"It's just a hotel" across the street from ANOTHER hotel and accross the street from ANOTHER hotel with two BIG somethings getting squooshed between.

Who pissed in my cereal? Some dimwit who thinks this piece of overbuilt junk on a small lot is prasieworthy.



And ianmac, as for Newport neing PLANNED, the plans written in 1985 (I have them, do YOU? Did you like THE MUSEUM on the PIER and the AQUARIUM?) were GONE by 1987 and unimaginable by 1995 and absolutely RANDOM by 2009. It is a mishmosh of unplanned cheap crap.
You speak total twaddle when you call Newport PLANNED...but if EXECUTED it was done in some OTHER city!

(Oh, remember CENTRAL PARK???I think Target takes up most of that site. Lefrak cannnot even plan a pizzaria! In house architects...I think they are doormen part time.))

The sushi is really good, but not classical sushi in the true sense of the word.
They have some creative rolls, ie, shrimp with toasted coconut, Thai spicy tuna.
On Tuesday nights, some of the sushi rolls are 1/2 price.
Haven't tried the oysters. Good wine list.

Quote:

to me, it looks like just about every hotel in every city everywhere on earth. albeit a bit more boring, in structure and in location.

to you, it's filled with backroom politics, evil and hatred.

oh well.

it's just a hotel. it can't hurt you.

Quote:

he found out the 'beacon jitneys' were in fact bulletproof, leading to a jealous fit of rage.

heh who pissed in your cereal this morning?

Quote:

Any other reviews of Fire Oak? I'm curious about their daily specials. In particular the oysters and the sushi.

Quote:

Newport IS a masterplanned community. The trouble is the masterplan (though not the individual architectural elements) for Newport was finalized circa 1985. So at best, it was planned using urban design principles of the late '70s and early '80's.

However, Lefrak almost exclusively relies on in house architects (the exceptions so far are the recently completed Aqua and the yet to be built Ecclipse). That means circa 1985 when they were finalizing their plan for Newport, they were probably relying on their experiences with Lefrak City, Queens more than anything else. That is modeled on Modernist urban planning techniques from the post war era, which in turn share a common lineage with Corbusier's Plan for Paris from the 1920's. Ultimately this means Newport's masterplan is an updated version of the sort of urban planning that was car centric from the 1950's and 1960's.

Did you have to walk around a car that was waiting to pull in one day and decided that you hated the Westin forever?

The Westin Hotel is fantastic. A class operation, for sure.

And, since I know what's coming, I do not work there and I do not know anybody who works there and I am not a shareholder.

Luxury????


Cars jumbled up so you cannot get by with your shopping....last walk by looked like a used car lot with cars on the sidewalk and people unloading in the STREET, Washington Boulevard....4 cars overloads the unloading area.
Class hotel, my ass.


And yes, building to the sidewalk is ugly, tacky and would never be allowed in a real city...just some backroom operation like Jersey City. Has nothing to do with hating Jersey City, just the morons on what would pass as a zoning board IF we have one.


It's a MESS built on a lot too small for the place...and what are the two behemoths going accross the street in the parking lot of the Doubltree, another couple stupid, useless one star hotels..."But Mrs. Slocombe, there ARE no NO STAR hotels?"

An unplanned nightmare where developers can put up whatever stupid nightmare they had the night before, wherever they wish!
Architectural students will be studying this mess called DOWNTOWN for years as an example of why we need urban planning and what horrors can result without any knowledgable input.

They obviously meant New York's Sixth Borough.

"New York State's Jersey City and Hoboken" ...? Nice. Apparently NJ still has an identity crisis.

New Westin, W hotels open in NJ with river view of NYC

The Canadian Press
By Megan K. Scott

JERSEY CITY, N.J. ? New York state's Jersey City and Hoboken offer great views of Manhattan from across the Hudson River, but New Yorkers and tourists don't generally consider the destinations worth leaving the Big Apple for - unless they're touring locations connected to "The Sopranos."

But both cities on the waterfront are now home to new luxury hotels, The Westin Jersey City Newport, which opened in January, and the W Hoboken Hotel, which opened in March.

The hotels, about three kilometres apart, are hoping to lure business travellers and tourists away from New York with larger rooms, cheaper rates, views of the Manhattan skyline and access to the city via the convenient 24-hour, $1.75 PATH train.

But besides opening in the worst recession since the Depression, the hotels face some other big challenges: Overcoming the not-so-favourable reputations of their locales and attracting out-of-town travellers to what may be unfamiliar terrain.

To be fair, Hoboken - population 39,000 - and Jersey City - population 240,000 - have undergone dramatic changes.

