Stretching more than 38,800 square-feet and five stories high, boasting three separate nightlife venues and a more-than-fine dining venue (complete with a sushi bar mezzanine) The Kress overshadows all of Hollywood…on every level.

Okay, we get it.  It’s big, it’s huge, it’s awesome and filled with celebs.  But the venue’s most impressive quality is its commitment to preserving the space’s history.  Named in honor of its first occupant, national five-and-dime chain, S. H. Kress & Co., owner Michael Viscuso spent three years and millions of dollars restoring the space from top to bottom in its original Art Deco style.  The grand staircase connecting the Basement Nightclub to the restaurant is the building’s restored original marble staircase from the 1930s. 

From S. H. Kress to the company behind various stages of undress, Frederick’s of Hollywood next inhabited the space for more than 59 years before The Kress’ present-day reincarnation.  In homage to the decades spent dedicated to lacy lingerie, Frederick’s has designed the uniforms of all The Kress’ dancers and cocktail waitresses.  Needless to say...yum!

The three nightlife venues are intimate and exclusive hotspots that are perfect backdrops for "The Hills" catfights.  The Basement Nightclub occupies The Kress’ bottom floor (duh!) flushed in dark red sultry lighting and plum suede seating.  The door-hassle difficulty rises with each level, so having dinner at The Kress and walking downstairs to The Basement will ensure a night sans door rejection.  Ladies can plan the perfect night out with dinner at The Kress, topped off with a visit to the The Basement’s champagne bar…in the ladies' bathroom. 

Above The Basement and the restaurant is a floor reserved for offices and a kitchen used for banquets.  Open Thursday through Saturday, the entrance to the fourth floor lounge and rooftop is behind The Kress in the parking lot, where crowds of scenesters and wanna-be seen-sters gather for a chance to party with A-listers and the groupies that love them.  

The Art Deco restorative design continues upward to the fourth floor lounge.  The walls, painted in soothing lavender shades, frame the salon-like room.  White curtains surround the dancefloor and white tufted sofas and ottomans are scattered across the lounge where Saudi Arabian royalty has already partied. 

No nightclub in Hollywood can claim to have a view comparable to The Kress’ rooftop.  Dark rattan genie-shaped chairs are perfect for canoodling couples looking for some privacy away from the VIP cabanas.  And with brightly-colored furniture, potted palm trees, and the purple and bright blue tanning-booth-like lighting— it feels more like Miami than Hollywood.—Stephanie Ocampo