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Photographed at The Rockaway Hotel, a vibrant, community-driven, full-service hotel located inthe heart of Rockaway Beach. The newly built 84,000 square foot hotel, features 53 guestrooms and eight extended-stay suites, four onsite food and beverage offerings, a rooftop bar,outdoor pool area, intimate spa and a large-scale event space. The venues are filled with naturallight and inspiring views of the Rockaway Beach oceanfront and New York City skyline to createa one-of-a-kind setting for adream wedding. The hotel’s event planning team is on board tohandleeverything from venuedesign and catering to special rates on room blocks andassistance with planning fun weekend activities; visit online at therockawayhotel.com

Margie's at The Rockaway Hotel

Spend Thanksgiving steps from the ocean! The cozy high-end eatery complete with 88-seats is offering a pre-fixe menu of innovative Thanksgiving plates. Guests can choose from options for their appetizer, entree, and dessert courses - standout items include Pumpkin Veloute (horseradish cream & almond pesto), Cider Brined Turkey (with all the trimmings), and Spiced Pumpkin Mousse (maple whipped cream & ginger cookies), to name a few. The pre-fixe menu is $49 per person and $22 for children (12 and under).

Margie's at The Rockaway Hotel

Spend Thanksgiving at Margie’s Restaurant where they're offering a three course pre-fixe menu ($49 per person, $22 for children 12 and under) including pumpkin veloute with horseradish cream and almond pesto, cider-brined turkey, and spiced pumpkin mousse with maple whipped cream and ginger cookies, to name a few.

A vacation at Palm Heights in the Cayman Islands may be the perfect Caribbean medicine, or the Rockaway Hotel on New York City's Rockaways is a lovely way to breathe in the salty air away from the city noise. A serene option might also be located in Santorini's Canaves Oia Suites and even Mexico's AZULIK villas.

Top 10 New York State Resort Hotels

#4. The Rockaway Hotel

Score: 95.98 

The Rockaway Hotel (No. 4), which opened last summer, instantly brought a layer of cool, youthful energy to Rockaway Beach, a Queens neighborhood where surfing has become the order of the day. While the hotel's bright, airy decor and views of the ocean and the Manhattan skyline are a big part of its appeal, the crowning glory might be the roof deck, where guests can drink, dine, and listen to bands in the evenings. One reader praised the "gorgeous pool, delicious food, and beautiful artwork." 

Rockaway has been sorely lacking in accommodations — until now. With the opening of the chic Rockaway Hotel in the summer of 2020, this is far and away the best place to spend the night. With a buzzy pool surrounded by loungers and cabanas, a leafy rooftop bar where DJs spin sunset sessions, daily fitness classes on the roof deck, and gorgeous airy design throughout (pampas grass, blonde wood, and rattan abound), a getaway here truly feels like you've escaped busy New York City life and arrived at a destination beach resort. The staff's impeccable and attentive service adds to the blissed out feeling of being on a vacation — even though you're just a subway ride away from home.

When the beach gets a bit too windy (as it so often does in the afternoons at Rockaway), or you're ready for cocktail hour, the pool deck is the perfect place to lounge away the afternoon. Afterwards, grab a seat at the beautiful wood-paneled bar at the hotel's restaurant Margie's, and enjoy a seafood tower of fresh oysters, snow crab claws, and lobster tail. Before you leave, be sure to check out Tunie's in the lobby, a beautifully curated shop with swimwear, summer gear, and knick knacks from local Rockaway brands.

Through the years, Rockaway Beach has earned the distinction of being a site synonymous with resilience. Knowing that, Ivan Forde recently painted “Seascape With the Fabulous Plant of Rejuvenation in the Abzu,” an 18-foot-by-90-foot mural at the corner of Rockaway Beach Boulevard and Beach 108th Street on the facade of Rockaway Hotel. The work symbolizes “rejuvenation for N.Y.C. after the storm of the pandemic,” he said in a personal statement on his website.

MoMA PS1’s outdoor music series, Warm Up, returns in August with both in-person and online programming, only the beloved dance parties now have a new home. The Rockaway Hotel will host all three DJ sets in the property’s Harbor Room and on the adjoining, outdoor Sun Deck. Given the venue’s proximity to surf-friendly waters, why not turn up after a day on the waves in a Cynthia Rowley suit? Pair it with some lace-up Tkees, shades from the new Persol x JW Anderson collaboration, and (of course!) some sunscreen.

