 8-month-old restaurant. Melanie Griffith’s name is in the books for an upcoming benefit for the Follow Your Heart Foundation.

Private parties take place on the balcony level, which accommodates 85 for a sit-down dinner, 200 for cocktails. Two different hosts have booked the entire restaurant in September.

The food lends itself to conviviality. Most dinners involve nine to 10 courses, and the place serves signature cocktails including 25 kinds of martinis and a Mekong Colada with coconut infused vodka, plum wine, lime juice, pineapple and “coconut dust.”

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Chasen’s: Follow along closely. When the original Chasen’s passed away in 1995, it was transformed into a popular site for grand soirees. Now, the restaurant has reemerged under a new owner, also in Beverly Hills. The original Chasen’s site is still available for events--it’s been renamed Chasen’s Events--but so is the new one.

Due to popular demand, the new Chasen’s is expanding next door to open a private party room that will seat 80. It is scheduled to open in December, and only a few dates remain available that month. Meanwhile, the new Chasen’s intimate Maude’s Room, which holds 18, continues to be reserved every day, says general manager Freddy Kernbach.

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Hollywood Entertainment Museum: Featuring exhibits that tell the history of the movie industry here, the 11-month-old museum is in the heart of Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard.

The American Film Institute held its Los Angeles International Film Festival opening night party there, and Christopher Reeve’s fan club convened inside for a celebration. Corporations, banks and even one San Fernando Valley religious school have held events there too.

“It’s fun to see the ‘Cheers’ set,” says Inna Poncher of Poko Event Production. The famed television bar will be up through May. The Enterprise bridge from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” is a permanent installation. Capacity: 900. Two screening rooms with seating for 50 each have just been completed. Those are booked through December.