New Company Takes Over Empire Hotel Lease; Will Make It A Hotel Again

SECAUCUS, NJ — A new company signed a lease to take over operations at the long-closed Empire Hotel in Secaucus — and they will be turning the abandoned building back into a hotel again.

This was announced Friday by Mayor Michael Gonnelli, who applauded the deal.

The Empire Hotel is the very large, approx. 15-story hotel at 2 Harmon Plaza that sits on a prime wooded lot overlooking the Hackensack River. The Empire was once a high-end hotel, banquet space and convention center, with a pool, but it closed more than six years ago.

Since then, the property has sat vacant and abandoned. Bald eagles nest on its roof.

The Empire hotel property is zoned for a hotel and the property is owned by a company in Canada. What the town of Secaucus did not want — and actively fought — was an attempt by the property owner a few years ago to convert the Empire hotel into luxury condos and micro apartments. Gonnelli said the town Zoning Board did not approve that idea because it would add to the density of Secaucus, which has seen a population and apartment boom in the past decade.

This October, a West Orange-based company called Turtlebrook Investments, LLC, which invests in the hotel industry, entered into a 15-year lease to renovate the building and turn it back into a hotel. Gonnelli said Turtlebrook has 15 other hotels in their portfolio; he did not know their names. He said their plan is to renovate the building and then woo a brand-name hotel to open there.

It is too early to say what hotel company would open there; the property still needs a lot of renovation. In 2021, Gonnelli said he heard it might be an Extended Stay America, but that is no longer accurate.

The building has sat vacant for a long time. Some of the windows are broken, the pool complex is dilapidated and the hotel rooms themselves need much work and renovation. Gonnelli did say the main floor lobby and banquet area actually still appears to be in good shape.

Gonnelli said he is thrilled to see the Empire re-open as a hotel again some day.

“The Empire Hotel, formally Hilton, was one of the premier hotels in town and I’m excited to seeing it reopen. We wish the new operators much success," he said.

“Turtlebrook Investments LLC is thrilled to announce the addition of Empire Hotel Meadowlands, Secaucus, to their expanding portfolio of reputed hotels and hospitality services," said Turtlebrook in a statement. "We are laser-focused on leveraging this opportunity to bring the strategically located property back to its former glory, and beyond. Our vision is to provide exemplary service to all business travelers, groups, and tourists who visit the multiple sites of interest in and around Secaucus. We look forward to working with the community and significantly contributing to the economic growth of Secaucus.”