When you’re a celebrity, you can do anything. You’re invited everywhere, wear the best clothes, travel to the best places and eat in the best restaurants. Some famous folk, however, get bored in between movie shoots or during endless days of TV projects and decide to set up their own businesses. Some own nightclubs, some own hotels and some even own islands. If you’ve fantasized about staying, drinking or even just hanging in a celebrity-owned hotspot, here’s where you can live out your fame fantasies.
HOTELS
John Malkovich, The Big Sleep Hotel, Cardiff
Being John Malkovich requires staying at a super swanky establishment like the Mandarin Oriental, but staying in one of John Malkovich’s three Big Sleep hotels isn’t bad, either. The rooms in these U.K. digs are cool, kitschy and completely affordable; weeknight rates start at just $92!
www.thebigsleephotel.com/home.asp?hotelid=1
Clint Eastwood, Mission Ranch, Carmel, CA
You’ll feel like a million dollar baby indeed when you stay at this Oscar-winning director’s romantic Carmel, California ranch. There are 31 rooms on the rustic property by the sea and best of all, this Bridges of Madison County-like overnight spot comes cheap; you can stay there for just $135 a night. www.missionranchcarmel.com
Richard Branson, Necker Island, British Virgin Islands
There’s a reason the Virgin head honcho’s British Virgin Islands’ locale is known as a celebrity playground: only famous folk can afford to stay there! Room rates start off at $322,000 for a week (there’s a five-night minimum) or you can rent the entire island for $53,000 a night. Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo tied the knot there this past July, but their uber-private ceremony was negated by the fact that they aired a TLC special about their big day mere weeks later.
Keith Richards, Rocky Point Villa, Turks & Caicos
You won’t be seeing many stones at The Rolling Stone guitarist’s three-bedroom hotel, but you will be seeing an endless expanse of the Caribbean ocean. Rooms start at $4,500 per night in the off-season at Richard’s spot, which comes complete with a private pool and butler, and nearly double in peak season. The perk of paying so much for a vacation? With the amount of sun you’ll be getting, you can endlessly joke that your nickname is ‘Brown Sugar’ – and no one can fault you.
www.parrotcay.como.bz/stay/rocky-point-villas
Kate Pierson, Kate’s Lazy Meadow Motel, Woodstock, NY
Want to stay in a real-life love shack? Then head to hippie-ville – otherwise known as Woodstock, New York – and stay at B-52’s frontwoman Kate Pierson’s arty upstate boutique hotel. You’ll be staying in – you guessed it – actual shack/cabins or in an Airstream Trailer, if you choose to really rough it.
Francis Ford Coppola: Coppola Resorts (Belize, Guatemala, etc.)
The Godfather of film has directed himself several hit-making franchises in recent years, and none are movie-related. In addition to winemaking, Coppola has also opened a slew of hotels around the world. Try out the gorgeous Turtle Inn or Blancaneaux Lodge in Belize or La Lancha in Guatemala; he also owns properties in Italy, Argentina and the U.S.
Bono and The Edge, Clarence Hotel, Dublin, Ireland
I want to stay at the Clarence Hotel. Do you, too? U2 do! The famous U2 frontman and lead guitarist are the proud owners of this small and tasteful boutique in their native homeland of Ireland. It’s near the city’s rowdy Temple Bar area, which is almost as much fun as one of their concerts.
Donatella Versace, Palazzo Versace, Queensland, Australia & Dubai, UAE
Want to make a fashionable choice of hotel stay? Then book a few nights at one of designer Donatella Versace’s opulent Palazzo Versace hotels in either Queensland, Australia or Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The rooms don’t come cheap, but at least you’ll be gifted with a bottle of her perfume!
BARS & CLUBS
Morgan Freeman, Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale, MS
Can you picture Morgan Freeman singing the blues? The actor – who will appear in the next, highly anticipated flick in the Batman franchise, The Dark Knight Rises, opened this blues spot near Highway 61. It’s anti-Hollywood in all the best ways.
Celine Dion, Andre Agassi, Stefi Graf & Shaquille O’Neal, Pure, Las Vegas, NV
If you’re looking at the list of owners and scratching you head in consternation, you’re not alone. This odd mix (aside from Graf and Agassi, who are married) have created the ultimate Las Vegas hotspot, located inside the Caesar’s Palace Casino.
Susan Sarandon, SpIn, New York City
Discovering that Susan Sarandon owned a ping pong club was a little like hearing that your mom likes Beirut championships: a total shock. However, The Rocky Horror Picture show actress likes fun just as much as the rest of us, and to prove it, opened up this hot ping-pong club where “a little girl can beat a tough guy.” To note: to hit this hotspot, you need to be a member, and that requires proving your skills – which could get ugly if you’re all talk, no action.
www.newyork.spingalactic.com/spingalactic
Jay-Z, The 40/40 Club, NYC and Atlantic City, NJ
Whatever Jay-Z touches turns to gold, so you probably want to follow him to the end of his rainbow at the 40/40 club. You’ll hear a lot of hip-hop and see a lot of celebrities at Hove’s hotspot, but you better go soon if you want to see his wife, Beyonce, now that she’s pregnant. My guess is that she’ll be giving up on going out very, very soon.
