Beverly Hills residents vote against Bernard Arnault’s luxury hotel project: the world’s richest man will scrap Cheval Blanc Hotel on Rodeo Drive amid congestion and view obstruction criticisms

May 30 , 2023

A Rodeo Drive street sign stands on the corner of the site of the proposed Cheval Blanc Hotel from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California, on May 23. Photo: AFP

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE has announced that its Cheval Blanc Beverly Hills hotel may be coming to a halt due to 50.9 per cent of residential voters rejecting the project

While some votes remain to be counted, reports indicate that Arnault will scrap the ultra-luxury hotel with critics stating ‘Beverly Hills is more than just a brand to be monetised’

Bernard Arnault, the world’s richest man, will scrap a plan to build a luxury hotel in Beverly Hills after residents in the wealthy city appeared to vote against the project.

While some votes remain to be counted, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE confirmed that two measures on the Cheval Blanc Beverly Hills project have fallen short by a “narrow margin”, according to a statement late Friday by spokesperson Jessica Miller.

The site of the proposed Cheval Blanc Hotel from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California, on May 23. Photo: AFP

“If the final vote count confirms the voters’ rejection of our project, we will respect the outcome, and will not bring the hotel project back in any form,” Miller said in the statement.

Arnault had planned to build an ultra-luxury boutique hotel and private members’ club on Rodeo Drive. Supporters of the hotel project had said taxes and other payments would generate about US$800 million over 30 years for Beverly Hills, while critics argued the building would obstruct views and contribute to traffic congestion.

Head of LVMH luxury group, Bernard Arnault (centre), his daughter Louis Vuitton executive vice-president Delphine Arnault (left) and his son LVMH communications head Antoine Arnault (right) arrive to open the exhibition of The Morozov Collection, Icons of Modern Art at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, in September 2021. Photo: AFP

The most recent tally showed 50.9 per cent of voters rejected the hotel project – a narrow 123-vote margin over the supporters. The final results will be certified on June 2, according to the Los Angeles County registrar’s office.

A protester wearing a mask of French businessman Bernard Arnault gestures during a demonstration called by unions trade parodying the wealthy class, in La Baule-Escoublac, northwestern France, on May 6. Photo: AFP

“The election results – if they hold – show that Beverly Hills is more than just a brand to be monetised,” John Mirisch, a city council member who opposed the project, said in an email. “It’s our home.”

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