12.24.2004
The Man,The Myth,The Legend - IAN SCHRAGER Dec. 2004
"Staying in a hotel is an emotional experience. It is more about interactive entertainment and how it makes you feel rather than merely about how it looks. The hotels are undeniably beautiful and glamorous but what makes them special, and, I believe, what sets them apart has little to do with style. It has to do with the emotional, visceral experience they provide the magic, the feeling of being a part of something. This is what distinguishes us from all other hotels, and this is why I am still passionate about what I do""I want the experience of staying at one of my hotels to be more like seeing a great movie, reading a wonderful book, or watching a memorable play not just as a place to sleep, but a place where you feel an honest, emotional connection where you feel like you are an integral part of the story unfolding around you because you are. " - Ian Schrager
"When Ian Schrager burst onto the hotel scene nearly twenty years ago, he brought with him an unconventional approach and outsider mentality that was deeply rooted in the spirit and ethos of the entertainment industry. Recognizing a previously unnoticed and underserved market that craved something different a hotel that would reflect their interests and lifestyle, and would offer a fun and entertaining alternative to the bland, generic, mass-market hotels that populated the landscape Schrager saw an opportunity for genuine innovation. To fill the void, Morgans was opened in 1984 and the hotel industry has never been the same.
Ian Schrager and his late business partner Steve Rubell achieved international recognition in the late 1970's for their development of a new, visionary concept in nightlife and entertainment: the legendary Studio 54. The pair attributed the phenomenal success of Studio 54, and later, Palladium, to heeding an unanswered call in the industry for something new and different. It was the very same desire to create something truly original and relevant to the needs of a new generation that led them to the hotel world. In defining their audience, they refused to be constrained by conventional demographic considerations such as age and income level, knowing instinctively that theirs was a 'vertical market' based on attitude and lifestyle. From this they were able to construct a new paradigm that reconsiders the very notion of what a hotel could be.
By constantly refining his basic ideas, and always striving to reinvent the hotel experience, Schrager went on to create a number of breakthrough concepts that have revolutionized the industry, including: the hotel as a Home Away From Home, where the standard hotel model is radically modified to feel distinctly more comfortable and residential; Hotel as Theatre where the lobby is akin to a stage set and guests are a part of the drama; the Art of Lobby Socializing, where lobbies become social hubs and a new kind of gathering place for guests and locals alike; Cheap Chic, which delivers high style at affordable prices and thus reaches a wider audience; the Indoor/Outdoor Lobby, which, by creating outdoor public spaces that are as magical and livable as those indoors, serve to blur the conventional distinction between the two; the Urban Resort, where the hotel becomes a self-contained destination and oasis in the middle of a bustling city; the Urban Spa, where soothing and calming spa-like qualities are integrated throughout; and Hotel as Lifestyle and You Are Where You Sleep, which fundamentally recognize that one's choice of hotel is a profound reflection of who you are.
Long known for his unerring instinct for the tone and pulse of popular culture, Schrager's role when developing a new hotel is more that of social scientist than conventional businessman. "When we first started in this business, no one took us seriously or thought we would last," says Schrager. "What these naysayers didn't understand is that just because something is new, original and provocative, doesn't mean it won't stand the test of time. If it's honest and well executed, it will last." Schrager's hotels have not only stood the test of time, but have been copied the world over. They have distinguished themselves by their strong sense of place and time their ability to provide guests with a microcosm of, and strong connection with, the city beyond, and a manifestation of the cultural zeitgeist of the era. "I could never understand the concept of going from one unique city to another and yet staying in a hotel that never changed" says Schrager," where once you crossed the threshold, you lost your connection to the city and couldn't tell if you were in New York or Los Angeles." Schrager has also made it a priority to create hotels that appeal to the local community, since he has always believed that when sophisticated city dwellers frequent his hotels, they bring the authentic spirit and essence of the city with them. The result of this approach is that, while his hotels may often be imitated, they can never be duplicated.
Working with internationally renowned French designer Philippe Starck on every project since 1987, Schrager's hotels have become world famous for their design. "I am fortunate to have been able to collaborate with Philippe Starck for so many years on our hotels," says Schrager. "Philippe is a genius at bringing to each of our projects an almost child-like sense of innocence and enthusiasm about each hotels unique possibilities as well as a sense of how to confer wit, poetry and charm onto a space that is without compare in this industry." Employing a design ethic that is spiritual and idea-driven rather than aesthetic, fashion-led, or based only on style, contrived themes or gimmicks, the hotels evoke a dynamic dreamscape where space, proportion and scale are manipulated and nothing is quite as it seems. Whether guests feel they have stumbled onto the surreal stage set of a film by Cocteau, or entered the world of Alice in Wonderland, they are left with an unforgettable impression of what a hotel can be.
In a world saturated by designer brands and logos, where style is knocked off and mass marketed at the speed of light, Schrager is keeping alive those most endangered of artistic species: experimentation, risk-taking, innovation and originality. He has solidified his hotels identity not by creating a single signature look but instead by creating an exciting urban adventure that provides a unique experience. Schrager's hotels have never been about mere design. What differentiates them from the rest and what links them to one another, are the magic and theatricality they create, and the emotions they evoke. It is the collision of styles and ideas the ability to embrace a bit of chaos and a fearlessness in challenging convention that creates energy and produces a layered and sophisticated environment. To each who enters, the experience is purely personal and interactive, stimulating the senses and lifting the spirits even as it provokes and entertains. The hotels are defined more by an approach and attitude than by a certain look or style."
[Via morganshotelgroup.com]
The Pimpwiz.com Spin: Ian Schrager is one of the low lay guys who just quietly carves his unique niche. There is nothing more admirable than a man who creates his dream and is able to monetize it to the fullest extent while creating an amazing experience for all. Anyone who has stayed or partied at his establishments knows that his is a man of the defies normality while creating a very comfortable and amazing experience, mood and atmosphere. Ian Schrager is Pimpwiz.com's "The Man, The Myth, The Legend" of December 2004.
