Look up. Wayyyy up. To the 18th floor of the Park Hyatt where a higher the usual celebrity-to-regular folks ratio during the past two TIFFs has made it the festival’s best place to star spot.
The boldface bounty has included Sean Penn, Ben Affleck, Rachel Weisz, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Mark Ruffalo to name check a few.
So Nikki Beach, the nightclub outfit known for its swanky lounge on the Croisette beach at the Cannes Film Festival, looks extra savvy for scoring the room high above Yorkville for its first go at dominating TIFF nightlife.
Its soft opening was last night. Or this morning actually since the space transitions at midnight from a swishy restaurant where anyone can make a reservation (log on to nikkibeachtoronto.com) to a white-washed VIP lounge designed to infuse the zaniness of the festival with a little zen.
“We want to be the after party spot,” says Dana Berkowitz, Nikki Beach’s publicist whose been drumming up buzz for the lounge’s arrival over the past month. “All those festival events are still work. We want people to come here to have a good time.”
Nikki Beach’s schedule isn’t entirely free of industry mixers. Tonight, America’s Next Top Model judge and photographer Nigel Barker hosts a bash for his A Sealed Fate exhibit and screening and the Abu Dhabi Film Commission has booked the space for their party on Sunday.[rssbreak]
TIFF 2009 – Nikki Beach Party at Park Hyatt
All Images © Michael Watier
