Public Hotel Chicago Low-cost luxury in a renovated Chicago landmark

Fed up with the overpriced minibars and underacheiving service standards that plague the American hotel industry, Studio 54 co-founder Ian Schrager recently unrolled Public, an affordable luxury hotel in downtown Chicago. Schrager reclaimed the walls of the Ambassador East Hotel and its classic restaurant Pump Room, imbuing a shock of new life into the historic structure. With value and simplicity as the stated ethos, Public marries upscale luxury travel with almost unbelievably affordable prices.
I was a guest of the Public on a recent trip to Chicago and was immediately impressed by the hotel's pared-down look and flawless service. With austere lighting and dark interiors, the new appearance is a departure from the glitz and glam of the Pump Room of bygone days, which hosted celebrities of all walks from the Queen of England to Richard Pryor. For the restaurant, Schrager kept the name, ditched the dress code and over-priced entrees, and brought in chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten to head up the kitchen. Needless to say, the food is delicious.

The Public's 285 rooms are individually furnished with an uber-clean, but still slightly eclectic aesthetic to appeal to people of varying tastes. The new direction for Schrager signals a change in demand from travelers, who are willing to trade terry-cloth complimentary robes for a more economical experience. The Public defines its own brand of luxury in the simplicity, efficiency and convenience that the hotel offers. The Public Express—a short menu of healthy meals crafted by Jean-Georges—was a high-speed version of room service that I enjoyed almost immediately upon arrival.

 In addition to great suites and common spaces, the hotel also has a few more add-on amenities to boast about. The meeting spaces are ideal for creative workshops, a real boon considering Chicago's centralized location that makes it a perfect meeting point for businesses. The downstairs library and coffee bar offers international java drinks, so you can have your pick of café con leche, caffé latte or café au lait depending on your European lean. The fitness room is located on the upper floors and features an amazing view of the Chicago skyline, something greatly appreciated by health-conscious frequent flyers tired of exercising in dismal hotel basements.
Public is open for reservations with rates starting at $135. The company has confirmed that their next location will be opening in NYC in 2012.

PUBLIC, conceived by Ian Schrager, is an entirely new class of hotel. Its fundamental attributes are innovative, sophisticated, authentic style; spot-on, personalized, empathetic "essential" service; lasting comfort with complete functionality, all at an affordable price and offering tremendous value. For the first time, this type of hotel experience will be available for everyone and anyone who wants it.
Ian Schrager has taken the best from the luxury segment, boutique hotels and select service to create a new genre of hotel where everything has been rethought and every original idea updated.
At PUBLIC, service matters most. But the key point of differentiation is in the kind and quality of services it offers. The brand will only offer services that matter, those that guests really want and need rather than an array of superfluous services they do not use.
PUBLIC Chicago is a complete transformation of the Gold Coast's famed Ambassador East Hotel and its historic Pump Room restaurant. Rich with a cultural heritage that spans decades, the hotel and the Pump Room was a place to see and be seen and played host to a multitude of celebrities and people from all over the world and all walks of life.
A reinvented and reimagined hotel and Pump Room with a new food concept by James Beard award winning chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, will continue to be the fashionable spot it was originally envisioned to be, for an eclectic mix of people who come together to socialize and dine as they have for past decades. It will still be the hotel and Pump Room, but better.
PUBLIC Chicago's 285 spacious and oversized guest rooms and suites are individually furnished with integrity, taste and superb functionality. Decorated in a soothing, "no color" color palette, the interiors evoke a sense of ease and comfort and the character of a home away from home.