Livingston Boutique Hotel Makes U.S. News List Of Top 15 Hotels In NJ: See Photos

NEW JERSEY — When U.S. News & World Report recently released a list of the top hotels in each state, the list in New Jersey was filled with hotels in tourist destinations, like Cape May and Atlantic City. But there were a few surprises, like a hotel in Livingston (with a new restaurant) making the top 15.

The Westminster Hotel in Livingston came in at number 14 in the state, just ahead of the Hilton Short Hills.

The Westminster opened in 2003 and was last renovated in fall 2019.

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Its new restaurant, the Feathered Fox, opened in summer of 2021. It's a steakhouse with a mixology bar. (See a photo of the offerings above.)

"We feel honored to be in a group of such amazing hotels," said Melissa Furrevig, the sales director, this week, "and to be chosen as one of the top 15 gives us such pride. It’s been a very interesting year with COVID, so to be named one of the top 15 in New Jersey, we are very grateful."

She described the 186-room hotel in North Jersey as "an anomaly in a sea of chain names in the area."

The hotel's event spaces, ballroom, and other amenities "make the Westminster a regular haunt for business travelers, and yet it has enough personality to appeal to everyone else as well," she said.

The hotel has an indoor pool in an atrium setting, a garden that can be used for outdoor events, and a 24-hour fitness center.

"Customer satisfaction is always our top priority and that will never change," Furrevig said, "no matter what challenges we face in the world of hospitality.”

The List

The top 15 list spanned hotels from Stone Harbor to Asbury Park to Jersey City and Hoboken.

U.S. News scored hotels using a methodology that combines each hotel's industry awards with its star rating and guest sentiment. U.S. News did not include COVID-19 data in the rankings, and noted that some hotels and resorts may be currently offering different or modified services and amenities. READ MORE: Here Are NJ's Best Hotels 2022: U.S. News & World Report

However, several of the major industry awards factored property cleanliness into account.

Here is the top 15 list:

1. The Reeds at Shelter Haven, Stone Harbor.
2. Congress Hall, Cape May.
3. Asbury Ocean Club, Asbury Park.
4. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
5. Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe
6. W Hoboken
7. The Westin Jersey City Newport
8. Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City
9. The Southern Mansion, Cape May
10. Archer Hotel Florham Park
11. Asbury Hotel in Asbury Park
12. Icona Diamond Beach in Lower Township
13. Bungalow Hotel in Long Branch
14. Westminster Hotel in Livingston
15. Hilton Short Hills (which will reopen in March)

Ranked from 16-20: Grand Cascades Lodge in Hamburg, Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, Embassy Suites by Hilton Berkeley Heights, Bernards Inn in Bernardsville, and The Harrison in Cape May.

Ranked from 21-25: Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, the Queen Victoria in Cape May, ICONA Avalon, Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson, and the Madison Hotel in Morristown.

See the complete list here.

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