Inside Public Hotel: Ian Schrager's Much-Anticipated Hot Spot

And so, the nightlife prophecy has been fulfilled. Ian Schrager is back. The man who brought us Morgan Hotels, including such fan favorites of yore as The Paramount and The Hudson. Oh, and you know, co-founded Studio 54. That little thing. With the recent opening of Public Hotel (AKA, the neon escalators that launched a thousand Instagrams and one hell of a launch party - not that they are that far off a design from the escalators at The Hudson, just saying), Schrager is indeed back, and potentially, better than ever. 

A 28-story boutique hotel tucked away on the Lower East Side's Chrystie Street, Public is making waves for its luxury-for-less mantra. Scaling back to do away with many a familiar hotel infrastructure, guests are expected to self check-in on iPads, and, gasp, there is no room service. Guests just have to schlep their way downstairs to one of the property's many eateries, such as Louis, a part market, part café, or Public Kitchen, the main restaurant under the culinary direction of Jean-Georges Vongerichten. If that's not enough to entertain you, there's the roof and garden, Diego, a sleek gentleman's club styled bar, and the lobby bar. 

But of course, all of this would be for nought should Schrager have been so remiss as to not include a proper, down and dirty nightlife element. And so, alas, there is the the basement night club - Public Arts. A large, open cube space to be filled with film screenings, dance, theater, music, art and comedy, which will evolve in to a surely raucous nightclub where one can expect to see a high-low offering of the city's party people. 

With a total of 367 minimalist rooms, prices range from $150 and up. Quite a steal, no?

Flip through and familiarize yourself with Public's many dimly lit, sleekly styled spots. No doubt, they will be the places to see and be seen.

[Photos via]