For over 50 years, Ian Schrager has subverted every tried-and-true rule of hospitality to create hotels, residences and entertainment facilities that are of-the-moment and innovative, yet timeless. That balancing act has defined every project Schrager has undertaken, and PUBLIC West Hollywood is no exception.
Settled on Sunset Boulevard, the hotel, which is set to open July 15, is born from a fundamental realization: that the most compelling ideas don’t come from a single point of view, but from the collision of influences, energies, and perspectives that create something completely unexpected and unanticipated. Schrager has always worked this way — bringing together opposing forces, balancing tension with harmony — somehow, a cohesive idea emerges from this chaos and apparent disarray.
Most hotels boast about what they have, but PUBLIC West Hollywood is equally defined by what it doesn’t have. It combines the best of residential, office, and hotel living to form a new genre and a new modern identity. There is no celebrity chef vying for attention; no traditional front desk; and no predictable “minimal design” formula masquerading as luxury. Instead of thoughtless clutter, theatrics and gratuitous gestures, everything is stripped back to its very essence and to what truly matters: intimacy, warmth, connection and comfort. Less is not only more, it’s better. In the words of the great Leonardo Da Vinci, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
“It’s a one-of-a-kind editing process that requires constant observation,” Schrager explains. “It’s quite challenging because we never know which detail is the detail that will push a project over the top. I have always… worked with the most talented people in the world, who [often] never even worked on hotels before. This allowed for the emergence of fresh new ideas.”
75% of the hotel’s public space is outdoors, encompassing everything that is quintessentially Southern California and a microcosm of Los Angeles — dining under the sky, relaxed working, lounging in the sun, late-night gatherings under the stars, sports, health and wellness.
At the heart of it all is The Roof, a private park nearly an acre long with 360-degree spectacular vistas of the Hollywood Hills, Downtown LA, and the LA Basin. It is an unparalleled oasis right in the middle of a world-class city. Ideal for private events and complete with undulating topography, sports, daily wellness classes, picnic tables, campfires, art installations, and an oversized 30-foot outdoor movie screen. Equal parts playground and sanctuary, it is inspired by the great parks of the world, including Central Park, Tuileries Garden, Hyde Park, Griffith Park — although smaller, it stands shoulder to shoulder and is utterly unique to Los Angeles.
The guestrooms are equally emblematic: simple, sophisticated, and refined, distinguished not only by their originality but, more importantly, by how they make guests feel. There are no wasted design flourishes — each detail is designed to create comfort and ease while embodying a distinctly Californian spirit. Designed with technology and intimacy in mind, they blur the line between a private retreat, sleep, fun, play, work, rest and entertainment space. Each room is its own private screening room featuring an 11-foot-wide floor-to-ceiling projection surface and short-throw laser display projector with 5,000 lumens and 4k enhancement — theater on demand, but in the privacy and intimacy of your own bedroom. From the acoustics to the image clarity, every element enhances the cinematic experience, bringing a touch of Hollywood to the guestrooms. Indeed, it is your own private movie theater in the heart of the film capital of the world.
And when the sun goes down, PUBLIC reveals another side with a nightclub experience Schrager describes as “tantamount to dancing in a sealed-off immersive sound stage, where you can actually feel the vibrations of the music in addition to hearing it.” With an emphasis on sound and an elegant symphony of black design details, finishes, and materials, it is a speakeasy-style after-hours club, built for intimate conversation but also pure abandonment and non-stop dancing – the evolution of Schrager’s own Studio 54.
At its core, PUBLIC is built on Schrager’s radical premise: luxury for all.
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