North America’s Tallest Hotel Opens in Manhattan

Marriott International debuted North America’s tallest hotel, the dual-branded 378-room Courtyard hotel and 261-suite Residence Inn hotel in midtown Manhattan. The property is located at 1717 Broadway and housed in a 68-story building.

It features 6,000 square feet of meeting space, Ideal for visitors to New York City, the hotels offer valet parking and share 6,000 a fitness center an outdoor sundeck.

A collection of rooms offers floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Central Park, Times Square and the Hudson River. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.

 The Courtyard by Marriott is on floors six to 33 and the Residence Inn on floors 27 to 65.  

TravelClick: Hotels Finish Off 2013 On High Note

The North American hotel industry capped off December on a high note, with both group and transient business showing year-over-year increases in occupancy and ADR, according to data from according to data from the December 2013 TravelClick North American Hospitality Review. 

“The last quarter of 2013 was a real winner for hotels and we expect this growth to continue into the New Year,” said Tim Hart, executive vice president, business intelligence, TravelClick in a statement.

From December 2013 to November 2014, overall committed occupancy is up 5.7 percent when compared with the same time last year. ADR is up 3.9 percent based on current reservations.

Transient bookings, comprising individual business and leisure traveler, are up 5.9 percent year-over-year and ADR for the segment is up 4.6 percent. The transient leisure segment is showing occupancy gains of 9.1 percent and ADR gains of 4.9 percent. The transient business segment is flat (up 0.9 percent) with ADR up 5.1 percent.

 Group occupancy is ahead by 5.6 percent and ADR is up 2.1 percent, compared to the same time last year.

Marlton Hotel Opens Margaux Restaurant

Manhattan’s Marlton hotel is debuting a new restaurant, the 98-seat Margaux, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The restaurant is the brainchild of chefs Michael Reardon, formerly of Shutters on the Beach, Santa Monica and Tra Vigne in Napa; and Jeremy Blutstein, of Tremont, Eataly and The Crow’s Nest in Montauk.

Margaux cuisine is based on organic, local ingredients. The menus take their inspiration from the cuisines of the southern and eastern Mediterranean, France and California.

The property is located at 5 West 8th Street and opened in September.