The Dream Downtown may officially open tomorrow, but a handful of New York's elite class have already had their chance to inaugurate it into the party scene. Former publicity director for Dolce & Gabbana Ali Wise and Nylon's Dani Stahl held a birthday bash at The Beach last Thursday.
Black leather banquettes were already in place for a soon-to-open steakhouse, but the hotel also brought in metallic snake skin couches for additional seating. Attendees included Jessica Capshaw, Samantha and Charlotte Ronson, Nicky Hilton, Jennifer Meyer Maguire, Shoshanna Gruss, Stacey Bendet, Brian Atwood, Fabiola Beracasa, Sanaa Lathan, Ann Dexter Jones, Tinsley Mortimer, Jen Brill, and Derek Blasberg.
Dani Stahl, Ali Wise
Anne Dexter-Jones
Bettina Zilkha, Tinsley Mortimer
Fabiola Beracasa, Erica Lasan
Brian Atwood, Dori Cooperman, Nicole Mellon
Guests were given a preview of the hotel while sipping on Rosemary Orange Cocktails and listening to the music of Leigh Lezark who played DJ. The main attraction was the "The Beach," which has a a glass bottomed pool that allows guests in the lobby to see what is going on in the water.
Geordon Nicol, Leigh Lezark
Priya Chatwal, Vikram Chatwal, Ali Wise
So how did the girls get lucky enough to throw their birthday at Dream Downtown? Ali tells FashionEtc:
"Noah [Tepperberg], who runs this place, is one of my oldest friends, and Dani is one of my dearest friends. We always give our birthday party together. This is the first party they're having in this space. They also own Avenue, and our birthday was the first party they had in that space a few years ago; they say we're their good luck charm."
Dani Stahl, Jeffrey Goldstein
Julia Wetherell, Paul Johnson Calderon
Nightspot PH-D will be housed in the hotel and is owned by co-founder of velvet rope clubs Tao, Marquee, Avenue, and LAVO, Noah Tepperberg, along with Rich Wolf, Marc Packer and Jason Strauss. It has already gotten major press for its plans to have a strict door, and they've managed to pull in the cool crowd before they've even officially opened. With a rooftop we've heard rivals the Top of the Standard and the see-though pool, this place could knock the Standard out of its position as coolest nightclub in the city.
Nicky Hilton
Derek Blasberg
Dani and Ali's crew aren't the only ones to have had a preview. Wilhemina models chief Sean Patterson celebrated his 40th birthday there with performances by Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, and a mini Lady Gaga.
[The Newest 'Uber-Tough' Door In Town: PH-D At The Dream Downtown]
[Images via: PatrickMcMullen]