Since thirtyninehotel opened in September 2004, the Chinatown spot has gone from two-nights-a-week bare-bones space to day-and-night cultural hub.

Thirtyninehotel celebrates its second anniversary Saturday with a bash featuring former Studio 54 DJ Nicky Siano and thirtyninehotel music director and partner DJ Harvey.

"When we first opened it was a place for people in the know, mostly artists and young hipsters," says managing director Gelareh Khoie. "Now we have people from all walks of life and varying socioeconomic backgrounds. On a business level it has grown as well. We're a lot more organized and things run smoothly."

Although the place has developed professionally, thirtyninehotel's no-pretension vibe remains. There's no better place to relax with a cocktail than the club's outdoor terrace, all concrete and plants, where you feel like you're at a friend's cool Chinatown loft.

Under the helm of Khoie, herself a painter, thirtyninehotel's standing as an art gallery has also grown, with the space hosting notable shows such as "Anti-Handshake," featuring the work of Brooklyn artist Rajkamal Kahlon and Honolulu's Trisha Lagaso Goldberg, and "MetroHawaii," in which local artists highlighted the urban side of paradise.

Year three will see more developments. According to Khoie, she plans to record Saturday's party then broadcast it on thirtyninehotel's in-the-works online radio station in early 2007.

"The party will be conducted in the tradition of 1970s New York underground parties that put an emphasis on sound quality and music that inspired feelings of love and joy amongst patrons," says Khoie.

Other changes afoot: renovations, an interactive Web site and "other items that are confidential at the moment," says Khoie.

"I see it as a worm in a cocoon that will finally bestow its true self, revealing all the hidden beauty."

Reach Lesa Griffith at lgriffith@honoluluadvertiser.com.