S A N TA M O N I C A
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com
INSIDE Affordable Housing Development Takes Shape at Former Nikkei Hall Site PAGE 5
January 20 - January 26, 2023 Volume CLXXVI, Issue 180
Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel to Lay off 320 Employees Amid Temporary Closure Layoffs will take effect March 4 with hotels owners not renewing lease By Dolores Quintana The Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel has announced an upcoming suspension of business that will result in the layoff of 320 hotel employees. The closure is said to be temporary. The layoffs came to light when the company issued a WARN act notice late last year. WARN Act notices require that employers give workers 60 days’ notice before a large layoff. The Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel is not owned by the Loews Hotel Group. The Santa Monica Beach Hotel is owned by Strategic Hotels & Resorts, a group of 15 hotels that were once owned by Blackstone. Blackstone later sold the group to the Anbang
Insurance Group, a group that was based in China, but not Chinese, in 2016. The Chinese Government disbanded Anbang in 2020 following a series of scandals and as part of a drive to keep international business interests out of China. The assets of Anbang were transferred to the newly formed Daija Insurance Group, according to Co-Star.com. The Chinese government is currently selling its stake in Daij. Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel has declined to comment for this article. According to a statement sent to the Santa Monica Daily Press, however, hotel management stated, “The owners of Loews Santa Monica Beach did not renew Loews Hotels & Co’s management agreement, and as of March 4, 2023, the hotel will no longer be operated by Loews. Ownership has advised Loews that operation of the hotel will be temporarily suspended starting March 4th.” Hotel workers at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica unionized in 2002 after a hard twoand-a-half-year drive to organize by the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees
Photo: Sam Catanzaro Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.
as reported by The Los Angeles Times. The
Unite Here 11 has not issued a statement
Union Local for Santa Monica hotel employees
regarding the layoffs and did not respond by
is now called Unite Here 11.
press time to inquiries.
AIDS/LifeCycle Announces New Beachside Finish Line in Santa Monica 545-mile bike ride to finish in Santa Monica June 10 By Sam Catanzaro AIDS/LifeCycle, the seven-day, 545-mile bike ride fundraiser traversing the golden state from San Francisco to Los Angeles, has announced a new finish line location in Santa Monica. Co-producers the Los Angeles LGBT Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation this week, the gFrom June 4-10, the route wheels out nearly 3,000 participants “from the Bay to the Beach” for the very first time in its almost 30-year history. “We are excited to welcome the AIDS/ LifeCycle Ride to Santa Monica. The work of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center made possible by the Ride advances our commitments to equity and inclusion as we support and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community during SaMo Pride
this June,” said Santa Monica Mayor Gleam Davis. The 2023 ride will begin at the Cow Palace in the San Francisco Bay Area. Cyclists will camp in six California cities to experience the diverse landscapes. On June 10, riders will leave Ventura for LA and turn south on San Vicente Blvd, past Santa Monica Pier, to the finish line. “Whether this is your first or your 20th AIDS/LifeCycle, this finish line will contribute to an unforgettable final day on the Ride,” said Tracy Evans, AIDS/LifeCycle’s Ride Director. “Riders and volunteer Roadies will have the Pacific Ocean as the perfect backdrop to celebrate their incredible accomplishment. What could be better than the Pacific Ocean as the final stop for an iconic California event?” The new location offers a fresh experience for cyclists and volunteer ‘Roadies’, while also being a beachside festival for friends, family, and spectators. Photo ops, sponsor activations and interactive stations will be part of the daylong celebration. Proceeds from AIDS/LifeCycle benefit the
HIV/AIDS-related services and research of the Los Angeles LGBT Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Last year’s record $17.8M will serve these LGBTQ+ nonprofits, at a time when such assistance is most needed. There are three ways to participate in AIDS/ LifeCycle and support its mission: As cyclists who must fundraise a minimum of $3,500
for their “Ticket to Ride”; as roadies who are seven-day volunteers who may or may not fundraise; and @Home Heroes who set personal fundraising and fitness goals without traveling. Roadie teams cover areas of health services, route, and camp-based teams, while helping cyclists complete their 545-mile journey.