The Studio 54 co-creator has given a 1962 West Hollywood building new life as Public Hotel. For $35, non-guests can spend a day in its lush rooftop oasis.
The man who helped create Studio 54 has opened a new hotel in West Hollywood, and you don’t need a room key to get a taste of it. Public Hotel West Hollywood is Ian Schrager’s latest project, and a $35 pass gets non-guests onto its lush rooftop oasis.
A 1962 building gets a second act
Schrager didn’t build from scratch. Public Hotel West Hollywood occupies the 1962 building that was once home to the Standard Hotel. That makes it a mid-century West Hollywood landmark with a new name, a new design point of view and a new owner with a long track record for making rooms people want to be in.
Reinvention is the specialty here. Schrager’s name is forever tied to Studio 54, the nightclub that became shorthand for glamour with the volume turned up. Taking an existing LA building with its own history and handing it a fresh identity fits that instinct. Good bones are still good bones, and a 1962 address has them.
The $35 rooftop
The detail that has everyone talking is the price of admission to the roof. A $35 pass opens the rooftop oasis to people who aren’t staying at the hotel. The greenery is the draw: plants and open sky above one of the most photographed cities on earth.
Hotel rooftops in Los Angeles can feel like private clubs, with a velvet rope, a list and a bouncer who knows exactly who you are. A pass with a set price turns that around. You pay, you go up, and you spend your afternoon or evening somewhere designed to impress. Think of it as a day ticket to a designer’s idea of paradise.
For a visitor on a tight itinerary, or an Angeleno who wants a change of scenery without booking a night in their own city, it’s an easy way to see what the fuss is about. It also gives you a good excuse to dress up a little.
The Studio 54 spirit, updated
Studio 54 has a reputation for glamour, but its enduring promise was that the party was meant to be a mix. The dance floor was a place where different people ended up in the same room, all dressed to be seen. Public’s rooftop pass carries a version of that idea into today’s LA. Glamour is on offer, and the door is open to anyone willing to pay $35 and show up.
It’s a fitting move for a hotelier who understands that atmosphere is the real luxury. A room can be beautiful, but a place with energy makes people want to come back, tell their friends and take pictures. By opening the rooftop to the public, Schrager invites the city to be part of the scene instead of just watching from the street.
West Hollywood already has plenty of nightlife history, and a mid-century building with a Schrager makeover adds another chapter. If you’re planning a trip, put the rooftop on the list. If you live nearby, consider this your sign to treat yourself to a green afternoon above the city.
The pass is $35, the building dates from 1962, and the guy behind it helped make Studio 54. That’s a strong enough résumé for a Saturday plan.
