December 14, 2005

Blue Moon, Marriott among NYC hotel openings

Originally billed as a "kosher" hotel, the Blue Moon Hotel on the Lower East Side is taking reservations by phone and plans to open for guests possibly by the end of this week with room rates starting around $325.

Located at 100 Orchard St., map, the themed hotel has named all its rooms after celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Eddie Cantor, Milton Berle and the Marx Brothers.

This hotel's opening has been rumored for so long, it led Hotel Chatter to conclude the Blue Moon's actual opening date would be "never."

Until Blue Moon actually opens its doors, the city's newest hotel remains the Residence Inn by Marriott/Times Square, which had its soft opening two weeks ago at 1033 Avenue of the Americas, map, between 38th and 39th streets. It has 357 suites, all non-smoking, according to a Marriott spokeswoman. Prices on the first night were $359 but running closer to $659 by its first Saturday, considering it's the busiest season of the year.

Next in line is the Hampton Inn Manhattan/Seaport/Financial District, with 65 rooms at 320 Pearl St., map. The Hampton Inn is accepting reservations for Jan. 1, 2006 and beyond with a room rate as low as $259 a night, including a hot breakfast and free internet access, according to the web site.

The Courtyard by Marriott/Upper East Side, scheduled to open in early February, will have 226 rooms, including 16 suites. Located at near First Avenue at 410 E. 92nd St., map, it will be the first big name-brand hotel in the neighborhood.

The Holiday Inn Express Brooklyn, scheduled to open "early 2006," will have 90 rooms at 625 Union St., map, between 3rd and 4th avenues.

In all, New York City is expected to gain an extra 5,000 hotel rooms by the end of 2007, according to the city's official tourism bureau, NYC & Co.

Hotel Chatter yesterday took a look at some of the high-profile openings scheduled for 2005/2006, in some cases (like Blue Moon,) wondering whether to believe the hype. On their radar: Vikram Chatwal's Night Hotel at 132 W. 45th St., Robert DeNiro's Downtown Hotel at the corner of Greenwich and No. Moore streets, and Jason Pomeranc's 6 Columbus Circle at Columbus Circle. See NYC & Co. for a full list of hotels slated to open in the next two years.

December 14, 2005 08:51 AM in Hotelology

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