Twenty years ago, Hoboken was a "lower income city in need of economic redevelopment," said Bjorn Hanson, associate professor of hospitality and tourism at New York University. It has since been transformed into a popular place to live, with upscale condos, and bars, restaurants and shops along the main drag.

Jersey City had more of a reputation of an industrial city than Hoboken, said Hanson. Now it has a financial centre and a development called Newport, with fancy office towers, condos, rental towers, a mall, parks and a marina. The city is not without front-page crime, however: A July shootout left two police officers wounded and two robbery suspects dead.

Construction on the hotels began several years ago, when hotels in Manhattan were so full they were turning tourists away and it wasn't unusual to find Jersey City hotels, such as the Hyatt, DoubleTree and Courtyard by Marriott, booked.

But rates at New York-area hotels are now 26 per cent lower than last summer, according to Travelocity's senior editor Genevieve Shaw Brown. And while hotel rates in Jersey City can run 25 per cent cheaper than New York, a resourceful traveller can find competitive rates in Manhattan, said Hanson.

For example, The Waldorf Astoria had a promotional rate this summer as low as US$199 a night, the lowest rate in six years, according to Mark Ricci, spokesman for Hilton Northeast US and Canada.

But the Jersey hotels will have to do more than offer cheaper rates, said Jan Freitag of Smith Travel Research.

Business travellers are looking to be close to a meeting - not necessarily for the cheapest stay; leisure travellers are looking for value, which may not mean the lowest rate, but the best bang for the buck, he said.

"So, maybe offer free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, free water, free upgrade, free whatever and keep the rate intact and communicate those special offerings that the guest would have to pay for in other hotels," he said.

Getting the word out is tough. While The Westin and W Hoboken come up in a search of New York and vicinity hotels on Expedia and Travelocity, neither show up on Priceline, according to spokesman Brian Ek. The person would have to search those cities separately, he said.

Ek said North Jersey, with Jersey City, Hoboken and Newark, did appear on Priceline's survey of the 50 most-popular destinations for Independence Day weekend (at No. 34).

But that was the first time it had appeared on a most popular destination list for a holiday since August 2008, he said. The ranking was no doubt helped by July 4 fireworks on the Hudson, making Jersey City and Hoboken ideal viewing spots.

Despite the challenges, the Westin and W Hoboken are holding their own.

Counter to current hotel occupancy trends, the Westin's occupancy since opening is about 70 per cent, with demand coming from meetings, airline crews and leisure travellers, according to Robert McIntosh, director of marketing and sales. Occupancy at the W Hoboken is about 60 per cent, mostly business travellers followed by leisure.

The hotels, both part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, are designed to appeal to niche travellers.

The Westin is for the more conservative traveller, with 429 guest rooms, including 14 one-or two-bedroom suites, a presidential suite, and ample banquet and meeting space, including the largest ballroom in Jersey City. Conventions are booked through 2010, according to McIntosh.

Rooms booked by pharmaceutical, technology and food companies, many of which have New York and New Jersey offices, are making up for the loss in business from financial companies, he said.

The W, built by Ironstate Development, is for a hipper, cooler traveller, with a red 'W' on the 76-metre-high building, serving as a billboard to Manhattan. The hotel, the sixth W in the New York area and the first in New Jersey, has 225 guest rooms, including 23 suites and 40 condos.

Locals hang out at The Chandelier Room, an indoor and outdoor lounge and bar, dine at Zylo, a Tuscan steakhouse, or pamper themselves at Bliss spa.

With the decline in Manhattan occupancies and the loss of those turnaways, the hotels have to appeal to more local demand, said Hanson, especially local leisure guests and low-rate contract business, such as airline crews.

Demand isn't expected to rebound until the first quarter of 2010, said Freitag. But when it does, the hotels should be in position to do well as new properties, he said.

"You just have to figure out, 'What can we do to keep this hotel afloat through the next couple of quarters?"' he said. "Because this will get better. The recession will end."

If You Go...

W HOBOKEN HOTEL AND RESIDENCES: 225 River St., Hoboken, N.J.; http://www.whotels.com/hoboken or 201-253-2400.

THE WESTIN JERSEY CITY NEWPORT: 479 Washington Blvd., Jersey City, N.J.; http://www.westin.com/jerseycity or 201-626-2900.

Copyright ? 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

a bit pricey, somewhat rough around the edges as expected from a new place, but quite enjoyable for what it is: a run-of-the-mill, higher-end hotel restaurant.

The restaurant Fire and Oak is Now Open! Has anyone been there yet? Any Reviews??

