André Balazs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
André Balazs
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Balazs at the 2012 Time 100 gala
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André Tomas Balazs
January 31, 1957 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
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| Spouse(s) |
Katie Ford
(m. 1985; div. 2004) |
| Partner(s) | Cosima Vesey (2017–present) |
| Children | 3 |
André Tomas Balazs (born January 31, 1957) is an American businessman. He is known for owning and managing many hotels and residential buildings. He runs a company called André Balazs Properties. This company has hotels across the United States and homes in New York City.
Early Life and Education
André Balazs was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His father, Endre Alexander Balazs, was a research professor at Harvard Medical School. He helped start important medical research centers. André's mother, Eva K. Balazs, was a therapist and psychologist. She also played music and helped start a jazz band.
Balazs went to a private school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He later studied at Cornell University. He also attended Columbia University, where he earned two master's degrees. One was in journalism and the other in business.
Career in Business
In 1980, Balazs worked as a helper for Bess Myerson. She was running for a political office in New York.
In 1988, Balazs started a science company called Biomatrix with his father. They created special products. The company was later sold in 2000 for a lot of money.
Between 1988 and 1989, Balazs invested in fun places. These included a nightclub in Manhattan and a supper club in Los Angeles. In 1989, he bought The Mercer Hotel property in New York City. It was an old factory building.
In 1990, he bought and fixed up the Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles. This famous hotel was built in 1929. In 1997, he bought and updated the Sunset Beach Hotel and Restaurant. The next year, Balazs reopened The Mercer Hotel and started Mercer Kitchen.
In 1998, Balazs opened the first of his five Standard hotels. This one was in West Hollywood. More hotels followed in Downtown Los Angeles, Miami, and two in New York City. Balazs sold his part of these hotels in 2017.
Balazs made sure his hotels had great restaurants. Some of these include the Standard Grill in New York and the Lido Restaurant in Miami. He also opened Bar Marmont and the terrace restaurant at Chateau Marmont.
In 2007, Balazs started making rosé wine with Wölffer Estate Vineyard. This vineyard is on Long Island. In 2011, he launched a seaplane service. This service flew people from Manhattan to the Hamptons.
In 2012, he created The Farm at Locusts-on-Hudson. This farm grows organic food for his restaurants. It is located on a former family estate in Hyde Park, New York.
Balazs also owns the Chiltern Firehouse. This is a hotel in London that used to be a fire station. He helped design it and is still involved in its creative ideas.
He has also built residential buildings. One example is 15 William, a condominium in New York City's Financial District. In 2021, Balazs sold his large apartment in SoHo for over $10 million.
In 2023, Balazs worked with a hospitality group called Habitas. They opened their first U.S. location in Rhinebeck, New York. This hotel has 30 rooms, a restaurant, a pond for swimming, and hiking trails.
Boards and Awards
In 1982, André Balazs became one of the first trustees of the New York Academy of Art. He has also served on the boards of the New York Public Theater and the Wolfsonian Museum.
In 2011, Balazs received the first Design Patron Award. This award came from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City. In 2014, he won the "Men of the Year" award from British GQ magazine. He received it in the entrepreneur category.
Personal Life
André Balazs married Katie Ford in 1985. They later divorced in 2004. They have two daughters together. He also has a son with his partner, Cosima Vesey, who was born in 2017.
In 2007, Balazs bought a special house called Maison Tropicale at an auction. He reportedly paid almost $5 million for it.
