The most expensive private suite at Crypto.com Arena may never have been built had it not been for the pandemic. The Hideaway Luxury Suite — an exclusive location of Stadium statusa private members’ club for sports and live entertainment that offers high-profile artists and musicians access to Hideaway and other premium suites in Los Angeles – is a moody, Gucci wallpaper-decorated custom suite that cost more than $2 million to build.
“It was really a unique opportunity that was presented to us from Crypto.com Arena. Historically, they would never allow people to modify our suite or do anything like we did… Ampolsky, founder of Stadium Status. “They’ve been trying to sell us a suite for a while, so we said, ‘If you let us do what we want in terms of customizations, we’ll do it.’ The former Staples Center has 172 suites on three floors, including an outpost of entertainment destination Hyde Lounge.
The Hideaway Suite is actually a double room; two suites were gutted and combined to make a 60-square-foot space, with an electric fireplace, DJ booth, and arcade claw machine. Access to the Stadium Status suite began as a friends and family resource and “network marketing tool,” says Ampolsky, who used it to meet with agents, managers, promoters and the like. “But it evolved into this membership club, which we had more demand for.”
Hideaway’s most popular nights are Lakers games, especially on weekends. “It’s definitely going to be a big party… there’s a lot of champagne and people taking pictures,” notes Ampolsky. Hideaway has been visited by guests including Diplo, Eva Longoria and Olivia Rodrigo. Stadium Status membership is a one-time fee of $25,000 that converts into 300 “event tokens” that go toward the use of the company’s suites (it also has VIP areas at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium and Exposition Park’s BMO football stadium) and amenities . Once these tokens are used up (e.g. a Lakers game is 5 tokens), members can purchase more credits.
Next, the Stadium Status team is working to build a Hideaway-style suite – just a few rows from court – at the Intuit Dome, the Clippers’ new home in Inglewood that will open in 2024.
Stadium Status’ Confirmed 360 Suite at SoFi Stadium.
Thanks to Confirmed360
Ampolsky is also the founder of Confirmed360, an experiential entertainment agency and concierge company. It specializes in providing event activations and enhanced fan experiences – such as meet & greets, VIP soundcheck access and merch – at live music and entertainment shows. To date, Confirmed 360 has curated experiences for a range of artists, including collaborating with H. Wood Group during last year’s Super Bowl weekend in LA for performances by Justin Bieber and Drake, and Lady Gaga and Usher’s residencies at Las Vegas. Vegas.
They recently branched out into sports thanks to a partnership with the Golden State Warriors and Chase Center to provide fans with a unique on-field “MVP experience” that allows them to participate in a shooting challenge. Ampolsky says, “(It was) the perfect opportunity for us to move into sports and bring everything we’ve done and learned about music into the sports world.”
Suite Experience group is another company that allows customers to access VIP suites. It specializes in luxury rentals at locations across the country, including Crypto.com. Costs for Lakers and Clippers games typically range from $2,000 to $12,000 and can accommodate 12 to 30 guests. Amenities such as VIP parking, dedicated entrances, private restrooms, and stadium club access are generally included.
“When it comes to suites, the LA market has some of the most impressive venues in the country,” said Suite Experience Group president Scott Spencer, pointing to SoFi’s field cabanas and BMO Stadium’s reputation for having some of the most lavish suites available to MLS enthusiasts. “There’s a bit of an arms race going on, and the biggest beneficiaries are the fans.”
This story first appeared in The Hollywood Reporter magazine on April 26. Click here to subscribe.
