Tallest Hotel In North America Opens In New York

A $320 million hotel on Broadway about halfway between Times Square and Central Park has eclipsed a Marriott at the Renaissance Center in Detroit to become the tallest single-use hotel in North America. Built and owned by G Holdings and managed by Interstate Hotels & Resorts, the towering property will house two brands across its 68 floors: a 378-room Courtyard by Marriott and a 261-suite Residence Inn.

“This opening is a prime example of an ideal dual-branded hotel,” Janis Milham, senior vice president of modern essentials and extended stay for Marriott International Inc (NASDAQ:MAR), said in a statement. She added that the building would be both brands’ “crown jewel” and an iconic addition to the New York City skyline.

“The new hotels’ contemporary designs and stunning views coupled with our friendly associates will surely make the property a great ambassador for the bustling city.”

The combined hotel at 1717 Broadway officially opened to the public on Dec. 29 with rates hovering around $300 per night. It boasts 6,000 square feet of meeting space, full-wall murals by abstract expressionist William DeBilzan and a fitness center on the 35^th floor with floor-to-ceiling windows and an outdoor sundeck. The location in the heart of Midtown Manhattan offers guests convenient access to Carnegie Hall, the Broadway Theater District, Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall.

Harry Gross, president and CEO of G Holdings, noted that the new Residence Inn Central Park and Courtyard by Marriott Central Park were the “most innovative hotels” the company had built. “In addition to fabulous views, a stellar New York City location and amenities galore, our 21st century telecommunications, with free international phone calls, digital systems and hi-tech wiring, set these hotels far above the standard that business travelers and tourists expect,” he said in a statement.

At 750 feet (228.6 meters) high, the Courtyard-Residence Inn Central Park is 23 feet taller than the 727-foot (221-meter) Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, according to the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, or CTBUH. Neither building cracks the top 10 in CTBUH’s list of tallest hotels in the world, which is dominated by skyscrapers in Dubai.

A towering Four Seasons rising above Lower Manhattan will actually be taller than the new hotel in Midtown, but will include condos and therefore be ineligible for the title of tallest hotel in North America. Both properties reflect a surging demand for hotel space in the Big Apple.

New York City welcomed a record 54.3 million visitors in 2013, and the hotel industry is racing to keep up with demand. According to analysts Smith Travel Research, occupancy rates were among the highest in the country last year at 85 percent.