HotelChatter

· He's not too thrilled by the Royalton's renovation, either: "I'm not sure what they're doing now. I rely on product distinction, and I see the industry as falling into the same trap it did before I got started. Even though the design may be heightened, the places are beginning to look monotonously similar to each other."

· His Marriott plans are coming to fruition: "We'll probably be announcing several projects at the end of January, and the name of that."

· In the '70s, he watched gay culture, now he likes "the blacks": "The gay population was emerging and setting the cultural tone. Before that it was blacks, and now it's again the blacks."

Umm....

· He can dole out the complements to his competition: "[Andre Balazs] does a good job, a credible job. I think for the people out there that are doing these kinds of hotels, these genre hotels, he probably does the best job. There are others that are good as well. I think there's a group out in California called Kor that does a good job. I think Jason Pomeranc does a credible job."

· Losing a Friend: As much as we rag on Schrager's tan and the "rock star" credo that people give to him, this is a great candid interview with him. And we have to say his bit about late friend and partner Steve Rubell almost made us well up with tears.

I never had a friend like that. It was really great; it was really fulfilling. It's like now I'm sort of alone and isolated and by myself. I don't have that kind of partner to bounce off. I'll never have that again.

Related Stories:
· Ian Schrager's Guide to Staying Successful [HotelChatter]
· World According to Ian Schrager [Portfolio]
· Hot Hotelier coverage [HotelChatter]