New Allentown hotel Moxy set for Sept. 2024
The developers of Allentown’s newest hotel want to bring some energy to the city’s downtown. Thus, its moniker is appropriate. City Center Investment Corp. announced Tuesday that the boutique hotel that will be built at 949 Hamilton St. will carry the name Moxy, which is an experiential hotel brand by Marriott International. Currently under construction, the $27 million Moxy Allentown is scheduled to open in September 2024. The 58,000-square-foot, pet-friendly hotel will offer 133 rooms.
“We are thrilled to welcome Moxy, the second Marriott International hotel to recognize the exciting business opportunities in downtown Allentown,” City Center President J.B. Reilly said. “The playful spirit of the Moxy brand is the perfect match to the vibrant energy that once defined this historic theater district and is now returning through the redevelopment of Downtown West.”
Reilly added that even though the hotel is situated in Allentown’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone, City Center is not using NIZ funding for the project.
Moxy Hotels aim to reinventing the traditional hotel stay, starting with a complimentary signature cocktail at check-in, which takes place at the hotel’s lobby bar.
Moxy Allentown’s brand uses open-to-the-public social spaces, including a theatrical lobby, a 4,200-square-foot restaurant, a neighborhood bar featuring nightly DJs and performers, a cocktail lounge and a courtyard with yard games. The hotel will also offer meeting space for private events.
Moxy Allentown was designed by the design firm Bernardon with an exterior that combines modernism with the adjacent historic facades. Interior design was done by The Society and civil engineering by Rettew. North Star is managing construction and Gulph Creek will manage the hotel, which will create more than 50 full-time jobs.
“We are thrilled to celebrate today’s groundbreaking of the City Center Allentown Moxy,” said Adam Sherer, senior vice president of lodging development at Marriott International. “This is a great market for Moxy and marks an exciting milestone in our journey with Gulph Creek Hotels. We could not be more pleased with our partnership and can’t wait to see our shared vision come to life.”
Marriott also runs the Renaissance Hotel at Seventh and Hamilton.
The 900 block of Hamilton, which is in the area that has been dubbed “Downtown West,” has been active with projects.
City Center is also developing Archer Music Hall, which will feature two venues seating 1,800 and 350, respectively. It is scheduled to open in fall 2024.
Other projects on the block include proposed mixed-use developments at 926 and 960 Hamilton. The future of the PPL Tower at Ninth and Hamilton is also up in the air.