Voters Reject Cheval Blanc Beverly Hills Hotel

Welcome to California, where NIMBYs hold sway over everything and are the reason the state finds itself in an epic housing crisis — due to a decades-long undersupply of market-rate homes/apartments.

Or in this case it’s more like BANANA: Build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone.

@Kevin M, while that is definitely true, I don't think rejecting an ultra-luxury hotel that only the top 0.1% can afford to stay at is exactly comparable. It wouldn't have eased the housing crisis in any way (and in fact would take land away from a potential housing site).

That said, people should be able to build what they want to build within reason.

I would disagree with the NIMBY characterization. I would characterize it as exhaustion. I'm not saying I think the vote was the right decision but I understand the arguments. All of the public safety unions were for the project. Rodeo Drive (and the surrounding area) has been a construction yard for years. Chanel *just* finished a multi-year construction project that involved the demolition of a few structures, the raising of a behemoth new storefront, constant noise, and endless grit discharged into the air. Right across the street, Cartier *just* started a multi-year construction project that will be on par with the Chanel project. Then, there is the tenant improvement construction resulting from stores moving from one space to another. Easily, a dozen stores have moved in the past year or so.

I suspect that the only reason voters rejected this plan is because only 32% of the electorate turned out to vote. These special elections regularly attract the most ardent supporters of the issue at hand who by their numbers in a small turnout can get something voted down that perhaps the electorate as a whole would have supported. Those who supported the project but didn’t bother to vote only have themselves to blame.

It'd be beyond ironic if the next proposal is to tear it all down and build more retail. IIRC, that was the former site of the Luxe Hotel.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills took several years to get approved. They just need to keep trying.

A hotel union, Unite Here Local 11, leading the petition drive to vote against a new hotel................. why is the union leadership against a new hotel?

Great Job! Scaring away businesses, smart plan!

A tale as old as time... fringe wackjobs are the most ardent voters.

Remember how they voted against the metro construction and spent millions campaigning against it on the grounds it was dangerous or only poor people use public transport who they don’t want, despite them cleaning their homes and working in retail and restaurants. Only to lose.

The “ purple line” is presently being built under Wilshire with stops at La Cienega and Rodeo.

BH resident here. The yard signs were probably 80+% in favor and so were the community WhatsApp chats so I can only assume that it failed to pass due to a well organized opposition.

The Luxe hotel is further down Rodeo. LVMH purchased that recently. Currently vacant IIRC.

No way the intersection of Rodeo and Santa Monica would be anything but commercial. This is not a residential area to build housing on.

I suspect there is more to this, knowing how the BH community operates. Beverly Hills was Beverly Hills before the Dubais of the world, when Tehran, Caracas (Rio) and other places held sway with the global jetset.

Beverly Hills will always be Beverly Hills, but honestly, this hotel could open in West Hollywood or Santa Monica - and do gangbuster business, without the global cache of BH yesteryear fame.

As someone else mentioned, the Waldorf took forever to be built, and disruption on SM Blvd was kept to a minimum. I suspect this hotel will get built once the local mafia Turks of BH and CC get their pockets lined enough.

As a Los Angeles resident, I completely agree.

The NIMBY turnout is strong. With nothing but time, they come out in droves to block anything that's not single-family large lot development, increasing the need for cars in town.

It's a fascinating thing that you can't really understand until you get here. People would rather have vacant lots and undeveloped retail spaces than something that would help residents.

And even if it is zoned for residential, only the top 0.0001% will be able to afford a property there. Would be hilarious if they end up building social housing over there. Bet the residents would go bonkers!

Lmao how did NIMBYS have this much power, they complain so much, no wonder infrastructure in this country sucks, rejecting airports, rejecting high-speed rails, rejecting metro expansion, rejecting power plants, and now rejecting a freaking hotel? No wonder this country is going in the backwards direction.

I’m in Beverly Hills. The residents turned down the project because Bella Hadid is an antisemite and LVMH has her on payroll. That is the true story. You should update your article.