FUCK YOU

Is nothing sacred? After my little write up about my two free and lovely dinners to Trader Vic's at the Beverly Hills Hilton I came across this upsetting piece of news in the L.A. Busines Journal:

"Trader Vic's Threatened
We've been hearing rumours and bits and pieces of this news for a couple years - It's now become official. A local developer is planning to demolish Trader Vic's, along with the Beverly Hills Hilton's executive conference center, Oasis Court, and the 514-space parking garage. The recently remodeled landmark 1950s hotel would remain.

The owner of the Beverly Hilton is planning to bulldoze parts the famed hotel to make way for luxury residences, according to a report obtained by the Business Journal.

Packard Bell co-founder Beny Alagem, who paid $130 million for the 569-room hotel two years ago from entertainment mogul Merv Griffin, wants to knock-down Trader Vic’s Restaurant and Bar, the executive conference center, the Oasis Court and the hotel’s 514-space parking garage.

On those sites Alagem would build two 13-story buildings containing 96 condominiums, a 104-unit, 15-story condo hotel and 96 hotel rooms in two 3-story structures. The hotel’s parking would be put underground and increased to 1,422 spaces, to meet Beverly Hills’ codes.

Though the main 353-room, 8-story tower designed by noted architect Welton Beckett would remain, the plans would result in a net reduction of 96 hotel rooms."

Vic's has been at that location for 51 years! This is another example of people having no sense of history. I am for progress but not when it ignores the past and tears down landmark institutions that become part of the fabric of a city. Tearing Vic's down just to build condos? It's really sad. The only good news is that the locals are not very happy with this decision so hopefully something can happen there. I am going to do everything I can. In the mean time, Packard Bell computers sucked and so does this plan. Fuck you Beny Alagem.