www.the4040club.com/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
Pete Wentz, Angels & Kings, NYC, LA, Chicago & Barcelona
Yes, the former Gym Class Heroes frontman owns a rocker bar. It’s no surprise really, given that he wears guyliner. He used to be found at his Big Apple location, but now that he’s divorced from Ashlee Simpson and on baby duty with son Bronx Mowgli, you’ll typically find him running the show in Los Angeles.
www.angelsandkings.com/nyc
Justin Timberlake, Southern Hospitality, NYC
Trust man-of-the-moment Justin Timberlake to show you just how hospitable a good, ol’ Southern boy can be. The actor/singer/comedian has a hit in this BBQ/sports joint, given the number of celebrities that hang out there on a nightly basis. Most recently newlyweds Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries partied there, and Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford can usually be found there watching some sort of game.
www.southernhospitalitybbq.com
Gavin DeGraw, The National Underground, NYC
He might sing “I Don’t Wanna Be” fairly frequently, but don’t listen to him: you do want to be at the LES music bar Gavin owns with brother Joey. You may just get lucky (unlike the singer, who was recently mugged and hit by a cab) to see him hit the ivories on any given night.
www.thenationalunderground.com
RESTAURANTS
Mike Dirnt of Green Day, Rudy Can’t Fail Café, Oakland, CA
You don’t have to be a Green Day fan to eat at this California establishment (named for a Clash song), but you probably will have tattoos: the restaurant constantly gets press for the patrons who proudly expose their Rudy’s tattoos!
Eva Longoria, Beso, Hollywood, CA
It’s gorgeous and dimly lit, the tapas are tasty and the crowd is beautiful. What more can you ask from a restaurant co-owned by celebrity chef Todd English and Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria?
Ashton Kutcher, Geisha House, Los Angeles, CA & Atlanta, GA
New Two And a Half Men star Ashton Kutcher has his hand in practically everything these days, and that includes food. He’s an investor in the still-thriving Hollywood hotspot Geisha House, filling a void created by Charlie Sheen and married to Demi Moore. Some guys have all the luck.
Jerry Ferrara, Fat Sal’s, Los Angeles
It’s no surprise that this UCLA-based joint has a following, considering the owner is none other than Entourage star Jerry Ferrara. Turtle is serving up tasty and affordable sandwiches. You won’t have much of a wait, but then, after this season you won’t have any (Johnny) Drama, either.
Ryan Gosling, Tagine, Beverly Hills, CA
You’ll probably have a better shot at seeing Ryan Gosling’s abs if you watch Crazy, Stupid, Love on repeat, but at least you’ll see the actor’s delectable face at this Moroccan eatery. The spot is as sexy as Gosling himself: jazz, dark corners and delicious, spicy Moroccan food make it as big a hit as one of his films.
Diddy, Justin’s, Atlanta, GA
Go figure, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs opened his Southern restaurant in the South. The twist on his local flavor: he combines Caribbean dishes that add some exotic spice to a standard comfort meal. Can’t nobody hold him down indeed.
Mark and Donnie Wahlberg, Wahlburgers, Boston, MA
Native Bostonian brothers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg are bringing a little love back to their hometown by opening the burger joint Wahlburgers this September. The boys will be serving up meaty fare, as well as frappes and a full bar. To bring some of their new-fangled LA style to the place, the actor brothers are also offering lighter fare like veggie, turkey and salmon burgers. The selling point: the restaurant’s walls will be adorned with a collection of photos from the boys’ pasts, which means you’ll get to see Donnie in all his NKOTB glory!
SHOPS
Carly Simon, Midnight Farm, Martha’s Vineyard, MA
There’s nothing vain about the “You’re So Vain” singer admitting she owns one of the best shops on Martha’s Vineyard: she does. The prices are a bit steep, but her mixture of high-end clothing, eclectic artwork, perfumes and candles is the crème de la crème of anything you’d find on the idyllic island.
www.midnightfarm.net
The Kardashians, Dash, NYC & Miami
It isn’t hard to keep up with the Kardashians these days: they’re all over your TV. But if you want to dress like them, you might want to head to one of their Dash boutiques. Watch out though: you might hit your head on a cameraman!
www.dashclothingstoreonline.com
Lisa Rinna, Belle Gray, Sherman Oaks, CA
The pouty-mouthed Dancing With the Stars hoofer has her very own high-end boutique in Sherman Oaks. She promises to buy “the hottest clothes that the celebs are wearing”, which includes brands like Alice + Olivia and her own Belle Gray line, naturally.
Melissa Joan Hart, Sweetharts, Sherman Oaks, CA
Ostensibly, former child star Melisa Joan Hart’s shop, Sweetharts, is for kids. But the former Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina the Teenage Witch star offers goodies that are just as tantalizing to adults: self-serve frozen yogurt, candy and a variety of other sugary treats. Yum.
Tori Spelling, InvenTORI, Sherman Oaks, CA
Tori Spelling has seemingly done it all, so why not go into retail? The pregnant mother of two opened her own boutique, which sells products for children and pets, this year. Coincidentally, it is two doors down from pal Lisa Rinna’s Sherman Oaks store. Thank goodness these two don’t have to worry about competition in the sales department, at least.