Luxury Arrives in Asbury Park

Picture a fantasy beach house: magical ocean views, hand-picked, one-of-a-kind furnishings, and lush greenery, with sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling glass – tranquil simplicity and natural beauty at every turn, and just 70 minutes from New York City. Asbury Ocean Club Hotel will bring that dream to life this summer when it opens on Asbury Park's vibrant waterfront.

An elevated beach experience – literally – the entire 54-room hotel is elegantly set on the fourth floor of Asbury Ocean Club, the highly anticipated luxury residential building set to open this summer. The effect is a beach hideaway in the sky where every room at the hotel has a view of water or dunes from its own terrace.

The 10-year, multi-billion-dollar redevelopment plan for a 1.25-mile stretch along the Asbury Park waterfront includes The Asbury Hotel, Monroe condominiums, and the newly reopened Asbury Lanes, the legendary bowling alley-turned music venue christened by Bruce Springsteen last summer.

While previous developers had tried for years to renew the waterfront, iStar CEO Jay Sugarman and his collaborators have fully succeeded with the landmark Asbury Ocean Club. Bringing to life his dream of effortless living, the long-awaited luxury residences that house the Asbury Ocean Club Hotel, are a milestone for the city, for New Jersey, and for the East Coast.

"Asbury Ocean Club is not just a building; it's the resurrection of Asbury Park," says Sugarman. "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."

A Carefree Retreat
Through its breathtaking architecture and design, Asbury Ocean Club Hotel captures the exciting sense of anticipation when you first arrive at the beach and delivers the pure joy and happiness that comes along with it. Handel Architects brought that exhilaration to life through the building itself, its long vertical plane rises from the ocean and sweeps towards the west, and its glass and natural materials infuse the experience with light and openness.

After checking in through gleaming bronze doors on the ground floor, guests will be whisked up to the fourth-floor gallery and enter a carefree world.

"When you arrive, you'll have a moment of relief, of escape from the noise – I'm here, I've arrived, and everything from that moment on will be taken care of," said hotel operator David Bowd. "Check-in will not feel like a transaction, but a welcome. This is truly a luxury, five-star experience in a modern way. Service is attentive, but a little less formal. It's more suited to the personality of Asbury Park."

The lobby overlooks the pool deck, which serves as an extension of the property with deep sofas, sunken beds and floor pillows. Surrounded by trees and greens acting as the walls of the space, outside becomes an oasis. The 65 x 30-foot pool overlooks the ocean and is outfitted with a full-service bar and grill, where flora is entangled throughout the pergola that hangs above. With a roaming granita cart, guests can also expect fresh juice, smoothies, and tiki cocktails.

The Drawing Room, An Awe-Inspiring "Glass House" Is the Hotel's Heart
The heart of the property is the Drawing Room, an awe-inspiring "glass house" floating on a glistening reflection pool at the center of the property. Designed to feel like a home rather than a hotel, the space functions as a living room, open kitchen doubling as a bar, music room, and all-day retreat. Visible from anywhere inside the hotel – sunlit by day, illuminated by night – the Drawing Room is just as notable for Anda Andrei's design as for brilliant all-day programming.

A large fireplace, finished with olive green handmade tiles, serves as the heart of the room and the divider between the living room area and an open kitchen. A solid oak communal table makes for an ideal spot to sip afternoon tea or a classic cocktail made to order tableside. In the afternoon and evenings, a champagne cocktail cart floats throughout the room, offering guests the perfect pairing with delicacies of caviar or raw-bar items as soft tones waft from the Drawing Room's black baby-grand piano.

Andrei and the Bonetti / Kozerski Architecture team source their furniture and accessories all over the world. Shelves bearing hundreds of pieces of colored glassware, and warm hand-painted fabrics, complement soaring ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glass, and striking design objects: A limited-edition leather chair by Charles Kalpakian, vintage Ultra Fragola by Ettore Sottsass, Jasper Morrison chairs, Paola Navone wicker loveseats, and custom Apparatus Studio pendant lights.

Each Suite at the Asbury Ocean Club Hotel Feels Like a Private Beach Loft
Each guestroom at the Asbury Ocean Club Hotel feels like a private beach loft, with 11-foot ceilings in wood that match the wood-paneled floors. All of the understated-luxe design choices by Andrei and the Bonetti / Kozerski Architecture team amplify the distinctive quality of sunlight, relaxing open space, and laid-back oceanfront living that defines Asbury Park.

Each room boasts a daybed or banquette where guests can recline while savoring ocean or dune views. Designing the balconies to extend out to accentuate the horizontal quality of views, Handel also added a gentle curvature to the building to reflect the shoreline. Enclosed in glass, showers let light in to replicate the sensation of showering outdoors.

Among the 54 rooms, four one-bedroom suites come fully equipped with kitchens, two full baths, and a dining area, with natural light spilling into a large, open living room and expansive terraces with spectacular views. Seven studio lofts are larger than the standard and executive rooms and include sofa beds. Many of the lofts have corner seating banquettes that serve as a working and dining surface.

Handpicked in-room amenities reveal the attention to detail that Bowd is renowned for bringing to his hotel projects. Body wash and conditioner come from Manhattan brand MiN. Palermo Body, the bodycare brand from New York, will provide soaps - its first hotel partnership. Australian-born organic skincare line Grown Alchemist will offer smaller amenities, like body sprays and scrubs.

"We chose all of these partners because we love their products," Bowd said. "Every other hotel offers one brand. Our guests mix products at home, so we're having fun with that."

A first for Asbury Park: the Asbury Ocean Club Hotel will pair each guest with a Beach Bellperson, there to take care of any whim. The Beach Bellperson will set up a guests' towels, chairs, and umbrellas on the beach, bring lunch, or deliver cold bottles of water, enabling guests to fully enjoy a sunny day on the beautiful, wide sandy beaches.

Local partnerships remain an important element of the property's culinary offerings and will include a bespoke gin from Asbury Park Distilling Co., a signature coffee blend from nearby Maiden Coffee, and a summer shandy from Asbury Park Brewery.