 |
At least, that's the dream of Orlando businessman Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian, who promises that the hotel heiress will participate in his venture, he tells the Associated Press.
"Anything she touches is big," said Khalilian, 32. "The marketing is unbelievable."
Hilton, 23, reportedly will earn a "seven-figure" signing bonus for lending her name to the club. In return, she is contractually obligated to appear there at least twice a month. She also is expected at the opening and apparently consulted on the interior design.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the 16,000-sq.-ft. Club Paris will include state-of-the-art DJ booths, a separate lounge dispensing martinis and cigars and a VIP section – not counting the separate, upstairs private area for Hilton, which will contain her own DJ and sofas in her favorite color of pink.
Khalilian – who without being specific says he made his money during the dot-com boom – is described by the paper as a flamboyant businessman whose car collection includes a Lamborghini, a Ferrari and a Mercedes.
Hilton reportedly signed a contract with Khalilian on Sept. 30, a few days after the two of them visited the Orlando site, which used to be a Dixieland jazz club. The Sentinel also reports that Hilton and Khalilian did some club hopping together during her Florida trip.
Peter Lopez, Hilton's entertainment attorney, confirms that Hilton will take an active role in the new business. He tells AP: "I think the notion of Orlando being a tourist destination makes it a good location. Obviously, if there's a club there with her name on it, she's going to have an interest in seeing that it does well."
