Marketing Review — Fall 2008 - (Page 22)

The Revolutionary Man downs. The legendary disco that set New York ablaze catapulted the duo onto the world stage. Schrager looks back with mixed feelings at a time that culminated in an IRS raid that led to a 13-month stint in prison for tax evasion. Learning not to be a corner-cutter and to play by the rules, his hiatus further fueled the fire and pushed him harder. endlessly imitated theme: high profile properties fueled by first impressions in hip locations. Groundbreaking Concepts Passionately committed to the modern lifestyle, Schrager broke with industry convention and pioneered concepts such as the hotel as home-away-from-home, the “hotel as theater,” “cheap chic,” “lobby socializing,” the “indoor/outdoor lobby,” the “urban resort,” and the “urban spa.” In the words of Travel and Leisure: “It is possible that Ian Schrager has done more to bring design to the travel experience than any other living person—single-handedly reinventing the hotel as a site of electrifying cultural significance, art-directing The move to Morgans Fiercely driven, obsessed with breaking the mold, and wanting to journey into spaces no one would even consider, Schrager’s next revolution would involve hotels. With Studio 54 up for sale and the buyer unable to honor the promissory note, a trade took place for what would become Morgans in 1984. A move that Schrager calls “oppor- Hotel Indigo and Hyatt’s Andaz brand. “Everything creative needs vision, if it’s not your idea, if it’s a replication, then atrophy sets in because it lacks the spirit and energy behind it to make it evolve into something even more exciting,” Schrager declares. Having taken the concept of design hotels as far as it could go, it was time to move on. He left Morgans Hotel Group in 2005 to start Ian Schrager Company, a growing empire that owns, develops, manages, and brands hotels, as well as high end residential and mixed use projects. Looking to do something different, predicated on the idea that “the exception is now the rule,” he created what he tel t generation of ho the nex was about creating er than that of my parents.” “Morgans rath ested my lifestyle that manif tunistic,” the Andrée Putnam-designed Morgans on Madison Avenue ushered in an era of design centric hotels that would set the standard for boutique hotels across the globe. “It was a natural progression from nightclubs and entertainment to hotels; it’s all about looking after people and making sure they have a good time.” “Morgans was about creating the next generation of hotel that manifested my lifestyle rather than that of my parents.’ We examined the rules, kept what we liked and broke what didn’t make sense to us.” And with that started the Morgans Hotel Group, minimalist hotels defined by design-intensive interiors and oozing with glamour, seductive cool, and a residential feel. The debut of the Royalton in 1988 started a collaboration with irreverent designer Philippe Starck that ran for seven more reincarnations of what would be an 22 a series of unforgettable lobbies, restaurants, and guest rooms.” Honing in on the affluent, youthful traveler, he designed a portfolio of chic playgrounds from New York to Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco and London, while writing a new set of rulebooks for the lifestyle industry. His groundbreaking hotel concepts have changed the business and set industry standards that continue to be copied throughout the world. In fact, it’s that imitation that disturbs Schrager. He says that no one was doing anything innovative when he started, and now there’s a knock-off version in nearly every city across the globe. Nearly three decades later the boutique concept has become so prevalent that hotel companies of every type are creating boutique brands (aka design hotels), such as Starwood’s W brand, InterContinental’s calls the first stylish global lifestyle hotel chain. With that, Schrager sports a new design vocabulary with particular emphasis on service. “While once the number one priority was innovation, at this stage of the game, the top priority is unparalleled service. You can’t pull off success without service.” Schrager is also preoccupied with the social context and what clients want. “I want to understand what drives their collective unconscious, what will make them react, and what’s missing and still to be done. It’s about responding to an era of customization, personalization, and a new generation of consumers who want to be different. Not everyone wants to look alike. That’s why some people have tattoos, to distinguish themselves.” “You have to cross all lines, appeal to sensibilities, and be responsive to current conditions. No one in the industry does that.” Outside the hospitality circle he HSMAI MARKETING REVIEW • FALL 2008 photography: courtesy of ian schrager

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marketing Review — Fall 2008

Marketing Review – Fall 2008 Contents The Online Marketer Success Stories Forecasting Trends Ian Schrager: The Revolutionary Man Leaving No Stone Unturned: The Quest for Ancillary Revenue Gaga Gadgets for Execs on the Go: Functional New Portable Technology to Make Life and Work on the Road More Hospitable Effectively Weathering the Ups and Downs of the Economic Cycle Experiments in Podcasting Higher Transportation Costs and a Slowing Economy Shift Hotel Room Demand

Marketing Review — Fall 2008

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