Hotel Mela (home to the haute Vietnamese Saju Restaurant) held a grand opening bash on October 4, 2007. The excitement began in the front of the hotel as the visitors were ushered across a red carpet by sharp looking doormen clad in James Bond-inspired, Anne Bowen-designed suits. There was a hot young crowd in attendance, including several models who were modeling Anne Bowen designs.

The party began in the beautiful penthouse which featured living room with an open bar and a stunning glass-windowed bedroom with skyline views of Manhattan. The penthouse had a definite James Bond vibe and would be a perfect set design for a spy thriller.

The guests were then invited to tour the suites and rooms, after which they rejoined the party downstairs for live music in the romantic Saju restaurant. Throughout the night, servers passed through the crowd with delectable Vietnames hors d’oeuvres from Saju. These tidbits (many featuring shrimp) were beautifully presented and totally delicious.

The hotel itself is beautiful and sexy and a fine addition to Times Square's collection of theme hotels (Night, QT, Dream). The design team deserves accolades for creating rooms that "tell a story" and do not resemble cookie cutter homes-away-from-home for audit teams from Dubuque.

Crowd in the Penthouse


Bedroom in the Penthouse

Hotel Suite

Bedroom of a Hotel Suite

L-R: Richard Millard, Chairman & CEO Desires Hotels;
David Adelipour, Owner Hotel Mela - O&O Properties;
Zohar Aghravi, Owner Avalim Design Inc.;
Tony Zand, O&O Properties/ Parvis Bambad - O & O Properties;
Raul Leal, President & Partner Desires Hotels
Photo Courtesy of Hotel Mela