Shelby's Social Diary

Hotel ZaZa's Spring Fever fete proves that party animals never rest

Photo by Anthony Rathbun
Photo by Anthony Rathbun
Photo by Anthony Rathbun
Photo by Anthony Rathbun
Photo by Anthony Rathbun
Photo by Anthony Rathbun
Photo by Anthony Rathbun

Surely, someone in this city is running out of steam as summer approaches. But it wasn't the crowd of more than 500 revelers who rocked through Hotel ZaZa late last week to celebrate "Spring Fever" at the storied hotel in the museum district.

Perhaps they were drawn by the lure of adult sno-cones, laced with various spirits, that were offered in the hotel's Monarch Bistro. Or they knew about the flirty "nurses" who were on hand to calm the fevered brows of relentless partygoers. Whatever the draw, party hosts Z Resorts owner Charlie Givens, Z Resorts president Benji Homsey, Hotel ZaZa GM Matthew Nuss and ZaZa marketing whiz Lauren Manford welcomed the awesome crowd with food and drink and the spins of DJ Sun.

Monarch executive chef Adam West manned the grill where taste temptations included panzanella skewers, oil-cured tomato with grilled focaccia and grilled Texas peaches with creme fraiche. Guests didn't have to battle the unseasonal heat the entire night as there was plenty of food and drink in the cozy air-conditioned interiors of the hip restaurant/bar.

We bet that you know a few of the familiar in this party crowd — Liz Gorman, Sarah Tucker, Jennifer Rosenbaum, Nancy Marcus Golden, Rachel Brown, Debbie Festari, Charlie Chanaratsopon, Ali Ansari, Tod Eason, Dean Guiffre, Sam Governale, Lauren Barrash with Craig Ceccanti, James Sivco, Marcos Cordeo, James Phelan, Brian Thorp and Bubba McNeely.

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legacy and lyrics

High notes and higher hopes put Houston's Omega House in the spotlight

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Deborah Duncan, Brigitte Kalai, Dr. Charlene Flash, and Alicia Smith.

For Avenue 360, it was time to get back in the gala game with Voices for Hope — its first big fundraising celebration since the pandemic. This year’s event marked a lively return to in-person gatherings, joining the ranks of busy, bustling parties that have defined 2024.

The evening celebrated the legacy of Omega House, Texas’s residential hospice for AIDS patients.

Co-chaired by Alicia Smith and Brigitte Kalai, Voices for Hope revived an important tradition of honoring Omega House’s legacy of compassionate end-of-life care. The night opened with a cocktail reception emceed by Great Day Houston host Deborah Duncan, during which guests entered raffles for luxurious prizes, including jewelry from Nini Jewels and Wayne Smith Jewels, a shopping spree at Tootsie’s, and a staycation at The Post Oak Hotel with a Porsche weekend rental.

About those voices: the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts choir’s charming performance of “Seasons of Love” set the evening’s emotional tone. Blues artist Luke Whitney continued with soulful melodies before America’s Got Talent semi-finalist Christina Wells brought down the house with dynamic interpretations of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “We Are Family.”

Houston’s social scribe Shelby Hodge gifted Wells her raffle prize, honoring the performer for her roles as a singer, nurse, and mother. The gala also celebrated the 25th anniversary of Bering Omega Community Services, with board member Ken Bohan receiving the Harmony of the Heart Award. Omega House medical director Dr. Gus Krucke, director of dental services Dr. Mark Nichols, and director Sandy Stacy were honored with the Symphony of Service Award, with Stacy’s 30 years of service encouraging standing applause.

Spotted were Lance Smith, Bashar Kalai, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees, Leisa Holland Nelson, Farida Abjani, Shafik Rifaat, Maria and Omar Moncada Alaoui, Jody Merritt, Christine Johnson, Michele Till, Anna Reger, Mandy Kao, Mark Folkes and Christopher Johnston, Brandon Weinbrenner and Mitchell Greco, Fady Armanious, and Tony Bradfield.