Construction is wrapping up on 150 West 48th Street, a 38-story triple-brand Hilton hotel tower in Times Square. Designed by Gene Kaufman Architect and developed by Sam Chang of McSam Hotel Group, the 418-foot-tall, 320,000-square-foot structure will yield 1,046 hotel rooms across a Hampton Inn, a Home 2 Suites, and a Motto Hotel, Hilton’s newest brand of micro-hotels. McSam Hotel Group purchased the Midtown, Manhattan site from Rockefeller Group in early 2019 at a cost of $140 million and received a $250 million loan before construction broke ground in 2020. Omnibuild is in charge of erecting the tower, which is located by the corner of West 48th Street and Seventh Avenue.
Since our last update in September, work has largely concluded on the brick and glass façade of the main northern elevation, and gray paneling has been installed over the blank concrete faces on the eastern and western sides of the tower.
150 West 48th Street. Photo by Michael Young
150 West 48th Street. Photo by Michael Young
150 West 48th Street. Photo by Michael Young
150 West 48th Street. Photo by Michael Young
Omnibuild constructed the tower at a dramatic pace, notably without the use of a construction crane. The primary areas awaiting completion are the mechanical bulkheads on top of the edifice, which are currently surrounded by metal scaffolding and black netting, the top of the back southern wall, which will likely hold a rooftop space, and the ground floor and podium, which have yet to be enclosed.
150 West 48th Street. Photo by Michael Young
150 West 48th Street. Photo by Michael Young
150 West 48th Street. Photo by Michael Young
150 West 48th Street. Photo by Michael Young
150 West 48th Street. Photo by Michael Young
150 West 48th Street. Photo by Michael Young
150 West 48th Street. Photo by Michael Young
The Hilton property will contain two ground-floor lobbies; ten elevators with six for the Hampton Inn, two for the Home 2 Suites, and four for the Motto Hotel; a five-part storefront on the first level; and amenities including a restaurant and cafe, a lounge, a rooftop bar, and two gyms.
It was last reported that 150 West 48th Street is slated for completion by fall 2022.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
In Gene Kaufman fashion, they released renderings that depicted something ridiculously ugly. Then, when it’s built, the facade is toned down and I have no idea what to think of it anymore.
The big city like New York City, including Times Square that is the area of beautiful high-rise. I can spot your photos progress, in this trend on facade to lockdown hotel’s design: Thanks to Michael Young.
I’ve walked by this building several times and the only conclusion I can make is that Kaufman is a most spiteful person.
Right? Can any architect REALLY be this clueless, tone deaf, insensitive? Sadly, he is all of these.
The is the largest largess of non event building. To say anything smart would be to suggest this building draws from the influence of post war Soviet architecture of Eastern European nations. Shame. Shame. Can someone provide David from heaven with a new English translation app??
David’s English is just fine..it makes you smile, laugh, scratch your head, often the best thing here, better than the perpetual Kaufman hate club broken record.
If only we could hang oh I dont know maybe a huge sign over the entire building?
Does Gene Kaufman have any idea how horrible an architect he is? Incompetence and a total lack of self-awareness leads to really poor outcomes. But surely Sam Chang knows how awful GK is, which makes him evil.
I can not look at it so ugly for Times Square or any other place as of matter of fact. So sad.
Looks very Soviet blockish to me!
🤓
Nyet.
Not quite that bad but not far off either.
These articles never explain why the bizzaro platform on the east face exists. Times Square is filled with ugly buildings so this fits in. The architect and developer don’t care about anyone else’s opinion.
Isn’t that just some sort of structure around the rooftop water tank?
This is a hotel that is going to charge $200-$300 a night for a hotel room. They paid $150 million for the site alone.
This means cheap infill construction using bland architectural elements. I don’t understand why everyone expects some high end Stern building for cheap hotels in midtown.
That would mean 100k in yearly revenue per room. Is that chump change?
Assuming the entire $390MM was financed at 5%, that would equate to a yearly interest payment of almost $20MM.
1,000 rooms at an average of $250/night, and (optimistic) 75% average occupancy rate would equate to an annual revenue of ~$70MM. That means you are already operating at a required ~30% gross margin before even getting into things like taxes, profit and depreciation.
Seems like a tough business to me, especially in New York where you have to deal with strong unions, above average regulation, and a whole spat of other hurdles. Why would you want to increase your financial risk and increase your initial capital investment on high end architectural finishes when it has little to any effect on your business operations?
I didn’t realize you were actually allowed to post intelligent and thought through comments on this site. I thought it was all about superficial judgments from people who became real estate and architecture experts after purchasing purchasing photo book about skyscrapers.
I dont buy the argument that its the materials that are preventing a good design. The same capital investment could have resulted in a stunning building.
The problem is the architect.
Honestly, it’s just a big building New York
To answer NFA’s question, maybe some people in a position to make a difference care about creating a positive visual impact in their city, not just their bottom line.