Even if Ian Schrager were to utter a whispering ‘boo’, we’d prick up our ears, let alone when he makes the next move. Well, the legendary American hospitality entrepreneur actually just has. Since his iconic Studio 54 days in the mid-1970s, Schrager has been on top of his game, launching more than 40 one-of-a-kind hotels across the planet and countless new concepts and ideas for restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and other entertainment facilities. And now, PUBLIC West Hollywood, his latest hotel concept has opened its doors in one of the most sophisticated and challenging hospitality arenas—Los Angeles. Interestingly, this hotel concept was born from a fundamental realisation that the most compelling ideas don’t come from a single point of view, but from the collision of influences, energies, and perspectives that creates something completely unexpected and unanticipated. Schrager has always brought together opposing forces, balancing tension with harmony. Southern California, and specifically Los Angeles, is a natural expression of this idea, a place where nature and urban environment, glamour and comfort, energy and calm all exist simultaneously.
Instead of merely building on these contrasts, PUBLIC West Hollywood takes it one step further, nurturing multiple ideas that coexist, overlap, and evolve in real time, just for the sake of creating an evolving hospitality environment that reflects the city’s unique dynamic. Mind you, Los Angeles and Southern California in general, have always been considered America’s promised land, thanks to the diverse breath-taking landscapes, the mineral riches, and of course, a population from just about every corner of the globe. PUBLIC West Hollywood, which features 137 guest rooms and suites, aims to capture that same magic without resorting to clichés. The concept is born hotel from contradiction—maximal and minimal, using world class talent from around the world, all blending seamlessly to reflect the way people actually or want to live today, according to Schrager. What also stands out, is the democratic, no-fuss approach of the concept, which actually, is also reflected by its name. Today’s traveller simply wants to his/her room as quickly as possible, so no tedious champagne sipping in the lobby until you can go up, while other predictable elements seen as inherent to boutique hotels have also been stripped.
Designed by Schrader in collaboration with London-based architect John Pawson, more than half of the hotel space is outdoors, and following the concept, it encompasses everything that is quintessentially Southern California and a microcosm of Los Angeles—dining under outdoors, relaxed working, lounging in the sun, late-night gatherings under the stars, sports and health and wellness. What about the rooms? Well, although they’re anti-design – yes indeed, you read that correctly – the rooms are simple yet sophisticated, and designed for comfort with technology and intimacy in mind. That said, each room is its own private screening room, featuring an 11-foot-wide (3.3 metre) floor-to-ceiling original projection surface that’s specially designed a short throw laser display projector. Indeed, from the acoustics to the image clarity, it rivals the movie theatre experience. And obviously, that’s not all. Being in the global capital of entertainment, PUBLIC West Hollywood pitches in with top-notch facilities of its own.
First of all, there’s Louis, a farm-to-table restaurant, but also gourmet market, bakery, coffee parlour and lunch spot. Here, the menu lists not only breakfast options, but also healthy and organic all-day bites, such as salads and sandwiches, but also pastries and cookies. And yes, there’s plenty of coffee and tea options too. The Roof is a three-quarters of an acre private park with 360-degree spectacular vistas of the Hollywood Hills, Downtowns and beyond. Beautifully landscaped by architect Madison Cox, it’s a veritable oasis in this bustling part of town, and hosts private events, sports and wellness classes, while featuring picnic tables, campfires, art installations, and an oversized 30-foot (9-metre) outdoor movie screen. Last but not least, Schrager has come up with Studio, a night haunt where to let your hair down until the wee little hours. A modern extrapolation of Studio 54? Most definitely. Accommodating up to 150 party peeps, the classy setting oozes ‘all-black boudoir’, and comes with a bar, various seating arrangements. artworks, and obviously, a top-notch sound system. © superfuture
PUBLIC West Hollywood
8300 Sunset Boulevard (West Hollywood)
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Telephone +1 8388300
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
