A New Private Members Club Opens in Beverly Hills Thursday: A First Look at Gravitas, a 28,000-Square-Foot Space
There’s a new members club in town. And this one is located in Beverly Hills for a change.
Los Angeles has seen the rise of private clubs, with the expansion of Soho House, the unveiling of San Vicente Bungalows (which is opening a new location in Santa Monica, Calif., this fall), Heimat, Hume, Groundfloor — and Adam Gold’s upcoming Living Room club — but they’ve largely been in West Hollywood, the west side, east side or downtown L.A.
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Gravitas, on the corner of North Camden Drive and South Santa Monica Boulevard near Gagosian and Cipriani, is in prime Beverly Hills, bringing newness to the upscale city. Entrepreneurs Brandon Steven of Brandon Steven Motors and Seth Glassman of Glassman Hospitality are behind the concept, an impressive 28,000-square-foot space with dining, entertainment, high-end amenities and a concierge service. Josh Hering, previously of Mother Wolf, will oversee the day-to-day management of the club.
Housed in a former Wells Fargo building, built in 1972, Gravitas has been three years in the making. (Construction kicked off two years ago.)
“Honestly, at first it was just a restaurant,” Glassman said of the project. “Then, a few months later, we started talking about a club. And then we just kept adding on.”
Designed by Kelly Architects, upon entrance inside, guests are greeted in an open-air garden bar featuring a retractable roof and heated floors. To the left, also downstairs, is “The Vault” (formerly housing a Wells Fargo vault), a separate area that showcases another bar and a 380-bottle wine locker where select members can store their private collections (using a digital, biometric security system).
A staircase leads to the second level, entering “The Loft” — a sprawling, more intimate area with low ceilings, private dining rooms, a conference room and a recording studio. A communal lounge in the center displays a grand 28-foot by 7-foot LED screen and a stage for live entertainment. Shows are expected nightly, ranging from acoustic sets to DJs.
“It’s just about getting the right type of community, a diverse community from all different sectors,” Glassman said of membership.
Prices start at $4,000 a year for those under 30. Then, there’s a “resident membership” at $5,500 annually and a “spousal membership” for two at $7,500 annually; all three have an initiation fee of $2,500. At the very top is “G.E.M.” status (standing for Gravitas elite membership, price upon request), offering priority reservations on dining, bookings, access to the wine locker and private G.E.M. booths, equipped with Bluetooth and a call button for direct access to staff.
Services will include the “G-Car,” providing direct personal rides to and from the club, as well as the “Car Club,” giving members access to luxury cars through its concierge.
“You want to potentially rent a car and take it up to Monterey for the weekend? You could do that as a member,” Glassman said. “It’s about convenience, to make it really easy for the member. I think that’s what they appreciate most — everywhere but especially in Beverly Hills — it’s like, ‘I don’t even need to call my assistant to make a reservation. Gravitas will take care of it.’”
Chef Preston Madson (formerly of Barbuto, Freemans and Il Buco Alimentari) is behind the culinary program, serving California-inspired dishes with Mediterranean and Asian influences. The menu includes sushi, steak from Creekstone Farms, with a wagyu selection sourced in Australia and Japan, the Gravitas Club Sandwich, gnocchi, chicken parmigiana and flatbread pizzas.
Among the signature cocktails are the G.E.M., with Amante aperitivo, lychee, yuzu, rose and sparkling coconut water; Agua Fresca, with shishito-infused tequila, pear brandy, spirulina, citrus and elderflower tonic, and the G Martini, with gin, pear vodka, dill vermouth, caper brine and celery bitters. Beverage is overseen by sommelier Raphael Guirguis and mixologist Yael Vengroff.
“It’s the end of the tunnel, a sigh of relief,” Glassman said of opening. “But I also recognize the fact that the work is just starting.”
Located at 435 North Camden Drive, Gravitas is online at gravitasclub.com.
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