The Rockaway Hotel

With amenities that include valet parking, a rooftop bar (with ocean and Manhattan skyline views), and complimentary bikes for spinning the 5.5 mile length of the boardwalk, this is the luxury option. Even better? It has a heated, kid-friendly pool that prolongs summer, and there's poolside cocktail service, too.

On the terrace of the Rockaway Hotel in Rockaway Beach, Queens, artist and photographer Zoë Buckman and actor and poet Daniel J. Watts hosted the July 22 edition of Lilac Jam, a monthly curation of music and performance. Each time the gathering assembles, a new lineup of talents performs for a small yet always lively crowd at the beachside venue. Musicians are called up to the stage after observing from the audience, joining their friends for impromptu pieces of soundbite magic. Lilac Jam feels more like a welcoming neighborhood party than a ticketed concert. In last week’s third iteration, Lilac Jam’s magnetism returned in full force.

By the end of the night, nearly everyone was on their feet. Performers mingled with the crowd, shaking hands and sharing smiles, cementing Lilac Jam as a truly democratic musical experience. As instruments were packed up and the Ubers were called, partygoers lingered, savoring every last drop of the evening. Lilac Jam's founders, Buckman and the Rockaway Hotel's Michi Jigarjian, have borne a space as intimate as it is inviting.

The summer’s hottest new pool party is at Queens’ Rockaway Hotel, a new luxury resort that opened in September blocks from the ocean, giving the city its first chic beachfront place to stay — and party — in at least a generation.

“This is a whole new world. This is beautiful,” said Brooke Weingarten, who lives nearby and had rented a cabana for her mother’s 59th birthday. “In my 29 years of life nobody knew what Rockaway Beach was and then all of a sudden it was like, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to come there.’ ” 

In the pool, Weingarten felt the scene was a victory lap for the peninsula’s comeback after Hurricane Sandy nearly wiped it out.

“I like that all these different communities can come together and vibe out. It’s a relaxing environment,” she said. “That’s what Rockaway is in a nutshell.”

The new Rockaway Hotel is a laid-back retreat laced with beach-inspired luxuries such as custom teak-and-rattan beds, vibrant greenery and a serene spa. The 53-room hotel was designed by Morris Adjmi Architects to pay homage to its historic neighborhood, and Curious Yellow Design was tapped to create the playful interiors influenced by 1960s beach culture. From chic Sam Stewart lighting in every guestroom to hand-painted geometric tables at The Rooftop, there are design elements to swoon over everywhere. The pool deck and bar features stylish private cabanas as well as an open lounge area for lots of al fresco dining options.

Morris Adjmi Architects and Curious Yellow Design, the dynamic collaboration behind the Rockaway Hotel in Queens, has partnered with hospitality designers Dallago Associates and made a post-pandemic return engagement to complete its newly opened Margie’s restaurant. Located on the ground floor, the classic seafood-heavy American bistro represents a new year-round era in dining for one of New York’s most beloved beach destinations. 

Design highlights include striking Space Age chandeliers by Ellen DeGeneres, Allied Maker pendant fixtures, Tambour maple panels, and a vase collection sourced in Indonesia along with Arteriors column sconces and Circa Lighting picture fixtures highlighting an exhaustively sourced collection of essential New York artworks. Echoing the Rockaway Hotel’s emphasis on art as the connective tissue of a community, Margie’s also will host a rotating selection of works sourced from local and internationally renowned artists. The restaurant’s artwork plays an integral role in capturing the spirit of Margie Murphy and infusing it with the culture of modern-day Rockaway Beach. Hotel managing partner and creative chief social impact officer Michi Jigarjian curated each piece of art to represent Margie’s brand of hospitality—one that values community and inclusion without sacrificing the style and edge that is distinctly Rockaway.

“Margie’s is inspired by our grandmother, a woman who represented true Rockaway hospitality,” IGC Hospitality partner Terence Tubridy adds. “This is a real full-circle moment for us. The site of the restaurant is actually where my brothers and I set up a lemonade stand as kids, and now we’re opening a restaurant that not only celebrates our family history, but paves the way for a new generation of dining in the area.”

“Everybody from the city would come down and spend their summers here in this bungalow community,” says Terence Tubridy, a third-generation Rockaway resident and a partner in the Rockaway Hotel. “There are about 200 or so bungalows left; there used to be thousands that stretched all the way down the peninsula.”

