Put some Chateau Marmont swag in your bag and help its laid-off staff
Hoodies, T-shirts, keychains and other gift-shop merchandise emblazoned with the name and logo of the Chateau Marmont, once available only at the hotel, now can be purchased online, with all profits going to support the recently laid-off staff of the storied West Hollywood landmark.
Items currently on offer at shop.chateaumarmont.com range from a four-piece bath amenities set ($55, “The fragrance ... evokes the luscious gardens surrounding the Chateau’s hidden paths”) to cashmere sweaters created in collaboration with London-based fashion designer Bella Freud ($550), as well as $65 soy-wax candles, $85 logo tees, $125 silk-tasseled brass keychains and $250 hotel bathrobes.
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Proceeds from sales will go to the Chateau Marmont Family Fund, a GoFundMe effort started by the hotel to assist impacted workers. According to a hotel representative, the money will be distributed equally among affected staff members.
If hotel swag isn’t your jam, you can show your support by buying a gift card at the online gift shop or donate directly to the fund. (As of this writing, 180 direct donations totaling $163,162 have been made.)
In late March, after the COVID-19 pandemic had pushed hotel occupancy rates across Southern California below 30%, the Chateau Marmont abruptly fired most of its staff with no severance pay and only a brief extension of health benefits.
On the fund’s GoFundMe page, the hotel’s owner, André Balazs, noted that a number of guests remain in residence and that the rabbit warren of cottages dotting the 91-year-old hotel’s grounds have been offered up to the physicians of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center while they are providing healthcare services at the hospital.
The L.A. proposal would require hotels and sports arenas that recently imposed layoffs to offer those jobs to their former employees once they start rehiring.
A longtime celebrity haunt, the Sunset Boulevard landmark hotel has had its share of fashion moments over the years, hosting high-profile events such as GQ’s Men of the Year party and CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund runway shows.
It also inspired a Gucci resort 2019 capsule collection. The Italian luxury label’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, is a regular hotel guest.
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