PUBLIC Hotel
Ian Schrager's answer to the price of design — escalators, a rooftop, and rates that undercut everything comparable.
215 Chrystie Street, New York, NY 10002Opens a live Booking.com search for this hotel · we may earn a commission
What PUBLIC Hotel actually is
PUBLIC is Ian Schrager's argument that good design does not have to be expensive. The Herzog & de Meuron building is entered through a tunnel of glowing yellow escalators, the lobby is a working co-working floor by day, and the rooms are small, well-made and stripped of anything unnecessary — no minibar, no bell desk, no room service in the traditional sense.
The trade-off is that you get a designer hotel at close to mid-market pricing. PUBLIC Arts hosts music and performance in the basement, and the rooftop bar on the 18th floor has a wraparound terrace looking north to the Empire State Building.
What stands out
- 01 Herzog & de Meuron building with the yellow escalator entrance
- 02 Rooftop bar with wraparound terrace and Empire State views
- 03 PUBLIC Arts performance space downstairs
- 04 Design-hotel standards at mid-market rates
Rooms and suites
Public Room
Sleeps 2Compact king with floor-to-ceiling glass and a walk-in shower.
Public King Deluxe
Sleeps 2Higher floor with a larger footprint and city views.
Public Suite
Sleeps 3Separate seating area, some with terraces.
Room names and availability vary by season — the live inventory is on the booking page.
Facilities and amenities
- Rooftop bar
- Fitness centre
- Co-working lobby
- Louis restaurant
- Performance venue
- Concierge
- Pet friendly
- Meeting space
- Self check-in
- Wheelchair accessible
Eating and drinking on site
| Louis | All-day café and bar |
|---|---|
| PUBLIC Rooftop | 18th-floor bar and terrace |
Where it sits
Tenement history on one block and a natural-wine bar on the next. The LES has the highest concentration of late-night rooms in Manhattan and hotel rates that undercut Midtown.
Nearest transit
- ▸Delancey St–Essex St (F, J, M, Z)
- ▸Bowery (J, Z)
- ▸2 Av (F)
What's nearby
- ▸Tenement Museum
- ▸New Museum
- ▸Essex Market
- ▸Katz's Delicatessen
- ▸Dimes Square
Conditions at this address right now
Live readings for Lower East Side, updated from Open-Meteo each time this page loads.
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Questions people ask about PUBLIC Hotel
Why is it cheaper than other design hotels?
Schrager stripped out the cost centres — no room service brigade, no bell desk, no minibar. The design budget went into the building and the public spaces instead.
Can non-guests use the rooftop?
Yes, but there is often a queue and a door policy on weekend nights. Hotel guests can usually go straight up.