PUBLIC: Ian Schrager's New Hotel Brand

This week Ian Schrager revealed plans for his new hotel brand and the press is going wild. The hotelier who pioneered the concept of the boutique hotel will debut PUBLIC, focused on "accessible luxury," on September 12. Last year we reported that Schrager had snatched up a prime piece of Chitown real estate: the Ambassador East hotel and its famous Pump Room. Now the property has been transformed into the PUBLIC Chicago and the legendary restaurant will be helmed by none other than Jean-Georges Vongerichten. In an interview with Chicago Magazine, Schrager had this to say:

"This whole hotel is really different from what I’ve done in the past. In the past, people might have labeled what I had done as being exclusive. Everything we are trying to do here is meant to be inclusive. We are trying to attract everybody and anybody who likes what we’ve done. Whether celebrities or young people or older people, we want everybody to enjoy it."

One of the details we're already swooning over: guests will be able to customize their own mini-bars.

Image via USA Today Hotel Check-In blog