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SPiN Ping Pong Club Officially Opens at Mondrian Los Angeles

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 8440 W Sunset Blvd [map], West Hollywood, CA, United States, 90069
July 21, 2010 at 11:19 AM | by | Comments (0)

Last night, at the Mondrian Los Angeles it was all about small balls...well, small ping pong balls, as the guy who was wearing a shirt that said "SMALL BALLS" pointed out to us.

Yes, last night was the official opening of the SPiN Ping Pong Hollywood and on hand for the games were the SPiN folks including founders Franck Raharinosy and Jonathan Bricklin, Susan Sarandon (a part investor and possible girlfriend of Bricklin's), Amy Smart, Rachelle Lefevre (she played the first Victoria in the "Twilight" series and then randomly, former "Bachelor" fiancee, Vienna Girardi.

Before arriving at the hotel, we were curious to see how they were going to fit ping pong tables into the ADCB lounge which is just off to the left of the entrance. Well, somehow they managed to squeeze two tables in there, with the second table ending just before the bar. These aren't the kind of tables found in your parents' basement. These are thick, sturdy, professional ping pong tables.

And playing on them, were a few professional ping pong players including Wally Green who boasted that he sometimes uses his Blackberry as a paddle.

Aside from the tables (where the balls are stored in champagne buckets), there's booth/table seating along the east wall where guests can get drinks and small apps while the games are played. But we warn you, ping pong requires a lot of space so be careful when maneuvering in between the tables. Also, there are lots of balls around. We nearly stepped on one but managed to pick it up and put in our bag--er, we mean we gave it back to the players at the table.

The best part about SPiN at The Mondrian is that it's open to everyone, guests and non-guests, and it's free. As Ben Pundole, vice president of Entertainment for Morgans Hotels told us, "That's what's so great about ping pong--it's the most socially leveling activity out there." In other words, you don't have to spend a couple hundred bucks just to get in a round with your friends. We likey.

We also liked the SPiN t-shirts that were available in the pop-up Ron Robinson shop. The soft grey t-shirts simply feature the SPiN logo while the black t-shirts have this saying on the back, "Balls are my business." The puns are endless while the t-shirts are $28.

So will we be seeing more SPiN ping pong clubs at hotels in the future? Founder Raharinosy enthusiastically told us, "Yes!" But Morgans probably should snap them up in an exclusive contract first. We're thinking SPiN London at either the Sanderson or St. Martin's Lane should be next.

Hotels mentioned in this story

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