One of the world’s most respected boutique hotel groups is locked in a messy court battle with the owners of the celeb favorite Mondrian SoHo, with both sides making bombshell allegations.
Sochin Downtown Realty owns the property, which is run by Morgans Hotel Group. In papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court and obtained by Confidenti@l, Sochin says, “Morgans’ management of the Hotel was an abject disaster” that cost Sochin large sums.
The documents include allegations from Morgans that Sochin, which was in charge of construction, tried to reduce costs by cutting corners and in the process endangered hotel guests.
As an example, Morgans cites the “elimination of all but one generator so that (Morgans) faced exponentially greater difficulties in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.”
The hotel opened to much fanfare in February 2011 following a party thrown by Kanye West where fake money was shot out of cannons. It houses the very popular Mr. H nightclub and Soaked rooftop lounge, as well as the Isola Trattoria restaurant. Some of the stars recently spotted there include Blake Lively, Matt Lauer and Jon Bon Jovi.
Not all the big names have been happy with the hotel’s design, Morgans adds: “In one instance, an A-list celebrity celebrating a birthday at the Hotel with several friends checked out of the Hotel shortly after checking in, citing the inferior penthouse suite size.”
The company also claims that because of Sochin’s conduct, Morgans has missed out on annual incentive fees, causing “substantial financial harm.”
Morgans also says it has funded about $ 1.2 million in pre-opening expenses and operating shortfalls and hasn’t been reimbursed.
Most seriously, Morgans says that “Sochin made false, defamatory statements that impugned (Morgans’) integrity, in the presence of a third-party lender with whom Morgans Hotel Group … maintains an ongoing relationship.”
Returning fire, the owners say “Morgans’ performance caused the Hotel to place last compared to its competitive set of hotels in revenue per available room.” Sochin also says Morgans mismanaged the Mondrian by overbilling, incurring expenses without its approval and failing to hit certain budget and profit targets.
A Delaware Chancery court this month ordered Morgans out of the hotel.
A rep for Morgans said: “We plan to appeal the court’s decision if the order is not vacated. We continue to believe that a negotiated resolution of this dispute … is preferable to litigation. In the interim, Mondrian SoHo continues to operate business as usual under our existing management agreement.”
Joshua D. Bernstein from the law firm Pryor Cashman, representing Sochin, said: “Ownership believes it was forced into this situation by the ongoing poor performance and mismanagement of the hotel by Morgans, and while we are gratified that the Delaware court granted our motion and issued the order that it did, Sochin continues to work to find an amicable resolution with all parties.”
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Jeff Beck (above) doesn’t have a lot of positive things to say about former bandmate Rod Stewart.
MAGGIE MAY, BUT JEFF BECK WON’T
It’s a relationship that has been on the brink of all-out war for almost 43 years. And now legendary guitarist Jeff Beck has fired his latest salvo at one-time friend Rod Stewart.
Beck, 69, insists he will never reunite the Jeff Beck Group, his ’60s band that included Stewart, who’s 68.
“He is all over the place. He has got a full life, half a dozen kids, wives and I don’t want to be a toy thing that he messes with,” Beck told Confidenti@l.
Stewart recently claimed that Beck refused to join a Faces and Jeff Beck Group double-bill reunion tour — and never said thanks for a Christmas card.
The tour “is not a bad idea moneywise, ticketwise, it’s a double-header, but he doesn’t need the Faces if I am there — just tell him that,” said Beck.
He added: “I never got a Christmas card; he is too tight to buy me half a pint of beer, never mind a Christmas card.”
Beck plays the Palms Casino in Las Vegas on Oct. 18.
badgalriri via Instagram
Rihanna posted a sexy visual on Instagram to tease her new video, ‘Pour It Up.’
RIHANNA OFFERS A PEAK AT ‘POUR’
Rihanna, one of the best self-promoters in the business, took to Instagram on Sunday to plug the video for her hit single “Pour It Up.” The singer posted a series of sexy snaps from the video’s shoot, which is taking place at various strip clubs. You go, girl.
PHOTOS: RIHANNA PARTIES ON THE BEACH IN BARBADOS: RIHANNA’S NAUGHTEST MOMENTS
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
Katy Perry, cat person.
