Jersey Shore’s first five-star hotel set to launch reservations this spring, starting at $295/night

Rendering by Binyan Studios

After over a decade in the works, the Jersey Shore is getting its first five-star boutique hotel. The Asbury Ocean Club, a 17-story hotel-condo, will open this June in Asbury Park, a hip beach community with working-class roots known for its flourishing foodie and surf scene, as well as its Bruce Springsteen connection. Opening this summer, the 54-room beachfront hotel occupies the building’s entire fourth floor and sits next to the pool deck, which offers water views. With its proximity to New York City, the Asbury Ocean Club Hotel hopes to attract New Yorkers looking for an oceanfront oasis. And the prices even mirror Manhattan, with rooms starting at $295 per night. Reservations officially launch May 1.



Guest rooms; photo by Nikolas Koenig

Each of the guest rooms feels “like a private beach loft,” according to a press release, with 11-foot ceiling and wood-paneled floors. Plus, each room features ocean or dune garden views. Adding to the opulence, every guest will be paired with a “Beach Bellperson” to set up towels, chairs, and umbrellas on the beach, or whatever else is needed.



Renderings of the Drawing Room by Alex Morris

At the center of the hotel is a “glass house,” which sits on a reflecting pool. Dubbed the Drawing Room, the space contains a kitchen, bar, and music, room. Guests will be able to indulge in luxury offerings like a champagne cocktail cart and caviar and raw-bar items. And of course, there are fireplaces and a baby grand piano in the room.

Other amenities guests can enjoy include a spa, a Jay Wright-designed fitness center, a casual indoor dining space, and a fine-dining restaurant, which will debut next year.

Designed by NYC-based Handel Architects and Anda Andrei Design, the Asbury Ocean Club contains 130 condo units above the hotel. Condos range in price from a $900,000 one-bedroom to a $6 million penthouse (the neighborhood’s most expensive apartment to hit the market).



Rendering of the pool deck by Binyan Studios

“There’s a kind of magic to being at the beach, in any season or weather, and that’s what’s captured in every detail of the Asbury Ocean Club Hotel,” designer Anda Andrei said. “The hotel conveys a feeling you usually have to travel very far to experience – the peace and relaxation of a one-of-a-kind oasis.”

This is not the first Asbury Park venture for iStar, the developer behind the Asbury Ocean Club. The company also owns the condo Monroe, the recently renovated Asbury Lanes bowling alley and event venue, and the Asbury Hotel, where rooms go for as much as $500 a night in peak season.

With its ownership of 35 acres of waterfront, iStar and its CEO Jay Sugarman have been leading the city’s transformation from gritty and quirky beach town to luxury, five-star destination.

“Asbury Ocean Club is not just a building; it’s the resurrection of Asbury Park,” Sugarman said. “It is a symbol of the return of this town to its rightful glory and an opportunity for us to create the ultimate beach lifestyle for those who want the very best.”

Sugarman, whose company has spent over $300 million on projects in the community, plans on constructing an additional 20 projects in the next 10 years or more, according to the Wall Street Journal.

While the seaside neighborhood got its start as a resort town in the late 19th century, Asbury Park experienced an economic downturn following World War II and throughout the later part of the 20th century, cemented by race riots in the 1970s. For nearly two decades, the town has been undergoing a slow revitalization and has only recently resurfaced as a year-round hotspot.

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Tags : Asbury Ocean Club, Asbury park, istar

Neighborhoods : New Jersey