André Balazs Lightning Round

When asked to name his favorite movie, André Balazs likens the question to trying to pick his favorite hotel—a problem that the owner of the Chateau Marmont and Chiltern Firehouse (among other properties) might know a thing or two about. On this week’s bonus episode of "Table for Two," the businessman and hotelier joins host Bruce Bozzi to discuss the first thing he notices in a woman, whether he prefers New York or Los Angeles, and the best piece of advice he’s received.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, everybody, it's Bruce. Thank you for joining us for
another bonus episode of Table for two. Recently, I had
the pleasure of sitting down with Andrea Bealaz the famous Hotelierra.
We had cocktails at the world renowned Chateau Momon in Hollywood.
I'm excited for you to hear our full conversation next week,

(00:26):
but today, enjoy another one of our fun lightning rounds.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Okay, Andre's show. Okay, these are just like off the
top of your head, you know, because people want to
know these things about Andre Balaz. Favorite color, favorite color color,
what's your favorite color blue?

Speaker 3 (00:44):
Without a question?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Favorite movie?

Speaker 4 (00:48):
You know.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's like a.

Speaker 4 (00:50):
Book I view and read across read sweet books at
the time, you because it depends on what I'm reading
it for.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Right, I read history to relax.

Speaker 4 (01:08):
Because there are much bigger calamities in the world than
whatever I might hear. So I find it bizarre. But
I'd read about war and.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
History and military strategy to relax. Okay, that's interesting because
it's so different.

Speaker 4 (01:29):
It's like asking which is your favorite hotel or who's
your favorite child.

Speaker 3 (01:34):
You can't answer that.

Speaker 4 (01:36):
You can describe the unique qualities of each sure, so
I don't have a favorite ovity put.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
It that way, I had it.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
I don't even know how what I would answer with that.
I think I would answer ordinary people for some reason,
which is so depressing. And for some reason, I think
for a favorite movie, it's like everything came together. I
saw this movie is very powerful. I could remember walking
out of a movie theater seventy first and or I
was fifteen years old. It was starting to smell just
everything sort of came Tim Hutton gave this performance. So like,

(02:07):
I think, what makes things?

Speaker 4 (02:08):
I know what you're saying. It's the convergence of all
of those things. But that is exactly why it's impossible
for me to name the favorite book or favorite thing, because.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
It's where you were at that moment.

Speaker 4 (02:23):
It's the artistry of the people, a person who crafted it.

Speaker 3 (02:30):
It's the message, and there's artistry in so many things. Yeah,
you know all over.

Speaker 4 (02:38):
I mean, you know, you can talk about a masterful biography,
you can talk about a masterful novel, you can talk
about a masterful movie, but it's a work of art
which is finite.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
Is there been a piece of advice that has been
you know, the most sort of valuable to you.

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Yes, yes, definitely. So I had a mentor when I was.

Speaker 4 (03:05):
Whose father it was a very old Boston Brahmin family,
and when I was starting his biotech company, he was
the only venture capitalist who invested in it. His great
grandfather had been the head of Harvard Medical School, which

(03:28):
in those days was probably more prestigious than being head
of the president of the United States. And we're driving
down to Johnson Johnson in his old beat up sab
card that was deliberately very beat up, right, there.

Speaker 3 (03:46):
Was no ostentation whatsoever.

Speaker 4 (03:48):
And the day before we met this guy venture capitalist,
and he was so flashy and so obnoxious, and I
mean whether he did it or not, he fired someone on.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
The phone in front of us.

Speaker 4 (04:02):
He had his secretary bring in a tray of diamonds
that he wanted to give his wife for his birthday,
all in front of us, and said, that's asking this guy.
On the way down to Johnson Johnson, he said, what
was wrong with him?

Speaker 3 (04:19):
What happened?

Speaker 4 (04:20):
And he said, well, the problem is all he ever
wanted to do is be rich, and the problem is
he became rich and then he became an asshole because
he had no other There was nothing else. So the
best advice he gave me, his name was Walter. He said, Andre,

(04:40):
just make sure you never achieve your dreams. Always dream
big enough that you actually never achieved them, because once
you achieved them, then you're in real trouble.

Speaker 2 (04:53):
That's very pressing. That's good advice. First thing you notice in.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
A man me this smile and their eyes. The first
thing you notice in a woman their eyes and the
way they handle their hair. Beach or ski skid.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
I was a hundred percent sure you were going to say.

Speaker 3 (05:13):
Beach No, not enough to do on the beach.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
Wow. Yeah, there really is a drink rose that We've had.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
Enough water ski.

Speaker 1 (05:23):
New York, LA.

Speaker 4 (05:24):
It's a really tough one for the last thirty years. Honestly,
it's been equal right now now. This is also London,
and I have to say the triumvirate is they're all great.
My biggest problem is that I love wherever I am.

(05:45):
Some of the biggest trauma in my life is leaving.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
You know.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
As we kind of conclude our cocktails, first of all,
I thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
It's been an utter pleasure.

Speaker 5 (06:06):
Thank you for pulling up a chair.

Speaker 6 (06:08):
I love our launches and never forget The Romance of
a Meal. If you enjoy the show, please tell a
friend and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Table
for two with Bruce Bozi is produced by iHeartRadio seven
three seven Park and Airmail. Our executive producers are Bruce
Bosi and Nathan King. Our supervising producer.

Speaker 5 (06:30):
Is Dylan Fagan. Our editors are Vincent to Johnny and
Cas b Bias. Table for two is researched and written
by Jack Sullivan. Our sound engineers are Meil B. Klein,
Jess Krainich, Evan Taylor, and Jesse Funk. Our music supervisor
is Randall Poster. Our talent booking is done by Jane Sarkin.

(06:50):
Table for two Social media manager is Gracie Wiener. Special
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