Westin Jersey City Newport Announces Agreement with Lufthansa Airlines

Press Release
Monday, March 30, 2009

The Westin Jersey City Newport has just announced an agreement with Lufthansa Airlines, Europe?s leading airline, serving over 400 destinations in more than 90 countries, to accommodate its flight crew.

Located in the heart of the waterfront Financial District of Jersey City, The Westin Jersey City Newport is only minutes from New York City?s major attractions and business centers. Offering panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline, the Hudson River and the Newport Marina, the hotel offers 429 guest rooms, including 14 one and two bedroom suites and one Presidential Suite. Every room features the Heavenly? Bed with custom-designed pillow-top mattress, crisp triple sheets, down blanket, luxurious duvet and five pillows. The rooms? Heavenly? Bath is equipped with a specially designed dual showerhead, signature bath amenities and a curved shower rod for additional comfort and space.

Other facilities include Fire & Oak American Grill, the Half Moon Lounge & Restaurant and the WestinWORKOUT? Gym. In addition to its spectacular Ballroom, the hotel also offers 17 smaller event rooms for more intimate weddings, with a team of culinary specialists and event planners to assist in every detail. High speed Internet access is available throughout the property.

The hotel is 10 minutes from Newark Liberty International Airport and one block from the Pavonia - Newport PATH station, Newark Light Rail, New York Waterways and NJTransit Buses, providing quick public transportation to and from New York City and to all points in New Jersey - the NJ Turnpike and NJ Parkway, as well as LaGuardia and JFK International airports. The hotel is adjacent to the Newport Centre Mall with high quality shops such as Macy?s, Coach, A|X Armani Exchange, Brookstone and Swarovski Crystal as well as an AMC Cinema. Steps from the Hudson River waterfront, the Newport-Pavonia destination offers guests the convenience to New York City excitement and the ability to re-energize in a serene, out-of-the city location.

Has anyone tried the restaurant at the new Westin? I think it's called "Fire & Oak", and it's owned by the same people who own South City Grill.

i think i just threw up in my mouth

tired of the rags to riches JC story.

New Westin Part of Jersey City Transformation
The formerly impoverished community has been transformed by billions in development, including the new Westin.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Glenn Haussman

Normally the opening of a new hotel isn?t such a big story, but the opening of the Westin Jersey City Newport this week symbolizes the changes that can occur in an impoverished neighborhood when private enterprise and local governments work together.

There was a time when Jersey City was symbolic of all that was wrong with New Jersey: dilapidated warehouses, rail yards and high crime were the dominant theme of this small city across the Hudson River from downtown New York City.

But 25 years after politicians and local entrepreneurs partnered to revive Jersey City, the town has become a showpiece of success and the new Westin is the town?s newest crown jewel.

The newly built property was developed by the LeFrak Organization and is owned by a joint venture of LeFrak Organization and Melvin Simon & Associates. The Westin Jersey City Newport features 429 guest rooms, meeting facilities, upscale dining and all of the Westin brand?s refreshing signature amenities and services.

?This [Westin] is a testimonial to the remarkable vision that has come through this public-private partnership,? said New Jersey?s Governor John Corzine. ?Imagine the jobs that exist now compared to what was here 25 years ago. Projects like this are the framework to attract future businesses.?

?Politicians have been very supportive in redeveloping the waterfront,? said Richard LeFrak, Chairman and CEO of the LeFrak Organization. ?This has become one of the most successful mixed use communities and transformed the NJ waterfront, while creating 240 new jobs. The Westin is a message of hope and spirit of America. This enterprise is moving forward even in the most trying of times.?

Newport is a master-planned mixed-use community, consisting of retail, residential, office, leisure and entertainment facilities on several hundred acres on Jersey City?s Hudson River waterfront opposite Manhattan?s World Financial Center.

Since construction began in June 1986, $2.5 billion has been invested, and more than 16 million square feet has been developed. Completed is the community?s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and utilities: sewers, storm drains, water supply, gas, telephone, electric systems, and an electric power substation. There are nine high-rise rental apartment buildings: 3,476 units (100% rented); 885 condominium units (all sold); a 1.2-million square foot regional shopping mall; eight office buildings; restaurants, parks and playgrounds; preschool facilities; a private elementary school; a mile and a half segment of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway; a marina; and on-site parking for more than 147,000 vehicles.

Newport's Office Center incorporates leading-edge technology in eight state-of-the-art commercial towers. The first office building was the 472,093 square foot, 14-story Newport Financial Center, located at 111 Town Square Place. As one of the top ten telecom buildings in the country, it provides tenants with five separate fiber entrances; 10 carrier switches, 40,000 square feet of collocation space and fully provisioned floors. It is leased to business firms and financial institutions seeking ?high-tech? facilities within the New York Metropolitan region.

