April 29, 2016
Marriott Launches Moxy Hotel Brand in USA with NoMad Opening in 2018
It seems that every month another NoMad hotel opening is being announced. This time around, we are celebrating not only the arrival the Marriott International hospitality brand Moxy but also a new hotel concept inspired by the growing European trend of building great hotels where nothing is sacrificed but room size.
In 2015 it was announced that Lightstone Group would invest over $2 billion in various hotel properties, and this included a major initiative to bring the Moxy hotel brand to the United States for the first time. Not surprisingly, New York was targeted as the gateway for the brand, and four initial locations are now in the works, including on the Lower East Side, in the Union Square area, in the Herald Square area and in NoMad.
Moxy distinguishes itself in a crowded, competitive hotel industry by focusing on a youthful target market. Furnishings and decorations are hip and state-of-the-art, but room sizes are deliberately kept on the small side to allow for lower prices. The president of Lightstone, Mitchell Hochberg, sees the brand as being able to compete with Airbnb, offering far superior location for a similar price per night. The hotels will be outfitted with free wi-fi and large public spaces with an energetic atmosphere for a young clientele open 24 hours.
Hochberg explained the Moxy philosophy recently to Real Estate Weekly, saying, “My elevator pitch is to take a cruise ship and turn it on its side. Cruise ship rooms are incredibly small but tastefully done – they have a great shower and bed – on a cruise, you’re not hanging out in the room, similarly in New York, you’re not interested in hanging out in your room, you get a great shower and a good night’s sleep, that’s enough, because you want to be out in the city.”
The NoMad Moxy location, currently under construction on 28th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, is set to offer 348 rooms, and we know that with hotspots in the area like Ace Hotel and all the great bars, restaurants and music venues, our neighborhood will be a perfect fit. What better place to introduce a game-changing hotel concept than in NoMad — The District that Inspires.