ISSUE 19
215 C H R Y S T I E S T N E W Y O R K , N Y 10002 USA
PUBLIC
TEMPORAL
Ian Schrager is unreservedly a man of the times. In 1977, when he founded the legendary Studio 54 nightclub with business partner Steve Rubell, his venture would go on to define the disco generation with lavish, drug-fueled parties. In 1984, they debuted Morgan’s—widely considered as the world’s first boutique hotel—and created a model for the industry that focused on local character for more discerning travelers. Forty years after the launch of Studio 54, his latest oeuvre is PUBLIC New York, a $300 million USD hotel designed by Herzog & de Meuron situated in the Lower East Side that proposes “luxury for all” in the age of Airbnb.
PUBLIC was conceived from the ground up by the 70-year-old Schrager, who shaved away all the frivolity from the luxury hotel experience to create an experience that is streamlined and accessibly priced, yet no less sophisticated. Arriving guests must first ascend an imposing, copper-clad escalator to the concrete and plywood-decorated lobby, where two Public Advisors—a more casual take on the concierge – are available to help with self-check-in on an iPad, or to give directions and recommendations around the hotel and neighborhood. Guests then show themselves via a digital keycard on their smartphone into one of 367 standardized rooms, which are outfitted with floor-to-ceiling windows and a wooden bed 170
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