?Jersey City now offers all the advantages of downtown and midtown Manhattan at half the price,? said Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy. ?This is the fifth world class hotel in Jersey City. We are moving ahead in worst economic environment since the Great Depression but hotel occupancy for Jersey City is 90 percent.?

According to U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, the city has gained such traction in the financial community that there are more NASDAQ trades done in Jersey City than in New York City. ?I have lived in the area all my life. This was a place that was a legacy of past failures. We needed a vision and the LeFraks came along and said this was a great opportunity,? said Menendez. The town?s major financial clients include UBS, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Charles Schwab, HSBC and ISO.

?Great moments are born from great opposition. We are facing a headwind, but there is promise and opportunity with this hotel. We look to deliver personal, distinctive service to our guests and to each other,? said Michael E. McLaughlin, general manager of The Westin Jersey City Newport.

Sue Brush, Senior Vice President of Westin Hotels & Resorts, said this hotel compliments Starwood Hotels & Resorts? other Garden State hotels. ?Westin has opened 58 hotels in the last three years. We will open 14 this year and are on track for 200 hotels by 2010. The bottom line goal is to establish an emotional connection with the guest so they?ll come back. Guests of Westin purchased nearly $20 million in retail products from us last year. When they do that they come back,? she said.

The hotel features 20,500 square feet of meeting space, including 30 meeting rooms.

The Newport Grand Ballroom offers more than 10,000 square feet of space and 20-foot ceilings and can easily accommodate 1,450 guests for a reception or 790 for a seated dinner. The hotel will also provide an experienced team of culinary specialists, meeting planners and a seasoned wedding planner. Already the hotel has 17 weddings booked for the coming year.

GOVERNOR CORZINE RECOGNIZES ADDITION OF 230 NEW JOBS TO WATERFRONT FINANCIAL DISTRICT

By Governors Press...

JERSEY CITY ? Governor Jon S. Corzine today praised the development of the Westin Jersey City Newport, a new 23-story luxury hotel that is creating 230 jobs for the State and local economy and producing capital investment in New Jersey.

?Today?s ribbon cutting ceremonies are significant because projects such as this are vital to providing private sector job growth while spurring economic activity in the Garden State,? Governor Corzine said. ?I personally want to thank Westin Hotels and the LeFrak Organization for believing in the economic strength of this area and bringing this project to New Jersey. This is exactly the type of economic development the State and Jersey City need right now.?

The new hotel also is integral to the State?s $38 billion tourism economy and will play an important role in attracting business and leisure travelers to the region. With its panoramic view of the Hudson, the hotel provides an alternative to higher priced lodging and is easily accessible to the City. It encompasses 429 rooms and has more than 20,500 square feet of available meeting space.

The Westin Jersey City Newport was developed by the LeFrak Organization and is owned by a joint venture of LeFrak Organization and Melvin Simon & Associates.

Last week, Governor Corzine attended the opening of the MLB Network?s new headquarters in Secaucus and the opening of a new, state-of-the-art Life Time Fitness gym in Berkeley Heights.

http://www.politickernj.com/governors ... obs-waterfront-financial-

Everybody knows K-mart is a discount store. If you want upscale go to theTarget for godsakes.

Quote:

Have you ever been in another city and seen a hotel there? It's pretty standard urban architecture. When you can't build out, you build up.

And stop hating on JC, will ya?

Or the PATH a luxury railway! Well, maybe not that far.

You're right, there are people who woudl consider Wal-Mart and K-Mart upscale department stores and Pathmark an upscale grocer.

My bad!

Quote:

Great observation Einstein,,,, its subjective like anything else in this world.

Westin is part of the Starwood Hotel Brand (W Hotel, Sheraton, Four Points). It is considered a 3 1/2 to 4 star depending which one you stay at. Westin has some great resorts throughout the world, they are more 5 star. I have always enjoyed their hotels. Maybe having it in JC brought it down to a 3 star.

Quote:

Can "luxurious" really be defined? Isn't it just a matter of personal opinion and taste? Someone who normally stays at a Ramada would probably consider the Westin luxurious, for example.

Quote:

There's no parking garage connected to the hotel? I swear I saw it when they were building it. They must have somewhere for guests to park. I don't think the majority of hotel guests will be arriving by Path or light rail.

They should have Parking...... I personally can walk there but to not have parking is a joke. I'm sure the city must have made them build parking but where is it????

Yes I am aware we live in a city, that's the point.

They advertise:
Valet Service and Pay Self Parking Facilities

Quote:

We live in a city. Its across the street from a subway station. The light rail is a block in either direction. Perhaps the parking is not so much a major problem as much as it is your problem.