In 2014, he partnered with the Rockaway Artists Alliance (RAA) on Rockaway!, a music and art festival designed to bring people to the Rockaways. Over the years, the festival hosted large-scale installations by Yayoi Kusama, Katharina Grosse, and Patti Smith, who also has a home in Rockaway. Biesenbach moved to Los Angeles in 2018, and the most recent installation—an augmented reality piece by Nancy Baker Cahill, which was on view through July 4—was sponsored by the Rockaway Hotel.

No joke: Just walking into the hotel lobby made me feel calmer. In a sea of neutrals and surf-inspired prints, I was immediately transported from my everyday, New York state of mind to somewhere different, somewhere serene. I walked around the pool, put in a reservation at The Rooftop, the aptly named bar atop the hotel, and then I took a nap. Rest and relaxation was on the docket.

Having already won accolades (including being named one of the Best New Hotels in the World by Travel+Leisure) and only being open since late summer 2020, I'm clearly not the only one who fell for its charms the second they walked through the door. After I woke up, it was time to eat. Heading upstairs, I sipped one of their classic cocktails—the Shark Bite (with tequila, cucumber, watermelon, lime, and Tajín, a chili/lime seasoning)—and watched the orange sun set over the Atlantic.

After taking the hottest shower I could (sorry, skin), I slipped into bed and slept a solid eight hours. (Something I hadn't done in quite some time.) Waking up to an ocean sunrise outside of my window, going out onto the balcony for fresh salt air, and walking just one block to the beach to hear the sound of the waves was the reset I needed. Looking out to the horizon, I felt relaxed and happy. Blue-mind living, indeed.

The Rockaway Hotel

“We wanted to create a hotel that celebrates the vibrant spirit of the Rockaways, the beach, and New York City as a whole,” managing partner Jon Krasner says of this hip boutique property, which opened last fall. The rooftop bar yields glimmering views of the city skyline and the ocean, while Margie’s, the ground-floor restaurant, is perfect for watching neighborhood characters head to and from the beach.

Pair these frozen drinks, pints, burgers, dogs, ceviche and empanadas with your swimsuits, sunscreen and floppy hats. - There’s a bunch of ways to do a beach day in NYC: You can eat a big breakfast before, pack snacks and fill a flask, turn it into a whole weekend of glamping, or plan your own tasting tour.  Rockaway Beach has options each way, and its surrounding restaurants and bars have some of the best frozen drinks, tacos and burgers of any beach in town. Here’s everywhere to eat and drink when you’re surfing and sanding in the Rockaways. 

One of the newer additions to the area, the sprawling Rockaway Hotel opened last September, making this The Rooftop’s first full summer in operation. Hit the 6,000-square-foot, sixth floor space for skyline and ocean views, raw bar and cocktails.

Take a peek at these buzz-worthy restaurants, hotels, meeting and event spaces and more recently opened in New York. - Here's a closer look at New York's newest eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms and other spaces available for events this summer. The new and renovated New York venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fundraisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, team-building activities, conferences, meetings and more.

Margie’s opened in May on the ground floor of The Rockaway Hotel. It is an ideal gathering space for cocktails for as many as 100 guests or sit-down dinners for 88. Helmed by IGC Hospitality, the restaurant offers its guests a menu filled with American classics, including steaks, pasta, main dishes and a raw bar with oysters, shrimp and seafood platters such as The Kraken, which includes king crab, lobster tail, tuna poke and more for up to eight guests. The 84,000-square-foot Rockaway Hotel has 53 guestrooms and 16,000 square feet of outdoor space. Other unique rentable areas include The Rooftop, a 6,000-square-foot space with gorgeous views of Manhattan, Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic Ocean that can accommodate 300 for cocktails. The 2,300-square-foot Ocean Terrace can hold 75 seated guests or 100 for a reception.

On June 18, New York's creative community came out to Rockaway Park to attend Baxter St on the Rock, the 137-year-old photographic arts incubator's fourth annual fundraiser to support its Workspace Residency Program, exhibitions, grant-making program, and conversation series. The event was held safely across 16,000 square feet of outdoor space at the newly built Rockaway Hotel with live performances by Black Thought, a DJ set by Questlove, Menahan Street Band, KIRBY, Derrick Adams, and Dave Guy. This year's festivities honored Harper's Bazaar editor in chief Samira Nasr, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, and the emerging photographer Elliott Jerome Brown Jr. To celebrate the occasion, Baxter St alum Ivan Forde also unveiled a 90-foot-long mural on the hotel's facade. Attendees incuded Shantell Martin, Zoe Buckman, Titus Kaphar, Kennedy Yanko, Rashid Johnson, and more.

