| The Empress Hotel | |
|---|---|
| Location | 101 Asbury Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA 07712 |
| Opening date | 1961 |
| Owner | Shep Pettibone |
| Rooms | 101 |
| Restaurants | 1 |
| Floors | 4 |
| Website | Official Website |
The Empress Hotel, located in Asbury Park, New Jersey, is a popular gay resort.[1]
The Hotel opened as a luxury resort for vacationing families in the 1960s. It was a successful resort, attracting the likes of Judy Garland.[2]
In 1980, the Empress was featured on the picture sleeve of Bruce Springsteen's hit single "Hungry Heart", which depicts a photo of Springsteen standing near a phone booth on the Asbury Park boardwalk, with the hotel visible in the background.
By the summer of 1976, Asbury Park was in a state of decline, albeit the Empress Hotel remained a popular establishment. During a New York Times interview, the hotel's manager boasted: "all of our 101 rooms are taken!"[3] Unfortunately, by 1988 the hotel was struggling for business, and closed shortly after.
A strip club, Extreme Fahrenheit, opened in the building in 1993. It became notorious for drugs and prostitution, and was eventually closed because of lewd conduct.[4]
In 1998, Shep Pettibone bought the abandoned building and opened the Paradise Nightclub inside.[5]
The nightclub lured crowds of gay travelers away from Fire Island and instead to the beaches of Asbury Park. The hotel portion reopened in August 2004,[6] and is very popular among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender travelers in New Jersey.
In 2008, a dining establishment, the Ketchup Grill opened inside. A clothing store, Esphera, catering to gay beach-goers, was added to the ground level in 2008 and is open during the summer months.
The hotel features a restaurant, gift-shop, lounge, nightclub, and outdoor pool.