The hospitality industry responds to the Los Angeles wildfires, Ian Schrager gets back to his roots, and Neom employees grapple with hazardous conditions. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
The concerning reality of Saudi Arabia’s Neom
Linear smart city the Line, shown in a rendering, is one of the five proposed regions of Neom
The Wall Street Journal has published a scathing piece that sheds light on the dangers those working on Saudi Arabia’s Neom are being subjected to. While the completed development has been heralded as future-forward, sustainable, and almost utopian, the reality of the current construction site is far from that. Neom employees have reported incidents of gang rape, suicide, attempted murder and drug dealing on the site, according to WSJ. Children as young as 8 years old have also been caught driving trucks. Although slight improvements have been made in terms of safety and emergency services, one employee told WSJ: “It is still the Wild West.”
Louis Vuitton’s new Soho pop-up nods to Japanese capsule hotels
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To celebrate the re-edition of Louis Vuitton’s iconic collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, the French fashion house has conceived a series of activations across seven cities. According to Designboom, the U.S. installation, located in New York’s Soho neighborhood, pulls inspiration from the modular capsule hotels found in Tokyo, with distinct zones linked by a central corridor. Just like the pieces from the original 2003 collection, as well as the newly introduced items, the Manhattan pop-up is enveloped in a vibrant color palette. The temporary location, which is open through January, offers a range of experiences, including retail, exhibition, cinema, and restoration services.
The hospitality industry offers relief amidst Los Angeles wildfires
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
As devastating wildfires continue to rage across Los Angeles, hotels and vacation rentals are opening their doors to displaced residents and travelers. Travel + Leisure has compiled a comprehensive directory of companies—including Airbnb and Lyft—and properties offering discounts and assistance, as well as other resource for those impacted. The list continues in the comments, where readers are listing additional leads. Additionally, numerous restaurants are offering free meals and refuge for firefighters, first responders, and evacuees.
Hotelier Ian Schrager is not done yet
Photo by Chad Batka
In 2022, Ian Schrager took to social media to share that he would be stepping away from EDITION, and his then-14-year partnership with Marriott, to work on growing the PUBLIC brand. Now, in an interview with Forbes, Schrager details more of his plan. The second PUBLIC outpost is scheduled to open this year on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles and a third is underway in Miami. (The original PUBLIC hotel opened on New York’s Lower East Side in 2017.) Schrager’s renewed focus is a return to his origins of sorts—he endeavors to leave the exclusivity of luxury behind to focus on inclusivity, much like how Studio 54 operated. “And it’s probably the most important idea I’ve ever had,” says Ian Schrager. “Making luxury available and accessible to everybody and anybody is kind of a modern democratic ideal.”
Meet the 2025 HD Awards judges
Hospitality Design magazine has revealed the judges of the 21st annual HD Awards. The two panels—comprising 11 project judges and four product judges—will convene in March to deliberate and determine the winners and finalists of this year’s awards program. (Get to know the industry leaders and innovators here.) And there’s still time to submit to the 2025 awards! The deadline for entries is Monday, February 10th. Honorees will be featured in the May/June 2025 issue of Hospitality Design magazine and celebrated at an event on May 6th, held in conjunction with HD Expo + Conference, at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