KATY GOES FROM ‘ROAR’ TO MEOW
We’ve gotten to the bottom of Katy Perry’s obsession with cats. “They give you total, unconditional love,” she told Confidenti@l. Lest you think the “Roar” singer, who has a feline named Kitty Purry, only loves things that meow, rest assured. “I love dogs, too!” she told us.
Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images
WESTWICK IS CLOTHES-MOUTHED
Ed Westwick may have starred in “Gossip Girl,” but he’s quick to shut down any gossip about his own life.
Westwick played dumb as Confidenti@l complimented him on how happy he looked recently with girlfriend Jessica Szohr.
“I don’t know who my lady is,” the moody star told us at the “Romeo and Juliet” premiere in Hollywood.
Instead, Westwick wanted to talk about his T-shirt.
“I love that T-shirt — a friend gave it to me,” he announced. We are incredibly enlightened. Thanks, Ed!
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
New York’s cool kids came out in force Saturday night for the grand opening of Tao downtown. Brooke Shields, Debra Messing and Kelly Rutherford caught up over a glass of fizz as Katie Holmes dropped in to check out the 30,000-square-foot venue, designed by architect David Rockwell and overseen by nightlife kingpins Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss. Leonardo DiCaprio partied into the early hours without girlfriend Toni Garrn, who’s in Paris for the French capital’s Fashion Week.
PHOTOS: KATIE HOLMES’ TRANSFORMATION FROM HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY TO SINGLE NEW YORK CITY MOM
‘CAPTAIN’ MEETS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
The New York Film Festival started with a bang Friday with the world premiere of “Captain Phillips.” Star Tom Hanks told how he explained the film to President Obama. “Well, Boss, I’m doing the thing that you figured in, playing the guy rescued (sic) by Somalis your first year in office,” Hanks recounted. “And he said, ‘Oh, I remember that. Let me get this straight, pirates? I gotta deal with pirates now with everything else that’s going on, the economy, the wars, now I got pirates.”
THE SETH ’N’ AMY SHOW
Seth Meyers turned the tables on fellow “Saturday Night Live” alum Amy Poehler when she interviewed him for Gotham magazine. “I want to get verbal confirmation now that you’re going to be the first guest,” said Meyers, who takes over NBC’s “Late Night” in February. “I’m going to come on your show and never leave,” Poehler replied excitedly. “I’ll hide under your desk.” Meyers joked that he wants Tom Cruise to be on second because it’d be funny to ask the A-list movie star to follow Poehler.
A ‘HEALTHY’ ROSTER OF STARS
The Knicks’ Iman Shumpert has made an exercise video with talented young performers from the Alvin Ailey dance school for Michelle Obama’s “Songs for a Healthy America.” The rap album, which will be available for free downloads, includes the song “Everybody” with Doug E. Fresh, Ryan Beatty, Ashanti, Jordin Sparks, Dr. Mehmet Oz and DMC of Run-DMC. The album will be launched Monday at Symphony Space on the upper West Side.
AMAGANSETT IS COWBOY COUNTRY
The Amagansett Dunes were the backdrop last week for a Showtime pilot, “The Affair,” starring Joshua Jackson. Our spies out East spotted the actor filming the drama, his first TV series since “Fringe” went off the air this year. The former “Dawson’s Creek” star plays a cowboy, in charge of a ranch on Long Island, who has to deal with his wife’s infidelity.
SEEN AND HEARD …
Lindsay Lohan chowing down at Blue Ribbon Sushi in SoHo … The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. enjoying a late dinner at the Lion in the West Village with musician and producer Danger Mouse … Twisted Sister lead singer Dee Snider, radio host Elvis Duran and actor Dan Hedaya celebrating David Katz’s birthday party at Ainsworth Park … Dascha Polanco and Selenis Leyva from “Orange Is the New Black” at UrbanDaddy’ s launch of the Discovery platform at the Renaissance Hotel.
Confidenti@l’s Marianne Garvey on VH1’s ‘The Gossip Table’ with a report on what’s next for Simon Cowell below! Mobile users can click here for video.
