NEW YORK—Hotelier Ian Schrager’s new brand, Public, is set to open here on the Lower East Side on June 7. The design-led brand will offer affordable price points on accommodations.
Property highlights include a restaurant and grab-and-go marketplace helmed by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; a hotel lobby that serves as a community” space; and a modular, multimedia venue that can serve as a nightclub, art gallery, cultural center, performance space, screening room; and an outdoor garden designed by Madison Cox.
“I wanted to create a hotel for my generation—not my parents’—and one that reflected my tastes and sensibilities as well as popular culture at the time. I was responding to cultural shifts that were emerging. I see the exact same opportunity now. That is the reason for Public,” said Schrager.
The brand’s fundamental premise is “luxury for all.” It is built on four key pillars: service, style, unique experience and value. “Luxury is no longer about things or how much something costs. It is not a business classification, a price point or based on scarcity. Luxury is now about experiences and how something makes you feel. Luxury is being democratized and is now for everyone,” said Schrager.
The delivery of service was also rethought for Public, with a focus on personalized attention and tailored solutions. At the new hotel, Schrager introduces the concept of the Public Advisor who will direct, lead, solve problems, console and know every square inch of the hotel and beyond, he noted.
Ever-emerging new technology needed will be offered at a hotel in response to guests’ modern lifestyles. It’s not technology for the sake of it.
“We didn’t just put an iPad in every room under the guise of being a ‘tech hotel’ like so many other brands are doing. Every interaction with technology was considered for ease, efficiency and effectiveness,” said Schrager.
Tech amenities include free WiFi, cell phone service that works everywhere, mobile and self-check in, mobile key, Apple TVs in every guestroom, online food ordering and expedited communication via a custom-designed chat bot. In addition, there are 12 outlets and USB ports in all of the guestrooms and communal workspaces.
Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, Schrager sought to introduce a new aesthetic done with precision that is universally appealing for the hotel’s 367 guestrooms and public spaces. “It’s not shabby chic, retro, industrial, reclaimed or the ubiquitous Brooklyn look … it’s simplicity as the ultimate sophistication,” he said.