Boutique hotelier Ian Schrager has won the 2017 Pioneer Award for “his outstanding impact on the hospitality industry” and his longstanding support for design-led hotels.

The prestigious accolade is awarded each year by the the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) to celebrate the recipient’s active involvement in the industry, their contribution to hospitality, and their “personal qualities.”

In its award citation for Schrager, the association said: “For over five decades, Ian Schrager has set an unrivalled standard for hospitality, real estate and nightlife. Throughout his illustrious career, Schrager not only changed nightlife with Studio 54 [an ever-mutating nightclub he co-owned that celebrated design], but also pioneered the design-forward boutique boom.

“He achieved international recognition for concepts such as ‘lobby socialising’, ‘the hotel as home away from home’, ‘the hotel as theatre’, ‘cheap chic’, ‘the indoor/outdoor lobby’, ‘the urban resort’, and ‘the urban spa,’ that have revolutionised the entertainment, residential and hospitality industries.”

Schrager received his award at the recently-held Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles.

The entrepreneur has recently launched a new brand, PUBLIC Hotels, while his partnership with hotel company Marriott International has led to plans for 20 EDITION hotels across the world – including one that recently opened on China's Hainan Island.

The Pioneer Award was established by the ISHC in 1996. Previous winners include Michael Bedner, chairman and CEO of design firm HBA; J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International; and Stephen Kaufer, CEO of TripAdvisor.