Ian Schrager announces opening of PUBLIC New York, a ‘hotel for the people’
Hotelier Ian Schrager, founder of mythical 1970s nightclub Studio 54 and credited with creating the concept of the ‘boutique hotel’, has announced the opening of his new hotel brand PUBLIC in New York, which opens on June 7.
PUBLIC, which is located at 215 Chrystie Street in the Bowery district, is, claims Schrager, a ‘disruption’ to the city's current lifestyle brands. PUBLIC’s fundamental ethos will be accessibility, with a focus on style, sharp service and fun facilities.
“I truly believe that everyone deserves a one-of-a-kind experience that lifts their spirits and makes their heart beat faster, one that elicits an emotional response…and to deliver this at a reasonable price point is even more on the mark for today’s savvy and sophisticated traveller,” says Schrager of the project.
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Starting prices for entry-level rooms will be $200 (£155) per night, a relatively competitive price considering its location in the Lower East Side, and its abundance of hotels. The 367 bedrooms, described as akin to cabins on a yacht, will be kitted out with Apple TVs, an online food ordering system and ample USB ports. Guests will be able to self-check in on their mobiles, and then let themselves into their rooms through the same medium. The hotel also claims to have the fastest Wi-Fi in the city, which will also be free.
Service will focus on the necessary, rather than white-gloved accoutrements. “We live in a modern world. People want… great coffee, but delivered fast and hot, not in fine bone china,” comments Schrager. Staff will be known officially as ‘Public Advisors’ and, according to the hotel, have ‘no boundaries or limits.’
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Herzog & de Meuron and Ian Schrager Co. were behind the design of the property which the hotel has dubbed as ‘cosy-radical-chic.’ Schrager has dismissed other pervasive styles currently found at many existing hotels: “It’s not shabby chic, retro, industrial, reclaimed or the ubiquitous Brooklyn look…its simplicity as the ultimate sophistication.”
With that in mind, they have created not one style, but has instead created a mix of furniture and finishings that cannot be classified into a given design oeuvre, similarly to EDITION hotels, Schrager’s hotel group which opened in conjunction with Marriott.
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And, just like the EDITION properties, there will be an emphasis on fun (the Miami outpost has a bowling alley and ice-skating rink in the basement, for example). Public Arts, a ‘multimedia performance space like no other’, will host film screenings, theatre and dance productions, musical performances, exhibitions, talks and ‘even hot sweaty dancing.’
Considering its perch in lower Manhattan, PUBLIC also has two green spaces: Chrystie Park, their own mini-version of Central Park, and Bowery Garden, an outdoor terrace adjacent to one of the restaurants inspired by the Jardin Tulieres in Paris.
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Ubiquitous Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten will head up the hotel’s two restaurants, PUBLIC Kitchen and LOUIS. The former will serve the best of the city’s diverse culinary offerings, from hot pastrami sandwiches and pizza to sushi and spicy Korean chicken. The latter is part-grocery store, part-luncheonette, part-market, serving reasonably priced healthy food via counter service.
Three bars – Diego, a cocktail bar inspired by a private gentleman’s club; The Roof, with 360-degree views offering communal tables, weekend barbecues and DJ sets; and the lobby bar, a multifunctional day-to-night space – complete the offering.
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No further PUBLIC properties have been announced (the first one, which opened in Chicago, has since been sold), though future EDITION openings include Barcelona, Bangkok and Abu Dhabi.
“I am always looking for a new and better way of doing things…to upset the status quo and shake things up,” claims Schrager.
Whether he has succeeded in achieving his aim with PUBLIC remains to be seen.
PUBLIC New York opens on June 7. Rates are from $200 (£154); there is a special rate available for stays until September of $150 (£117) per night.
