Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 47
interview: ian schrager
By Stacy Shoemaker Rauen
perspectives
keeping it real
Ian Schrager is at it again. Yes, the inventor of the boutique hotel is hoping to re-invent the same space he started out in 27 years ago with two new yet-to-be-named brands under his own private hotel company: one for the luxury lifestyle category, and another more reasonably priced (yet stylish) option. The first (he hopes to do 10 to 15 hotels in the next five years) is set to open this fall in Chicago housed in the Ambassador East, one of the city’s most famous cultural icons, once favored by music legends such as Led Zeppelin, Sid Vicious, and Frank Sinatra. And these brands are in addition to Edition, his collaboration with Marriott, the first of which just opened in Waikiki with more planned for Istanbul, Barcelona, London, Mexico City, Miami, and Bangkok. Here, the busy hotelier talks about his new love for simplicity, what he has in common with a Russell Crowe character, and the importance of gracious service. that I like to think Steve [Rubell] and I invented 25 years ago with a little hotel on Madison Avenue called Morgans. I think there are hundreds of versions around the world of that now, and every large hotel company is trying to get in there. So I see the same opportunity I saw 30 years ago in the boutique space—only a little bit above and a little bit below. Those spaces are devoid of any ideas and creativity and originality—all the hotels look alike, and there’s no sense of place and no sense of theater. So while everyone’s rushing into that boutique space and it’s getting somewhat crowded, [I’ll be] creating these two brands and going into those segments. HD: Your first hotel is in the former Ambassador East hotel in Chicago. Why there? IS: Well, my wife is from Chicago, so that never hurts. And basically I [wanted] to throw back to the old times where I make an acquisition, I do the developing, and I own and operate it. I’m really in an opportunistic business, and I respond to the opportunities. I’ve been looking to do a hotel in Chicago for a long time, but never had the right opportunity, the metrics, the numbers, the physical spaces. It didn’t work for one reason or another. When I went to take a look at this site, I fell in love with it. I loved the building, I loved the history of it, and I loved the location. And I think it’s the kind of building that we love to get involved in because it was languishing. It had seen its better days. It had a real rich history—it was one of the grand dames of Chicago. Everybody loved it. But yet, it wasn’t really doing well. So it was the perfect opportunity for us to bring value to it. HD: Can you give us any hints of the design? IS: It’s going to be very simple. I think that’s the catchword now. When I got started in the business with design, there was nobody that was doing it, so therefore we were out there and we were really
Clockwise from top left: Renderings of the overall site and pool area of the Kempinski Hotel Accra; the bar and fine dining restaurant at Citizen Kofi.
Above: The lobby bar of the first-to-open Edition in Waikiki, designed by Yabu Pushelberg.
designing and trying to be innovative and provocative, and trying to get everybody to notice us. Thirty years later, everyone realized that’s good business. Now everybody’s doing it. So, what you’re
HD: You recently sold the Gramercy Park Hotel. How did it come about? Why was it a good time? IS: We were in the middle of recapitalizing it, and I had a lot of plans on my own, working with Marriott on Edition, and doing my own private hotel company again. I think that’s where the focus on my passions was going. And yeah, I just thought it was time to move on and I got an offer for my half that was just too good to refuse. HD: Talk to us about your two new brands. IS: I see the same opportunity, a little bit above the boutique space
finding now, even though the rooms are better designed and the public benefits from that, they’re all starting to look alike again. And so I really think now, especially culturally, I am sort of trying to go off and march to my own drumbeat, not follow what everybody else is doing, which is trying to out-design the next guy, and really go back to my roots and do something really simple and self-assured, but something with great style that I really respond to. The kind of simple way that doesn’t overpower you or try to design yourself to within an inch of your life. Because then it feels comfortable; it makes you feel comfortable. You know you’re in a special place. To
www.hospitalitydesign.com
January/February 2011
47
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - January/February 2011
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011
Contents
Online Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
People
Sketchbook
Trends
Interview
Profile
Inspirational Finds
Germany
Inspiration from Nine Creative Sources
Hotel 57
Wanderlust
Bar Basque
Back Space
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Intro
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Hospitality Design - January/February 2011
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Cover2
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 1
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 2
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 3
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 4
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 5
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 6
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 7
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 8
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 9
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 10
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 11
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 12
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 13
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 14
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Contents
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 16
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Online Contents
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 18
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 19
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 20
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 21
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - From the Editor
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 23
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - From the Show Director
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 25
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - People
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 27
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 28
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 29
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 30
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 31
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 32
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 33
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 34
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Sketchbook
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 36
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 37
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 38
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 39
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 40
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 41
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 42
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 43
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 44
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Trends
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 46
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Interview
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 48
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 49
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 50
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 51
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 52
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Profile
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 54
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Inspirational Finds
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 56
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 57
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 58
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 59
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 60
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 61
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 62
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 63
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 64
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Germany
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 66
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 67
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 68
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Inspiration from Nine Creative Sources
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 70
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 71
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 72
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 73
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 74
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 75
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 76
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 77
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 78
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 79
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 80
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 81
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 82
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 83
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 84
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 85
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 86
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 87
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 88
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 89
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Hotel 57
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 91
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 92
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 93
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Wanderlust
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 95
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 96
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 97
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Bar Basque
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 99
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 100
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 101
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 102
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - 103
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Back Space
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Cover3
Hospitality Design - January/February 2011 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/expo2015_showguide
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/expo2014_showguide
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hd/20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_20130304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_20130102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_20120506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_20120102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_20110506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_20110102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_20101112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_20100506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_201001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_200912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_200911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_200909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_200908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_200907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_20090506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/hd_200904
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com