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Axed staff at legendary Hollywood haunt Chateau Marmont are furious because they haven’t got any of the $300,000 in funds that was raised to set up to care for them amid the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly all the hotel’s 242 employees were let go in March without insurance or severance after the Los Angeles lockdown began …
Axed staff at legendary Hollywood haunt Chateau Marmont are furious because they haven’t got any of the $300,000 in funds that was raised to set up to care for them amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Nearly all the hotel’s 242 employees were let go in March without insurance or severance after the Los Angeles lockdown began — raising the ire of the LA hospitality union Unite Here Local 11.
As Page Six revealed, owner André Balazs quickly set up a Go Fund Me account to help them and donated $100,000 to it himself.
Others — including Sam Rockwell, Patricia Clarkson, Griffin Dunn and Ryan Murphy — kicked in another $66,822.
Meanwhile, items from the Chateau’s gift shop — including cashmere sweaters and other merchandise — were sold online for the first time to benefit the former staffers. Those sales brought the so-called Chateau Family Fund up to around $300,000.
But we’re told that the ex-employees are furious because they haven’t seen a penny of the cash yet — and urgently need it to live on.
But a spokesperson for the hotel told us exclusively, “On Monday, the Chateau Marmont will begin distribution of the Chateau Family Fund.”
They added, “All employees will receive equitably divided financial support based on seniority, ranging from $350 to over $5,000.”
The news comes after we revealed the hotel plans to re-open to guests soon.
Meanwhile, Hamptons residents are angry that another Balazs property, Sunset Beach on Shelter Island, N.Y., will not reopen this year.
The tony boutique hotel and restaurant only opens in the spring and summer months, but we’re told it’s so small — and gets so busy — that social distancing wouldn’t be possible.
A source on Long Island told us, “Everyone in the Hamptons is moaning. Where will they go to sip rosé?”
