WEEHAWKEN, N.J.—Weehawken Mayor Richard F. Turner joined officials from XSS Hotels and Mack-Cali Realty Corporation’s Roseland subsidiary to announce the construction of two waterfront hotels that will be built side-by-side in Weehawken’s Port Imperial master-planned community.
The hotels will be built on top of the Port Imperial parking garage, an 850-space parking garage with approximately 17,000 square feet of ground-level retail space located adjacent to the NY Waterway Port Imperial ferry terminal. Roseland completed construction of the garage this summer and subsequently entered into a contract to sell the commercial condominium air rights for the space above the garage to the hotel developer, a partnership between XSS Hotels and Colwen Management.
Construction of both a 226-room Renaissance by Marriott and a 154-room Residence Inn by Marriott will commence simultaneously in the spring. The Renaissance will be a full-service hotel with luxury guest rooms, a function space for up to 750 seated guests, a lounge and breakfast space, and a 30,000-square-foot outdoor terrace on the sixth floor with views of the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline. The Residence Inn will cater to extended-stay guests. It will feature guestrooms with 400+ square feet of space and a fully-equipped, en-suite kitchen, as well as free hot breakfast served daily.
The hotels will be separate entities, each with its own entrance and lobby, but they will be connected on the sixth floor to give guests shared access to the outdoor terrace, function space, pool, fitness center, and a high-end restaurant. Both hotels will be managed by Colwen Management.
“We expect both the Renaissance by Marriott and the Residence Inn by Marriott to be popular destinations for guests looking to enjoy the hotels’ beautiful waterfront location, proximity to Manhattan, superior amenities, and event facilities,” said Leo Xarras, partner of XSS Hotels. “We look forward to the beginning of construction and to being a part of the Weehawken business community for years to come.”
The development of these two new Marriott hotels is expected to benefit Weehawken’s economy, bringing more visitors to the town’s waterfront and creating employment opportunities for local residents. It is anticipated that the Renaissance will bring more than 80 full-time jobs to Weehawken. The Residence Inn is expected to generate more than 35 full-time jobs. The shared hotel restaurant will also create approximately 35 full-time jobs.
Both the Renaissance by Marriott and the Residence Inn by Marriott are expected to open in the fall of 2015.
