Los Angeles, CA

The Background
Stolichnaya Russian Vodka wanted to create a total brand experience in the form of a month long, luxury entertainment venue. Pompei was commissioned by Stolichnaya (through Legacy Marketing Partners) to design the Stoli Hotel, an innovative pop-up experience, which will travel to various locations around the United States, opening its doors for one month in each major city it visits. The Client
Stolichnaya has established itself as one of the most trusted names in Vodka, guaranteeing Russian authenticity, quality and expertise in each bottle, and decades after the brand’s birth, Stoli remains the best selling Russian Vodka in the United States. Stoli has a long history of innovation. Stoli was the first imported premium vodka in the United States in 1965, the first to introduce flavored vodkas in 1986, the first to establish an ultra-luxury category with Stolichnaya Elit, as well as being the first vodka launched into space.

The Concept
The initial inspiration for the Stoli Hotel came from the fabled Hotel Moskva, the iconic hotel pictured on Stoli’s bottle label. Pompei A.D. looked to the opulent history and baroque grandeur of the Russian Czars, the artistic iconography of the Middle Ages, and the unique architectural elements of many of the country's landmark buildings. Pompei A.D. also drew inspiration from Constructivism, a pre-revolution Russian artistic and political movement which championed the arts as a vehicle for social change, and was characterized by bold, geometric, industrial structures of the early 20th century.

Pompei A.D. translated these distinctly Russian elements into forms and structures that maintain their iconic stature, but have contemporary readability, without seeming too abstract or tied up in the world of historic reproduction.

The Design
The visitor experience is intended to be one that emulates the feeling of travel, as well as simulating aspects of an actual hotel. Guests are greeted by doormen, "check in" at the Reception Lobby and can meet with a Brand Ambassador to learn about the unique cocktails offered by Stoli, or indulge in spa treatment services offered by Green Bliss Mobile Spa.

A series of four private Flavor Rooms, inspired by Stoli’s full flavor portfolio, will host a range of events. Each room mimics an actual hotel room, complete with suite furnishings and a bed (including hidden cameras and television screens for voyeuristic effects). The design of each room is a reflection of the character of each flavor, inspired by Bluberi (futurist), Ohranj (classicist), Vanil (naturalist) and Razberi (naughty).

The Elit Suite, inspired by Stoli’s new ultra-luxury brand, Elit, is a chic VIP room that plays on the themes of Fire and Ice that are integral to the process of creating Elit vodka.

The Hotel was conceived as a pop-up, to be installed and operated in each location for only one month. The design elements needed to be self-contained, easily transported and set-up, with minimal construction needed at each new location. The design elements were fabricated by Cinnabar California, who brought unique insight into many of the construction challenges, and made the realization of this project a success through their commitment to the collaborative effort with Pompei A.D.

The Result
The launch of the Stoli Hotel in Hollywood, California was extremely successful. The buzz on the streets is that The Hotel is one of the hottest places on the Los Angeles nightlife scene, and we're confident that the buzz will continue as The Hotel travels on to other major cities in the near future, including New York City, Miami, San Francisco and Chicago.

The design was so well executed that most visitors had no idea they were partying in a temporary space, simply referring to it as "the new nightclub" in Hollywood.