{"id":15677,"date":"2017-11-08T07:34:04","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T07:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/monday-group-v2.ap.applyflow.com\/?p=15677"},"modified":"2024-09-13T01:56:25","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T01:56:25","slug":"the-manhattan-project-celebrations-hotels-and-the-guest-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mondaygroup.com.au\/uncategorized\/the-manhattan-project-celebrations-hotels-and-the-guest-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"The Manhattan Project – Celebrations, Hotels and the Guest Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I recently travelled to New York with my partner for our close friends\u2019 wedding celebration. Whilst in New York, we were keen to witness on-trend approaches to all things hotels and dining in the bustling metropolis that is Manhattan. I think we pretty much experienced both the best and worst of what the great city had to offer.<\/p>\n

We arrived in Manhattan with a certain level of expectation as to what we would see, taste and do. We certainly weren\u2019t travelling 5-star all the way, but let\u2019s agree, you shouldn’t have to be in a 5-star venue to receive excellent service and have\u00a0great experiences.<\/p>\n

Of particular interest to me is the evolution of the \u2018modern boutique lifestyle hotel\u2019 concept made famous by industry icon Ian Schrager in New York. Schrager originally gained fame as one half of the duo which owned and operated the legendary nightclub of the late 1970\u2019s, Studio 54.\u00a0As a young hotel professional, I was fortunate to be employed by Ian Schrager\u2019s hotels in London and learned first-hand about the origins of this concept and how the idea of offering guests unique and memorable experiences could be achieved in new and creative ways.<\/p>\n

Significantly, the first hotel that Schrager developed, Morgans Hotel, which opened in 1984, closed its doors for the last time in July this year and will be converted into high-end micro-apartments. Dan Howarth in dezeen.com <\/em>wrote that \u201cThe hotel’s closure marks the end of an era for a vastly influential project. Schrager and former business partner Steve Rubell sparked a worldwide phenomenon when they renovated the building at 237 Madison Avenue in 1984, with French designer Andr\u00e9e Putman. With the first in the Morgans chain, they were credited with starting the trend for boutique hotels \u2013 smaller hotels with upscale accommodation, in fashionable urban neighbourhoods \u2013 which popped up in cities all over the globe following its success\u201d.<\/p>\n

Being in New York, it was a welcome opportunity to experience Ian Schrager\u2019s latest hotel project, PUBLIC<\/a><\/strong>, which opened on New York\u2019s Lower East Side in June. Delivering yet another game-changing concept, Schrager believes it may be the most important idea he has contributed to the industry. That is, offering modern standards of luxury, design and service at an affordable price point or, as the company line positions it, \u201cluxury for all\u201d.<\/p>\n

Achieving such a goal does mean that guests go without a few common hotel features such as a check-in desk, room service and turning down of beds. Instead, iPads provide guests with the ability to check themselves in and out, extra towels and amenities can be found at designated locations throughout the property, and food orders are collected from a shelf adjacent to the lifts at lobby-level. Their upscale restaurant is headed up by Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten who also oversees a counter service caf\u00e9-cum-grocery store style concept serving organic food options and ready-to-go meals.<\/p>\n

For me though, the views from the rooftop bar at PUBLIC remain one of the most memorable highlights of the entire trip.<\/p>\n