Sec Form 4 Filing - BURKLE RONALD W @ Morgans Hotel Group Co. - 2012-03-20

FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person BURKLE RONALD W 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Morgans Hotel Group Co. [ MHGC] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) X __ Director X __ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O THE YUCAIPA COMPANIES LLC, 9130 WEST SUNSET BOULEVARD 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (MM/DD/YY) 03/20/2012 (Street) LOS ANGELES, CA90069 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YY) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) _____ Form filed by One Reporting Person __ X __ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned 1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 03/20/2012 S 806,970 D $ 5.2772 ( 1 ) 0 I See footnote and Remarks below ( 2 ) Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 03/20/2012 S 531,630 D $ 5.2772 ( 1 ) 0 I See footnote and Remarks below ( 3 ) Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 11,545 ( 4 ) D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YY) 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares Warrant (right to buy) $ 6 ( 5 ) 04/15/2017 Common Stock 7,535,580 7,535,580 I See footnote and Remarks below ( 6 ) Warrant (right to buy) $ 6 ( 5 ) 04/15/2017 Common Stock 4,964,420 4,964,420 I See footnote and Remarks below ( 7 )

Reporting Owners Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships Director 10% Owner Officer Other BURKLE RONALD W C/O THE YUCAIPA COMPANIES LLC 9130 WEST SUNSET BOULEVARD LOS ANGELES, CA90069 X X Yucaipa American Alliance Fund II, LLC C/O THE YUCAIPA COMPANIES LLC 9130 WEST SUNSET BOULEVARD LOS ANGELES, CA90069 X Yucaipa American Alliance (Parallel) Fund II, L.P. C/O THE YUCAIPA COMPANIES LLC 9130 WEST SUNSET BOULEVARD LOS ANGELES, CA90069 X YUCAIPA AMERICAN ALLIANCE FUND II LP C/O THE YUCAIPA COMPANIES LLC 9130 WEST SUNSET BOULEVARD LOS ANGELES, CA90069 X YUCAIPA AMERICAN MANAGEMENT, LLC C/O THE YUCAIPA COMPANIES LLC 9130 WEST SUNSET BOULEVARD LOS ANGELES, CA90069 X YUCAIPA AMERICAN FUNDS, LLC C/O THE YUCAIPA COMPANIES LLC 9130 WEST SUNSET BOULEVARD LOS ANGELES, CA90069 X Signatures /s/ Ronald W. Burkle 03/26/2012 Signature of Reporting Person Date /s/ Robert P. Bermingham, VP and Secty of each additional reporting person 03/26/2012 Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

( 1 )Weighted average price. ( 2 )These shares are directly held by Yucaipa American Alliance Fund II, L.P. ("YAAF II"). ( 3 )These shares are directly held by Yucaipa American Alliance (Parallel) Fund II, L.P. ("YAAF II Parallel"). ( 4 )Represents restricted stock units granted to the reporting person which are subject to the terms and conditions of the Morgans Hotel Group Co. Amended and Restated 2007 Omnibus Incentive Plan. The restricted stock units vested immediately on the date of the grant. ( 5 )YAAF II and YAAF II Parallel purchased certain warrants (the "Warrants") to acquire shares of the common stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Common Stock") of the issuer pursuant to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of October 15, 2009 by and among YAAF II, YAAF II Parallel, and the issuer, as filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the issuer's current report on Form 8-K filed on October 16, 2009. Exercise of the Warrants is subject to mandatory cashless exercise, which reduces the shares of the issuer's Common Stock received upon exercise, and the number of shares received will be determined by the fair market value of the issuer's Common Stock at the time of such exercise. ( 6 )YAAF II directly holds a warrant to purchase these shares, and has beneficial ownership of 7,535,580 shares of Common Stock through such warrant. ( 7 )YAAF II Parallel directly holds a warrant to purchase these shares, and has beneficial ownership of 4,964,420 shares of Common Stock through such warrant.

Remarks: This Form 4 is jointly filed by (i) Ronald W. Burkle, (ii) Yucaipa American Management, LLC ("Yucaipa American"), (iii) Yucaipa American Funds, LLC ("Yucaipa American Funds"), (iv) Yucaipa American Alliance Fund II, LLC ("YAAF II LLC"), (v) YAAF II, and (vi) YAAF II Parallel. Mr. Burkle is the managing member of Yucaipa American, which is the managing member of Yucaipa American Funds, which is the managing member of YAAF II LLC, which, in turn, is the general partner of each of YAAF II and YAAF II Parallel. Each of Mr. Burkle, Yucaipa American, Yucaipa American Funds, and YAAF II LLC, by virtue of their direct or indirect control of YAAF II and YAAF II Parallel, may be deemed to beneficially own some or all of the securities reported as being held by YAAF II and YAAF II Parallel. Each of the reporting persons hereunder disclaims beneficial ownership of the reported securities except to the extent of its or his pecuniary interest therein. In addition, YAAF II disclaims beneficial ownership of any securities held directly by YAAF II Parallel; YAAF II Parallel disclaims beneficial ownership of any securities held directly by YAAF II; and YAAF II, YAAF II Parallel, YAAF II LLC, Yucaipa American, and Yucaipa American Funds disclaim beneficial ownership of any securities held directly by Ronald W. Burkle. This Form 4 shall not be deemed to be an admission that any reporting person hereunder is the beneficial owner of any of the reported securities for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purpose.

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

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