A sign of a truly great impresario is an ability to change with the times.
Nightlife guru Omar Hernandez is in talks to help revamp the newly branded Gurney’s Star Island Resort & Marina, a luxury waterfront hotel and resort in Montauk, Side Dish has learned.
Hernandez made his name with restaurant Omar’s La Ranita and a private club also named Omar’s, both in Greenwich Village. The spot was a celebrity magnet from 2013 until it closed last year.
This summer, Hernandez will be at Gurney’s new outpost on Star Island, which has undergone a $13 million renovation.
The blueprint is for Hernandez to launch an “Omar experience” by the hotel’s marina, with branded “Cabanas by Omar” that could cost $1,500 to $3,000 a day — as well as a new food and beverage experience curated by Hernandez.
“The plan includes food, cocktails, DJs and live music as yachts come in and out of the harbor,” a source said.
Hernandez tells us it’s too soon to discuss the details.
“We are finalizing the details now,” he said. “I’m super excited with the concept. I want to bring something new to the game.”
It’s all part of the trend toward branded “experiences” that East End hotels are using to up their game. It launched last year at hotelier Jayma Cardoso’s Surf Lodge, where she brought in “extras,” like a pop-up shop from Domodomo, whose Michelin-starred Japanese hand-rolls are a cult hit.
Hernandez is slated to launch his “branded experience” in mid-June. If all goes well, it would be offered Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in July and extend to Thursdays in August, a source said.
Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa has been a success, with roaring St. Tropez-style beach parties. Now it’s time to bring the vibe to Gurney’s on Star Island, and to create its own identity on the bay.
