Ian Schrager has never built a hotel to blend in. The hotelier behind New York’s Studio 54, Delano Miami Beach and the Edition Hotels has opened Public West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip, a west hollywood boutique hotel designed to be noticed. Schrager’s own test for the project was simple: “if it’s not unique, why bother?”
A stretch of Sunset with plenty of history
West Hollywood is an independent city inside Greater Los Angeles, known for brunches, nightlife and its Pride parades. Public West Hollywood sits on the Sunset Strip, among older landmarks such as Chateau Marmont and The Tower Bar. As a west hollywood boutique hotel, it adds a newer kind of energy to a street that already draws a crowd.
The location also makes it easy to explore the Westside. Sushi Park, a favourite with Hollywood’s A-list, is a ten-minute walk away. Rodeo Drive and Melrose Avenue are roughly a 15-minute drive. Architecture fans can head into the hills to see Pierre Koenig’s midcentury Stahl House and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Mayan Revival Storer House.
Architecture fans who enjoy this kind of midcentury Californian character can also explore 1966 Midcentury Gem Revitalized with Sci-Fi Flair, a desert home that mixes retro style with futuristic touches.
Design that plays with contrast
Schrager led the project for this west hollywood boutique hotel with his ISC design team. Architects John Pawson and Alan Bell worked alongside interior designers François Champsaur and Aurore Rouillay. The result is cohesive but never predictable. Each detail looks deliberate, and a playful, slightly subversive streak runs through the whole building.
In the glossy lobby, three metallic magenta sculptures by Anselm Reyle stand where a check-in desk would normally be. A custom Bianco Neve marble billiard table sits nearby, along with a 19th-century mahogany grandfather clock lacquered white and fitted with an Yves Klein-blue tassel. Salvador Dalí‘s “Muletas” floor lamps complete the room.
The pool bar uses bespoke Champsaur sofas and lounge chairs in solid oiled teak, upholstered in pink cotton imported from Italy. A 51-foot mural draws on Fernand Léger’s original work, Les Danseuses, which hangs at La Colombe d’Or in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France. Lush foliage fills the rest of the space.
Studio, the on-site nightclub, takes a darker turn. John Pawson designed its black scalloped interior, which is hung with black velvet curtains. Digital screens show slowly shifting operetta portraits.
Even the corridors make an impression. Hallways glow red, blue or green, depending on the floor.
Rooms built for rest
Once guests leave the lobby, the palette softens. The guest rooms are white and minimally furnished, with plush beds and blackout drapery. Each room includes a projection screen and a laser projector for film nights, for guests who want to stay up late and then recover the next day.
Rooms facing the pool have private terraces with seating for daytime views and evening poolside events. Unlike many boutique hotel rooms, these have no minibar. Tea and coffee facilities are provided instead.
Drinks, dinner and a late-night DJ
Public West Hollywood does not have a formal restaurant led by a famous chef. Schrager has said as much himself. The hotel runs an all-day cafe serving pastries, salads, sandwiches and coffee, much like its New York counterpart.
The property is built around drinking and dancing. After dark, the colourful pool bar serves small plates such as little gem salads and mezze, paired with margaritas, martinis and house drinks. The Luna Luna, made with mezcal, passion fruit and blue spirulina, is one of the signature orders. The open-air rooftop terrace offers wine, cocktails and wide views across Los Angeles. A DJ often plays in Studio, a nod to Schrager’s nightlife roots in New York.
Where to slow down
The hotel feels built for energy, but it also offers a quieter side. There is no dedicated spa. Instead, guests can book in-room treatments, including deep-tissue lymphatic drainage, sports and prenatal massage, facials, manicures, pedicures, hair and make-up, and IV drips.
The rooftop hosts free wellness and fitness classes every day. It also has a shaded outdoor gym, sun beds, picnic tables, ping pong, and swings and seesaws. The pool is lively, with a movable DJ booth, but a daybed under a white fringed umbrella, framed by tall hedges and native California plants, still offers a calm spot for a swim.
The verdict on this west hollywood boutique hotel
Scandinavian minimalism now shapes much of the global hotel scene. Too often, its sleek spaces feel flat in both mood and look. Public West Hollywood takes the opposite approach, with colour, enthusiasm and a sense of theatre. Its guest rooms stay quiet enough for a proper night’s sleep, which makes the hotel’s noise feel like a choice rather than a compromise.
If bold colour is what draws you to this hotel, Six Historic Buildings Celebrated for Bold Color shows how older architects used hue with similar confidence and imagination.
Public West Hollywood, a west hollywood boutique hotel, is located at 8300 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, United States.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Public West Hollywood have a formal restaurant?
Public West Hollywood does not have a formal restaurant led by a famous chef. Instead, it runs an all-day cafe serving pastries, salads, sandwiches and coffee.
Do rooms at Public West Hollywood come with a minibar?
No, the rooms at Public West Hollywood do not have minibars. Tea and coffee facilities are provided instead.
Does Public West Hollywood have a dedicated spa?
There is no dedicated spa at Public West Hollywood. Guests can instead book in-room treatments, including massage, facials, manicures, pedicures, hair and make-up, and IV drips.
Who designed Public West Hollywood?
Ian Schrager led the project with his ISC design team. Architects John Pawson and Alan Bell worked alongside interior designers François Champsaur and Aurore Rouillay.
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