The Asbury Hotel Opens Today

The Asbury Hotel is celebrating a "soft opening" this weekend, with a "grand opening" scheduled for Independence Day weekend.

The hotel on 5th Avenue in Asbury features 110 rooms starting at $125 a night, ranging from queen and king rooms to family rooms and suites. Rooms will have black-and-white beach and music scenes decorating the walls, as well as ocean views and classic music posters highlighting Asbury Park's musical history.

The Asbury will also feature:

• A rooftop garden featuring ocean views, oversized games and paddling pools. At night, the space will transform into a carless "drive-in movie theater", projecting classic and cult films on a 20-foot wall.
• Sunday Public Pool Parties featuring local DJs and specialty cocktails.
• A "beer garden" next to the outdoor pool where food and beer trucks will serve street food, craft and local beers, and signature drinks.
• A 4,000-square-foot lounge on the hotel's upper roof that will be designed in black and white and be lit only by candles and lanterns. It will include beds and lounge areas, as well as nightly performances by local DJs and celebrity artists.
• A casual lobby bar, called Soundbooth, featuring cocktails, games and nighttime music sets.
• A 4,800-square-foot indoor/outdoor event center for social and corporate gatherings.

The developer iStar reportedly invested $30 million to convert a seven-story brick building (which used to be home to the Salvation Army) into the hotel to help with the rebuilding of Asbury Park.