Imagine yourself about to go on a beautiful vacation, and you’ve planned for weeks, and you want to have the most romantic vacation imaginable to please your loved one. Now imagine that you have forgotten to book the hotel. It happens; you get busy. But now it’s almost time to go on vacation, and you’re hunting for the hotel in earnest. You want something romantic and sweet, something to give you a break you will never forget. Unfortunately, not having the right hotel can ruin your vacation quickly and make it go from romantic to a flop. However, by choosing the best and following the tips on this list, you will be giving your loved one the best vacation imaginable.

This weekend, the band Lewis Del Mar returns to the neighborhood where they converted a beach bungalow into a music studio after touring the country in a station wagon playing dive bars. Here, they surfed, soaked up many dimensions of creative inspiration, and recorded “August,” their critically acclaimed second studio album. Late afternoon on Saturday, June 19, the duo—childhood friends Danny Miller and Max Harwood—kick off the Rockaway Hotel's live summer entertainment on its sundeck. The show anticipates their U.S. fall headlining tour in support of “Bouquet,” their May 2021 EP and follow-up to “August.”

After swiping right, keep the heat going with these summer date ideas. - New York City is opening up again, and so are your options. If you’ve recently been through a COVID breakup (they’re Pfizer, you’re Moderna—you were star-crossed lovers!), if you’re in dire need of some fresh dating ideas post-quarantine, or if you’re just really, really, really ready to make out with strangers again, we’ve rounded up our favorite ways to make dating in NYC as fun as it can possibly be. 

Have a hot dog eating contest for two at Coney Island’s minor league baseball stadium, order one ice cream float with two straws at the Ample Hills’ co-founders new sweet spot, or go full-court romance with a classical music concert lit only by candles. We can’t promise your date will be actually cool, but at least the venue will be!

2021 Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards -  Is your wanderlust cold and dormant? These hotels might warm it up a bit - because they are the top 25 hottest new hotels on the planet, as ranked by the 2021 Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards. The list was determined with an algorithm analysing non-large chain hotels that opened July 1, 2019, or later and received a high volume of positive reviews and ratings.

Needless to say, every inch of those that have made it into the coveted hall of fame is insta-worthy, from a 'perfectly positioned' hotel in Manchester to an 'urban beach getaway' in New York, and from accommodation in Santorini that's like being 'inside a postcard' to a jaw-dropping Balinese eco-retreat. As Tripadvisor says, 'these newly established boltholes are what vacation dreams are made of'. Here we've presented the ranking in reverse order, so the further you scroll, the more fired up your wanderlust is likely to get...

Reinvented American classics at the Rockaway Hotel - Since the pandemic hit NYC last year, countless restaurants, including those in Queens, have adapted to the new reality of ever-changing guidelines, and despite all odds, they continue serving up inventive new fare along with comfort food classics. Here, Eater is highlighting exciting, recently opened establishments in Queens — offering a mix of outdoor seating, indoor dining, delivery, and takeout, that have opened in the last few months.

Added in June: Margie’s (the Rockaway Hotel’s take on new American cuisine)

The Hot List 2021

The Rockaway Hotel

Heading to the beach, you might want to head to Margie's serving up reinvented American classics at The Rockaway Hotel.  The restaurant is named after Margie Murphy, grandmother to Dan and Terence Tubridy, third-generation Rockaway Beach residents and founders of IGC Hospitality which operates the hotel. The restaurant is also paying homage to the Rockaway Beach community with its beachfront decor and an emphasis on seafood.

For the best in beaching this summer, hit up the east coast. These hotels offer the ultimate in vacationing. - The Rockaway Hotel, Queens, NY - With 53 guest rooms and 8 long-stay residences, The Rockaway Hotel, which opened in September 2020, is set to enjoy its first full beach season. This hotel is perched just blocks from Queens' famed Rockaway Beach and offers guests a heated rooftop pool, complimentary bicycles, and indoor/outdoor dining. Guests can even learn to surf the legendary break with in-house surfing lessons.

