More than 3,000 people showed up on Friday night for the opening of Washington’s newest nightclub (which we told you about here). Ibiza, named—of course—for the Mediterranean island known for its party scene, is a 30,000-square-foot space with seven bars, two DJ booths, a spacious rooftop deck featuring a hookah bar, and a high-tech sound and light system. In addition, the club contains a “detox room” that serves Starbucks coffee and water for patrons who may have overindulged.
At 8 p.m., an army of yellow-shirted valets stopped traffic to make room for a silver Rolls-Royce the size of a tank. The guest who stepped out of the car looked like a slimmed-down Fabio. A young woman turned to her friend and exclaimed (in all seriousness), “I totally feel like I’m on MTV right now!”
The space is set up to accommodate anything from foam parties to live concerts to fashion shows, and the club’s owners are hoping to host all of them. “We want to make this club a destination for celebrities,” co-owner Eric Clay, a former real estate developer, said on the afternoon of the party, as construction was still ongoing. (Ibiza's original opening night had to be pushed back a week to allow for additional enhancements to the space, which continued until shortly before doors opened.)
The party was hosted by Kim Kardashian, a friend of Paris Hilton with the not-so-official-sounding title of “worldwide socialite.” DJ AM was on sabbatical from his usual Friday-night turn at Pure in Las Vegas to provide the soundtrack for the evening.
