Ian Schrager and Highgate Team Up to Take PUBLIC Hotels Global

Key Points

• Ian Schrager has entered a new partnership with Highgate to expand the PUBLIC hotel brand worldwide.
• Highgate will operate and manage PUBLIC hotels globally, while Schrager retains full creative control, brand vision, and design authority.
• The partnership targets global growth of accessible luxury, combining Schrager’s creative leadership with Highgate’s disciplined operating platform.

Why This Partnership Matters

For decades, Schrager has built hotels by prioritizing originality over scale. This partnership represents a strategic shift, allowing PUBLIC to grow globally without compromising its identity. Highgate will handle operations and management, while Schrager continues to control concept, design, positioning, and guest experience. Highgate brings a massive platform to the table, with more than 80,000 keys across North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. That scale gives PUBLIC immediate access to markets, infrastructure, and capital discipline that would be difficult to replicate independently. Schrager described the partnership as a “dream team,” freeing him to focus entirely on creativity while Highgate executes on operations and profitability. From an owner’s perspective, that separation of roles is exactly what allows lifestyle brands to scale without brand dilution 

PUBLIC’s Bet on “Luxury for All”

PUBLIC is Schrager’s most recent and, by his own account, most important idea. The brand challenges traditional luxury by delivering high design, strong service, and immersive experiences at a more attainable price point. Rather than luxury defined by cost or exclusivity, PUBLIC is built around experience, emotion, and value. This positioning resonates strongly with modern travelers and supports higher occupancy across cycles, a key metric for operators and investors alike. With Highgate’s operating expertise, PUBLIC can now pursue this model in multiple markets simultaneously while maintaining the consistency lenders and partners expect.

What’s Next for the Brand

The partnership also signals an active pipeline. Later this year, Schrager is expected to announce a new high-profile food and beverage collaboration at PUBLIC New York. In addition, PUBLIC West Hollywood is set to open this spring, continuing the brand’s focus on unconventional design and guest experience. Each new property reinforces PUBLIC’s core thesis. Do less, do it better, and rethink what guests actually value. That approach has historically translated into strong margins and long-term brand relevance, especially in urban and lifestyle-driven markets.

What This Signals for Hotel Investors

For hotel owners and investors, the Schrager Highgate partnership is a clear signal that lifestyle hospitality is entering its next institutional phase. Creative-led brands are no longer niche plays. With the right operating partner, they can scale globally while protecting returns. Highgate’s involvement also adds credibility for lenders and capital partners, making future PUBLIC projects easier to finance and execute. That combination of vision and discipline is what drives sustainable growth in today’s hotel market.

Bottom Line

Ian Schrager partnering with Highgate is a power move for the PUBLIC brand. Creative control stays with the industry’s most influential hotelier, while global expansion is powered by one of the most sophisticated operators in the business. For investors and owners, the takeaway is clear. PUBLIC is no longer a single asset concept. It’s a scalable global platform built on accessible luxury, and this partnership lays the groundwork for its next chapter worldwide.