Courtesy of Linx Dating
The Rosewood bar during an earlier "Link and Drink" event.
It all started when Amy Andersen, Silicon Valley matchmaker and founder of Linx Dating, hosted her first "Link and Drink" event at the hotel in 2009.
The event was a wild success, with more than 400 people showing up to mingle.
"I knew Linx Dating and our networking events would be a hit at the hotel. I had no idea of the level of popularity that would ensue," Andersen told Business Insider. "The Rosewood Sand Hill hotel has an unparalleled location that is attractive to many people. After I threw my event - it still amazes me - but word spread like wildfire about the location and the sophisticated people there. Everyone wanted to check out the scene."
The scene, in this case, has become one where women of a certain age can match up with wealthy venture capitalists and tech entrepreneurs. Over the years since that first event, Thursday nights at the Rosewood Sand Hill came to be known unofficially as "cougar nights."
"If you're a young lad who likes older women, this is the place for you," one Yelp reviewer says.
Another jokes: "You will meet some real diversity here. Let me list all the variety of people you could encounter: young VCs, old VCs, medium aged VCs, VC girlfriends, VC boyfriends, VC wives, VC hubbies, people in finance looking to break into VCs, people from Stanford looking to become VCs, people looking for VC funding, people who've just gotten VC funding, people recently divorced from VCs, people who want to date a VC."
There's even a Twitter feed, @OnlyOnSandHill, with the outrageous things that have supposedly been overheard at the Rosewood bar. It hasn't been updated in a while, but you can find some gems there.
OH from waitress, "Watch it that guy is a perv" OH from waitress 2, "Aren't they all? "
- Rosewood Gossip (@OnlyOnSandHill) March 21, 2012
Why aren't they cougars hitting on Jim Plunkett at the Rosewood ? Oh he is thirty years too old for them.
- Rosewood Gossip (@OnlyOnSandHill) March 5, 2012
Andersen describes the scene in a more positive light.
"I have met many well-known CEOs, billionaires, super interesting guys in tech ... and mingled with many women as well who are equally impressive," Andersen said. "It depends on the night at the bar, but chances are if you go there looking your best, feeling good about yourself, friendly, and confident, you will rub elbows with someone impressive."
Courtesy of Linx Dating
An earlier Linx Dating event.
Andersen focuses on her date coaching now - she has about 1,000 clients in the Valley, many of whom work for tech companies like Facebook and Google - but she has hosted several smaller events at the Rosewood since her last large "Link and Drink" gathering in 2010. Still, the cougar scene at the Rosewood has remained strong.
A Business Insider reporter recently visited the bar on a Thursday night while staying at the Rosewood Sand Hill during a press trip. When he asked an older woman if it was cougar night, she responded, "If that's what you want it to be," before giving him a kiss on the cheek.
It seems that "cougar night" is still very much a thing at the Rosewood, and Andersen says she plans to bring back the outrageously popular "Link and Drink" event this summer.
"I think for some guys who like a more mature female, the legend of the cougar night has validated that it is acceptable and OK for the young guys to be out on the prowl," she said. "If we do a big splashy summer event at Rosewood, it will be interesting to see the demographic that evolves."