The man associated with the formation of the boutique hotel concept, cheap chic and lobby socialising, Ian Schrager, is being honoured with a lifetime achievement award at The International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin.

Schrager’s initial ventures were in nightclubs: he created the hip New York nightclubs, Studio 54 and Palladium, before turning his unique vision to hotels. He opened Morgans Hotel in 1984, before creating the Ian Schrager Company, which owns, develops and manages hotels, residentials and mixed used projects, including the Schrager hotel in London.

He is currently working on a new hotel genre: PUBLIC will be inclusive, rather than exclusive, offering great style and service, but also great value.

A collaboration with Marriott International on another brand, EDITION, is also underway, which is a stylised home away from home for business and leisure travellers. This partnership combines the unique vision of Schrager with Marriott’s global reach and operational experience and will see the launch of 100 properties around the world. Each site encapsulates the cultural and social milieu of its location and of the time.

Tess Pearson, event director of Questex Media Group, which hosts the awards, says the purpose of this award is to publicly recognise the developments Ian has made throughout his career.

Shrager says he has always tried to push boundaries and break with convention: “Throughout my career I have tried to provide guests with more than just a place to sleep by creating authentic, one of a kind experiences that capture the zeitgeist and reflect the spirit of the times.”

The award will be presented in Berlin on 4th March.