Veteran hotelier Ian Schrager is returning to West Hollywood in a big way. In spring 2026 he will finally open his new hotel brand PUBLIC at a prime address on the Sunset Strip, the former Standard hotel. The 137-room property promises to embody his “luxury for all” philosophy, delivering high-style design, social spaces and immersive experiences at accessible rates.
After The Standard permanently closed in 2021, the property sat idle for years as debates unfolded over its future. The City of West Hollywood considered granting it local landmark or cultural resource status due to its architectural character and its role in the city’s creative and social history. As WEHOonline previously reported, the process was marked by several delays and procedural extensions as preservation advocates and developers sparred over its fate. In the end, the designation stalled, clearing the path for redevelopment, though the building’s bones and mid-century profile remain intact.
Schrager’s new West Hollywood project doesn’t come out of nowhere. He made his name here decades ago. Back in the mid-90’s he launched the iconic Mondrian Hotel on Sunset Boulevard, along with its famed outdoor venue SkyBar, both of which helped establish the boutique-hotel and “lobby as social hub” model in LA. Ian also left his mark on West Hollywood with The West Hollywood EDITION, the sleek, design-driven hotel he opened in 2019 at Sunset and Doheny in partnership with Marriott.
As many know, the site of the new hotel has its own storied past. It was formerly the mid-century structure known as the Thunderbird Motel / Hollywood Sunset Hotel, and later served as a retirement home (Golden Crest) before eventually becoming The Standard, Hollywood back in 1999.
Now, PUBLIC West Hollywood will carry that history forward under Schrager’s hand. Designed in collaboration with British architect John Pawson (the same guy he worked with on the Edition). The project promises a lushly landscaped open-air rooftop terrace (16,000 sq ft) with sweeping 360-degree views of Los Angeles, a pool, social-hub lobby, and three destination food-and-drink outlets. Online reservations are slated to go live in early January 2026.
Schrager teased what kind of crowd he envisions for the new PUBLIC West Hollywood, telling The Hollywood Reporter he expects a mix of “sophisticated, in-the-know, original, free-thinking and unique individuals. People from all walks of life, all ages and all genders, both rich and not so rich; people who share a common sensibility, common purpose and common attitude. It’s not a demographic we are after but a spirit.”
As for dining and nightlife, the hotel will feature two restaurants, and a dance floor, one meant to fill the void left by Giorgio’s, the mini disco once tucked inside The Standard and named for the godfather of disco, Giorgio Moroder. Having made his name as co-founder of New York’s storied Studio 54, it’s safe to say Schrager knows his way around a nightclub.
And one consistent complaint from the days of The Standard has been addressed: he confirms the rooms will be soundproofed. Now that I gotta hear.
It’s a long-overdue comeback for one of Sunset’s most iconic addresses. Many of us still remember the pre-pandemic glory days at The Standard: poolside parties that started at noon and stretched into the night, some of the best ever “hangover” brunches at the Alma and definitely some of the best DJ sets in town. For those of us who made memories there (a lot of memories), the promise of the building finally coming back to life feels like the start of a new chapter. A really, really fun new chapter.