Hottest New Hotels for 2021 - While 2020 may have been the strangest year for travel yet, it didn’t stop new hotels around the world from continuing to pop up and open their doors to travelers.

Now that a sense of normalcy begins to return and international travel is on the horizon again, no doubt you’ll be looking for inspiration on where to head off to. Let this list of the Hottest New Hotels, according to Tripadvisor travelers, be your guide. From a gorgeous seaside paradise in Santorini to a cultural art haven in Kyoto, these newly established boltholes are what vacation dreams are made of.

Margie’s

The stylish, boutique Rockaway Hotel, steps from the beach, has added this airy restaurant named for Margie Murphy. Ms. Murphy’s grandsons Terence and Dan Tubridy own IGC Hospitality, a group with a collection of restaurants in New York, including this one. The head chef, Barry Tonks, has a menu with seafood at its core. 

For the 25th edition of the Hot List—Condé Nast Traveler’s picks of the year's top hotel and industry openings—these 69 winners represent the best of the best. - This year’s annual Hot List of the best new hotels from around the world is a story of resilience. Despite enormous hardship in the travel industry, exceptional properties have continued to open across the globe (nearly a thousand last year in the U.S. alone). As always with this endeavor, each of the 69 picks on this year’s list was safely vetted by our international network of correspondents. But as we’ve learned in the past year, everything is connected, which is why we’ve also expanded the scope of hot to include restaurants, transportation, and destinations, as well as more news we’re excited about set for later this year. In spite of it all, these new hotels represent a success story all on their own. We think they’re a pretty great way to mark the 25th anniversary of this list.

As New Yorkers get a taste of spring’s much awaited warmth, it is clear that NYC is coming back as alive as ever. 2020 took a toll on the city, but resilient residents are ready to be outside, gather and celebrate life. And with news of a full reopening by July 1st, the promise of a summer we’ve all been waiting for is finally in sight. AHL East Coast Editor Ernesto Roman shares what's on his radar.

The Rockaways

Beaches and pools officially reopen Memorial Day Weekend for some much vitamin D. The NYC Ferry offers a one hour ride from Wall St Pier 11 to the Rockaways. You can even bring your bike along and grab a cheeky beer from the concession stand. By the beach you’ll find The Rockaway Hotel with a heated pool, rooftop restaurant and bar with DJs and live entertainment on the weekend.

CHECK INTO ONE OF THESE PROPERTIES ON YOUR NEXT GETAWAY - It’s hard to imagine a more challenging time to open a hotel than the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but over the past year hundreds of new properties swung their doors open. While it was anything but business as usual, these places offered oases for stressed-out parents, quarantining family members, and overloaded essential workers. Now, as we look optimistically forward, they’re providing vacation-planning inspiration for all kinds of travelers. From a renovated Swedish lighthouse to a Sonoran Desert stargazing hub, these 21 hotels await your arrival with open arms.

Boutique hotels have a special magic that often makes for unforgettable getaways. Though they may not offer the expansive grounds, amenities and pampering service that some of our favorite resorts and grand dame hotels do, the best boutique hotels are filled with stories—those of their creators, their locales and the travelers who’ve passed through—as well as soulful intimacy, perhaps some whimsy and, likely, a youthful, ever-so-chic vibe. They often feel like “the place to be,” without attracting too much of a scene. Below are 16 brand-new (or recently renovated) boutique hotels to have on your radar in the U.S. that promise gorgeous interiors, hidden gems and unique experiences—bright with possibility for a summer, fall or future escape close to home.

The best spots for making the most of rooftop season - Outdoor dining set-ups have considerably leveled-up over the last year of the pandemic, from cordoned-off sidewalk stools to full-blown outdoor dining rooms. But for the few months of warm New York weather known as rooftop season, some of the best outdoor seats to be found are atop breweries, bars, and restaurants. Below, Eater maps 19 shaded, sky-high spots in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.

Editors' Picks of the Best New Hotels in the World - Rising out of a funky, low-slung beach bungalow community, architect Morris Adjmi designed the Rockaway Hotel as a first for New York City: an upscale, design-forward beach hotel.

