| Hotel Name: | The Empress Hotel |
| Location: | 101 Asbury Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States 07712 |
| Opening Date: | 1961 |
| Owner: | Shep Pettibone |
| Number Of Restaurants: | 1 |
| Number Of Rooms: | 101 |
| Floors: | 4 |
| Website: | Official Website |
The Empress Hotel is a popular gay resort located in Asbury Park, New Jersey.[1]
The Hotel opened as a luxury resort for vacationing families in the 1960s.[2] It was a successful resort, attracting the likes of Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli.[3]
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. Bruce Springsteen was an early employee of the Empress, where he worked a busboy during the summer of 1962.
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!"[4] 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.[5]
In 1998, Shep Pettibone bought the abandoned building and opened the Paradise Nightclub inside.[6]
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,[7] and is very popular among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender travelers in New Jersey.[8]
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 also features a gift shop, lounge, nightclub and outdoor pool.