New York Public Hotel angering neighbours with sex-obsessed guests

Welcome to the land of New York's finest - and friskiest

Olivia Petter
Wednesday 02 August 2017 20:15 BST
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Since hotelier Ian Schrager’s plush new building opened in June, New York’s well-pocketed elite have flocked to get a flavour of its sumptuous interiors, its dazzling rooftop and sky-high views.

But it’s not the box-fresh linen or the nostalgic Hollywood screening room that’s got neighbouring locals in a fluff.

As it turns out, the aptly named Public Hotel has been causing a stir due to the the unprecedented number of x-rated activities that locals are regularly subjected to. Public indeed.

68-year-old resident Leonor Fernandez , who lives in a nearby public-housing block, told the New York Post that she regularly witnesses sex acts from her window, as Schrager’s free-spirited guests don’t seem to feel obliged to draw the curtains.

She expressed her concern because her grandchildren visit her several times a week.

More than 300 noise complaints have been issued against the hotel since it opened.

Fernandez’s daughter, Christina, is concerned that the antics are inhibiting her mother’s health. Claiming that she doesn’t sleep and has been incredibly distressed by the nightly sex shows to which she has becoming an unwilling audience member.

It’s not exactly PG-13 rated hanky panky either, as locals claimed that the guests are often pressed right up against the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, making their antics all too visible to outsiders.

“Not like I’m a peeping Tom, but from the corner of my eye, you can see this going on four times a week,” 26-year-old Melissa Santos told the New York Post.

Hailed as a “luxury for all” establishment, rooms at Public start at $225 a night and has become a popular spot amongst Manhattan’s high-flying set. They regularly host parties in the vibrant rooftop bar, which, according to their website “transforms into a sexy late-night hotspot” after dark, hosting DJs from around the world.

"Everyone deserves a one-of-a-kind experience that lifts their spirits and makes their heart beat faster, one that elicits an emotional response," Schrager commented in a promotional clip for the establishment prior to its opening.

With neighbours claiming they’ve seen guests masturbating in the window, it appears the renowned hotelier was onto something.

Legally the guests aren’t doing anything wrong, as the sexual activity is not technically taking place in public (despite what the name suggests), but within a supposedly “private” space.

Locals have suggested that the hotel enlist the help of tinted windows to save them from witnessing the nightly debauchery, in the hope that Public becomes a little less public.

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