Industry icons and local artists working in a diverse range of mediums including poetry, music, dance, acting, comedy, DJing, activism and other performative arts gathered together at one of NYC’s leading cultural hubs, The Rockaway Hotel. The evening was a culmination of creativity to uplift both the artistic community hit hard by the pandemic, as well as audiences who have been waiting for a transcendent and thought-provoking live experience - something that has been greatly missed this past year. Brought to you by the Wide Awakes Collective and hosted by visual artist Zoe Buckman and musician Max Milner, the Lilac Jam series is a monthly cultural event at The Rockaway Hotel in the hotel’s vast outdoor and ventilated spaces. 

How to Crush Your Cold Weather Outdoor Workouts Safely - I was able to give winter surfing a try through an opportunity provided by the excellent Rockaway Hotel, which partners with the Locals Surf School in Rockaway, New York to offer stay and surf packages year-round. Before I took the frigid plunge, I had to suit up in a wetsuit, hood, boots, and gloves, all of which were 5 to 7 millimeters thick to help to keep water out and body heat in.

With smaller gatherings still the norm, these 18 boutique hotel properties are primed for socially distant meetings. - These smaller, personality-filled properties—which typically have 100 or fewer guest rooms—may historically have been overlooked in the event world in favor of amenity-rich chains with large ballrooms and flexible breakout rooms. But with reduced guest counts during the pandemic, boutique hotels are increasingly becoming a go-to option for small, safe and socially distant gatherings of all types.

The 22 Best Hotel Openings of 2020 - The Rockaways are located in Queens, but the relaxed atmosphere of this bungalow beach enclave feels worlds apart from its fast-paced Manhattan neighbor. For The Rockaway Hotel, New York firms Morris Adjmi Architects and Curious Yellow Design created a getaway that honors the local community and its pervasive surf culture through the likes of zinc paneling and abundant greenery...

Here are a handful of romantic couples retreats near NYC that make for a perfect long weekend trip, whether you’re looking to explore a new destination or cozy up in your hotel room. 

10. THE ROCKAWAY HOTEL (ROCKAWAY BEACH, NEW YORK)

This stunning new hotel opened up towards the end of the summer season during the pandemic, so it’s been slightly under-the-radar until now. For couples looking to stay closer to home—but wanting the feel of a far-away place—it’s a fantastic option that’s less 90 minutes from Times Square via subway, or even quicker in an Uber, car, or by ferry.

For Art’s Sake: 3 Hotels Put an Emphasis on Artwork: One of the first pieces of art encountered at the Rockaway Hotel is the photograph Sessions End, revealing two dedicated surfers trudging through the snow with their boards in tow. The work of local photographer Susannah Ray, it provides a portal into the passionate, year-round surf culture that grips the Rockaways, New York’s beach hideaway.

A Staycation at The Rockaway Hotel: After being cooped up in a tiny apartment for so long, I have been craving a staycation at a hotel—somewhere with endless space to roam safely, and a place I could relax in new serene surroundings. The newly opened Rockaway Hotel seemed like the ideal local getaway for me. It opened during the summer and quickly became a hot spot in Queens for locals and tourists based in New York City, thanks to easy access via public transport; you can take the A train or hop on a ferry to reach it. The hotel is also a one-minute walk away from the popular Rockaway Beach.

The Rockaway Hotel Is More Than Just a Summer Scene: Against all odds, the 53-room hotel, which boasts 16,000 square feet of outdoor space—a luxury for any building in New York City but a necessity for one that opens amid a pandemic—is up and running, offering outdoor and indoor dining (at 25% capacity) and hosting small, socially distanced yoga classes on sun decks lined with heat lamps overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The 84,000 square foot space, which was designed by Morris Adjmi of the Wythe Hotel, occupies an entire block on Beach 108th Street, just a few bungalows away from the ferry landing on the bay and the boardwalk along the ocean.

Rockaway Hotel Captures the Laid-back Essence of the Queens Shoreline: In 1977, when Queens natives the Ramones released “Rockaway Beach,” the punk band’s classic paean to the borough’s oceanside neighborhood, it was against a backdrop of high crime and low budgets. Fast forward to 2012 and, like much of the city, the working-class riviera—the largest urban beach and boardwalk in the nation—had gone from worn-out to welcoming. Then came the epic devastation of Hurricane Sandy. Eight years later, rebuilding efforts are nearing completion. And now comes a crowning jewel, the Rockaway Hotel, which embodies the coastal getaway’s restored charm and relaxed aspirations.

