Venue Information

The Scene Andre Balazs, hotelier of Chateau Marmont fame, has turned a former retirement home into the grooviest place to crash on the Strip (Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz are investors). Recognizing that cosmopolitan travelers don't always have wallets to match, Balazs keeps rates surprisingly cheap; rooms start at $99. The Details At once retro and cyberspacey, it's as if Carol Brady and Jane Jetson teamed up to design their dream hotel (think cobalt blue AstroTurf and upside-down signage). The reception-area DJ and "conversation pit"--a corner of the lobby that's carpeted from floor to ceiling in white shag and furnished with low-slung sectionals--make for a cool place to loiter. A mural of Joshua Tree National Park surrounds another lounge area. An almost-naked model-turned-performance artist lies in a glass display case behind the front desk, and swinging acrylic bubble chairs hang in the foyer.