This year’s Toronto International Film Festival was touted the biggest in years, as far as pure star power goes, with the trifecta of Clooney, Pitt, and Gosling topping most people’s to-stalk list. If last year was any indication, Grey Goose Soho House would again be ground zero for all things A-list, and it was, with The Ides of March duo and a host of others descending on the members only club’s weekend pop-up on Saturday night. The venue--3 levels of typical Toronto loft, exposed brick walls and floor-to-ceiling windows--was retrofitted to suit Soho House’s sophisticated but comfortable palette: pillowy, velvet couches, rustic lamps and table sets, and tribal rugs strewn across the hardwood floors. The party, which was officially the post-game for David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, quickly achieved shit-show status when Clooney arrived with his ex-girlfriend-to-be Stacey Kiebler, as lesser stars lined up to greet the couple.

The culture of nightlife and the culture of hotels is about to change. For years, we have discussed the advantages of nightlife finding a protective home in the bosom of a hotel, with all its services, amenities, insurances, lobbyists, lawyers and all that expensive stuff that operators in non-hotel-based joints need to pay for on their own. Hotels are more than ever before driven by their food and beverage establishments. Plus, they come packed with rooms filled with guests who have the best money there is: vacation money.

Fashion Week is upon us, and I just don’t know what to wear. Last night, fur and leather were certainly not an option as I attended the PETA Fashion Week Bash. It was hosted by a man who always knows what to wear, Tim Gunn, along with the beautiful actress and Daily Show correspondent, Olivia Munn. Special guests included long time PETA proponent Russell Simmons, and actress Taraji P. Henson. Henson, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her part in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, poses without anything to wear in the latest PETA "Fur? I’d Rather Go Naked” campaign. She spoke about growing up unable to afford fur, but refused to buy it after becoming aware of the cruelty behind it. Ironically, the gala was held at the Stella McCartney boutique in the “Meatpacking” District.

The bottom of the luscious swimming pool at the much-anticipated Gansevoort Park hotel has an enthusiastic gal painted on its bottom accompanied by the words “I’m Waiting.” Everyone is waiting and expecting this wondrous addition to 29th Street. It will soon join The Ace and Mario Batali and so many others in an East/West corridor of luxury. The Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking is a success that keeps getting better. The renovation of many of the hotel's public spaces and the additions of Provocateur, Tanuki Tavern and now Carte Blanche, has taken the property to a new level. Owner Michael Achenbaum, like all luxury hotel operators, is a perfectionist. As my assistant Alice Urmey and I were toured the Ganesvoort Park yesterday afternoon he was constantly, and always in a very gentlemanly manner, instructing workers to do this or that and paying attention to the smallest details. He even stopped to remove some fool's chewing gum from a flawless glass tiled column. He is as excited as any new father about his new gem. The ICrave-designed restaurants and bars are simply stunning. There are balconies everywhere, outdoor decks and color and light. It’s a forward design that is both chic and accessible. It’s for a smart set that demands smarter service and amenities as the boutique hotel industry learns form itself how to thrill it’s guests.

To the thousands who have laughed and smiled with him, Arthur Dozortsev is Arty. He sells booze and is one of those thousands of people who make a living off the nightlife industry even though they don’t actually work at a club, bar, or restaurant. When the city or state changes a law a little, or a joint gets closed or isn't allowed to open, there is a ripple effect to our local economy. Arty is on that second ripple. He rolls deep, showing up at clubs with herds of models and players. He’s the kind of guy that smiles even when he is mad or hurt. When he was throwing big soirees back in his Kremly vodka days, they were packed with all the right sorts. I had coffee with my friend at Prince Street Catering, and asked him what he’s up to.

Yesterday, June 21st, was the worst day of the year for vampires and nocturnal creatures. The longest day of the year started with sunrise at a ghastly "you better carry sunglasses in your pocket or purse” 5:24am and ended at a “how can I eat dinner while it’s still bright out?” 8:31pm. Of course, it’s all downhill from here, until December 21st, when we see the weak winter sun at 7:16am and let it go at 4:31pm. At a friends-and-family lunch at Café Colette at 9th Street and Berry, I spoke to my friend, super model Alex Linquist, about a trip he's making to Stockholm where it’s basically daylight all summer and darkness all winter. How can there be a nightlife when there is so much daylight?

Josh Katz is the co-owner and founder of EL Media Group, a premier custom music provider and audio/video installation company. Along with his partner Ernie Lake, Katz works with hospitality and nightlife venues worldwide customizing music programming to create a client-specific atmosphere and soundscape.The transition was close to seamless for Katz, a music business veteran, and EL Media Group is expanding rapidly—almost solely by word of mouth. More on the concept after the jump.

I was at dinner the other night with Eater’s Scott Solish and he asked me if I was tired of writing yet. My answer was no, though few realize what it takes to deliver something fresh five days a week. He writes three or four entries a day while I write six times a week, including the relationship advice column. What does get tiring is all the ruckus over seemingly innocuous statements or minor incidents in the nightlife world. Within a span of 20 minutes I got calls from Provocateur owner Mike Satsky and blogger/friend Brittany Mendenhall over little bits of gossip that seemed to be nothing. I was having a latte at a truck stop in upstate New York. Before your deviant little minds wander, I was at the truck stop with the gal pal. We had just visited Michael Alig. Yes, I did that again.

● Lanvin (Upper East Side) - At long last, French couture icon plants a flagship in NYC. ● Gansevoort Park (Murray Hill) - The Gansevoort injects a little Meatpacking into Park Avenue. ● Hurricane Club (Flatiron) - Quality Meats peeps channel Trader Vic's. AvroKO dons a grass skirt.

Michael Satsky, the former proprietor of Lily Pond in East Hampton and now-defunct Stereo nightclub, has been busy launching his venture, Provocateur at Hotel Gansevoort, a lounge sprinkled with feminine touches that will "cater to a woman’s every desire." Now in the soft opening phase for private events and parties, the man behind the Meatpacking District's hottest new haunt gives BlackBook a sneak peak after the jump.