New York City's only surfing beach is finally primed for overnight tourists. "You can't just make a surf break. It's either there or it's not," Jon Krasner, one of The Rockaway Hotel's partners and owners, explains. Terence and Dan Tubridy, brothers and third-generation Rockaway residents, are the hotel's other partners, along with Michi Jigarjian.

Not surprisingly, expect to find the requisite surf shops and surf crowd who have either decamped permanently to the Rockaways to divide their time between well, surfing, and whatever work will keep them afloat (sorry, not sorry!) or who won't hesitate to play hooky if the surf looks promising.

"I had three friends today call in late to work, to come surfing in the morning and then they jumped on the ferry to go into work," Krasner says.

Beach Vibes Continue Year-Round at the Rockaway Hotel (the boutique beachside hotel is accessible by Subway and is spotlighting the community's local arts appeal): Although the summer season has come to a close, the Rockaway Hotel is inviting guests to visit the beach year-round. The boutique hotel — one of the few options in Rockaway Beach — opened Labor Day Weekend and is aiming to create a year-round cultural hub for the low-key beach community, which is easily accessible from New York City. It’s certainly closer than the far reaches of Long Island.

How The New Rockaway Hotel Snagged Some Of The Best Art In The City: When you think about it, hotels have never just been "places to sleep." Through the centuries (and perhaps even millennia), they've not only served as lodging for travelers, but also as community gathering spaces - places to socialize, hubs of culture. With travel on hold for many New Yorkers, the tradition of turning to a hotel in your own backyard has become more relevant than ever. At the newly-opened Rockaway Hotel in the beachside oasis of The Rockaways, Queens, you'll find a celebration of local culture and community, along with a much-needed change of quarantine scenery. 

7G Realty and IGC Hospitality dreamed up the 84,000-square-foot venue, whose amenities reflect the Rockaways’ diverse culture and attractions. Wellness and adventure seekers alike can enjoy the property’s plethora of amenities, among them a full-fledged spa, heated pool, surf school, and boat lessons; live-music fans can listen to performances and DJ sets; and those looking to shop can visit the in-hotel outpost of Manhattan boutique Warm. In addition to four dining spots, the rooftop offers 6,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, and like the 53 guest rooms and eight long-stay residences, it boasts views of the Atlantic Ocean, Jamaica Bay, and the Manhattan skyline.

Visual art, however, is at the hotel’s core. “Long before we broke ground, I embarked on a listening tour to not only honor the rich legacy and work of the artists, activist, and community organizations that currently and historically worked to preserve it but also to gain a better understanding of the depth and breadth of the community’s needs,” Michi Jigarjian, the hotel’s partner and chief social impact officer, tells Galerie.

From commissioned works by Zoe Buckman, Hannah Whitaker, and Kennedy Yanko to pieces by Derrick Adams, Roe Ethridge, and Tom Sachs, art factors into every guest room. Jigarjian sourced photographs and print editions from nonprofit visual arts organizations and collectives, including Aperture Foundation, Magnum Photos, and Printed Matter. Amid COVID-19, the hotel also contributed substantially to Pictures for Elmhurst, a sale of work by New York photographers, with all proceeds benefitting Elmhurst Hospital Center medical workers.

“Art has really become the soul of the hotel,” says Jigarjian, whose ultimate goal is for the venue to be an anchor in the Rockaway community. Whether for local artists or Manhattanites looking for a staycation with a change in scenery, she hopes the hotel will not just be an urban beach but also “a living room for all.”

Following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Rockaway Beach in Queens has undergone a revival. The beach town - a hidden gem for locals - will welcome the 53 room Rockaway Hotel this summer. Led by local firms Morris Adjmi Architects and Curious Yellow Design, the exterior reflects a beachside bungalow, drawing inspiration from the porches, clapboard, and cedar exteriors of the nearby homes. Meanwhile, the art-infused interiors convey a calming, retro atmosphere, flaunting materials like teak, linen, wool, leather, and rattan that complement a palette of rose pink and dusty blue. 

The city's economy is on pause but the owners of the new Rockaway Hotel are moving ahead with plans for a grand opening sometime in July. "I think we all feel lucky, in a position as New Yorkers to help lead the charge on how businesses can open in the future after corona,” said Jon Krasner who is part of the team behind the new Rockaway Hotel.

The year-round hotel will have 53 guestrooms, plus eight extended-stay suites.

All will offer views of the ocean or the Jamaica Bay.