More than two decades ago , Standard Hotels set up shop on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles , establishing a property that was anything but standard for its denizens , which included the glitterati of Hollywood , from the young to the rebellious , to everything in between and beyond . Heck , The Standard branding that adorns properties is written upside down — an allusion to flipping hospitality . The Sunset Blvd . hotel was famously opened by hotelier extraordinaire André Balazs and had initial financial |
backing from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio , Cameron Diaz and Benicio del Toro , among others .
The property closed in 2022 , but Standard International , its parent company , which also includes Bunkhouse Group and The Peri Hotel , and a newly launched “ rebellious sibling ” brand called StandardX , is opening new hotels at a swift clip under the leadership of CEO Amber Asher , who has been with the company for 13 years .
HOTELS spoke to Asher about Standard International ’ s
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growth trajectory , its deep roots and the imprint left by Balazs .
HOTELS : Standard is celebrating 25 years . From the original Standard on Sunset Boulevard to today , how would you characterize the evolution ? Amber Asher : When I started at The Standard 13 years ago , we had four Standard hotels in the U . S .: two in Los Angeles , New York and Miami . The Standard brand flipped hospitality on its head with art , culture and nightlife , while always maintaining an
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irreverent spirit . Now , our footprint is global , adding outposts in London , Maldives , Ibiza , Bangkok and Hua Hin , with Melbourne , Singapore , Brussels , Mexico , Lisbon , Pattaya and Dublin on the way . We are more integrative than ever before . Our cultural impact after 25 years fills us with pride and we still feel like we are just getting started .
HOTELS : How would André Balazs characterize it ? What are the biggest things you learned from him ? Asher : André , and the
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30 hotelsmag . com July / August 2024 |