A derelict Salvation Army building in New Jersey has been transformed into The Asbury – the shore town’s first new hotel to open in more than 50 years.
The youngest jewel in the crown of a multi-billion-dollar redevelopment by real-estate company iStar (NYSE: STAR), The Asbury is a collaboration between renowned hotel innovator David Bowd, known for creating the sought-after Salt Hotels brand, and Anda Andrei, iStar’s creative lead for the entire Asbury Park redevelopment project, and the former design director for the Ian Schrager Company.
Stonehill & Taylor Architects, known for game-changing adaptive reuse projects like Manhattan’s Ace and NoMad hotels, oversaw The Asbury’s transformation, while Bonetti and Kozerski, whose clean, understated interiors have won fans like André Balasz and Donna Karan, designed the Asbury’s “bungalow-on-the-beach” guest rooms.
“This historic building is a beautiful blank canvas for us to create a special place that adds to the unique spirit of Asbury Park,” says Andrei, who hand-picked architects, designers, and hotel operator David Bowd to bring the project to life. “I love collaborating with immense talent, and knew instinctively David had to be involved. He has a wonderful gift for connecting the hospitality experience with one-of-a-kind communities and we bring out the very best in one another.”
Inside The Asbury, a happening lobby will become the action-filled center of the hotel, with everything designed for perpetual motion. The front desk and check-in will double as The Counter, a grab-and-go kitchen where guests can fetch keys, order coffee, or buy something from the retail store. A ground-floor lounge will become Asbury Park’s rec room, with ping-pong, pinball machines, board games – and a communal table for travelers who want to feed off the energy and get some work done.
Upstairs, the 110-guest rooms will come in an unusually wide range of sizes to suit all kinds of travelers, from queen rooms and king rooms to family rooms and suites to bunk rooms that can sleep up to eight.
The essence of the rooms will be simple, clean, and functional, but with many thoughtful touches – bathrooms light and bright, huge closets, custom made mattresses with great linens. Black-and-white beach and music scenes will adorn the walls, along with classic music posters that reflect Asbury Park’s rock-laden past and spectacular sea-side views.
In terms of the hotel’s F&B offering, there will be four new venues for guests, locals and visitors alike. Salvation, for example – designed solely in black and white and located on the hotel’s upper roof – will become the East Coast’s most dramatic outdoor social space.
The monochrome décor, lit only by candles and lanterns, will also make it the most romantic with cozy corners to hide away or relax. The 5,000-square-foot lounge will seduce with beds and lounge areas with spectacular sunset views of the ocean and the city.
The Baronet, meanwhile, is a rooftop garden inspired by Central Park’s Great Lawn, here guests will be able to throw down a blanket or enjoy the oversized games and paddling pools. By night, The Baronet will become a carless “drive-in” with classic and cult films projected on a 20-foot wall.
The hotel is expected to open this May.
