Public Hotel

Ian Schrager is at it again. The boutique-hotel innovator has always been ahead of the curve, and with his nascent PUBLIC brand it’s apparent he’s caught on to something the world’s luxury hoteliers have failed to notice: inclusive is the new exclusive. There’s a little hint there in the name, of course, but it’s apparent that from bottom to top, a place like New York’s PUBLIC is meant to be warm, open, and welcoming — without sacrificing style or excitement. There’s no front desk, but fear not: when you arrive, one of the hotel’s “PUBLIC advisors” will find you and check you in.

Your room will be suitably Schrageresque, and attractive in its quietly elegant minimalism. It’s all about contrast; these tranquil rooms, with their triple-glazed soundproof windows, are just what you need after a night out on the Lower East Side — or a night out inside the hotel, for that matter. There’s no room service, and nothing but water in your minibar, so you’re more or less forced to be social — and during the pandemic, PUBLIC’s public spaces were thoroughly redesigned, from the lobby and gardens to the restaurants, which now include Popular, by the fêted Peruvian chef Diego Muñoz, as well as the Cantina & Pisco Bar and Louis, a café, bakery, and “gourmet food bazaar,” featuring global street-food flavors by the Michelin-starred chef John Fraser.