FIRST VIEW – PUBLIC, CHICAGO

11 October 2011 18:08:01 GMT

Ian Schrager has launched his latest hotel, but in stark contrast to his previous offerings Public Chicago is billed as an "anti-hip", establishment where Schrager, working with interior designer Anda Andrei, has stripped the building of pretence and "filled it with a warm feel to comfort every one of its guests."

Schrager has taken Chicago’s iconic Ambassador East Hotel, built in 1926, and its legendary Pump Room to create a new breed of hotel that is all about ‘essential’ service.

As Schrager explains: “the idea behind the boutique [hotel] as I saw it was meant to touch people emotionally and viscerally and offer guests a truly unique experience. These travellers now expect truly unique experiences and not merely a place to sleep. PUBLIC will punctuate this with great value and service. W“we are trying not to be hip, we are in fact anti-hip, and therefore by definition, we are.”

Schrager continues to lobby for ‘chat rooms,’ with the plush Living Room and Library at the heart of the hotel’s social activity. In addition, PUBLIC Chicago will be the first property to offer PUBLIC EXPRESS, a gourmet takeaway offering an on-the-go dining experience in which acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten prepares packaged meals for guests.

Room start at an accommodating price of $135 per night.

www.publichotels.com/