New 197-Room Marriott Hotel Opens Today in Trenton

Indeed, when the new Lafayette Yard Marriott Conference Hotel opens its doors today, it will be the first new full-service hotel to open here in 27 years. It will also be the first hotel to operate here, period, in 16 years. It was back in 1985 that the old, 15-story Capital Plaza was shuttered and turned into a state office building because of a lack of business. Until today, this had been the sole state capital in the U.S. without a place for people to stay overnight.

But demand has apparently returned, fueled by such attractions as a new arena, minor league baseball stadium, and an uptick in state-related business. "Trenton is experiencing a rebirth, and we feel that this new conference hotel will contribute to the revitalization," according to Steve Sharple, Marriott's SVP for the northeast region. "The property's downtown location is ideal for business travelers visiting state officials, leisure travelers, and meeting planners looking for a new location for their meetings."

Hotel officials say they have more than $2 million in conference bookings so far, apparently attracted by the facility's 20,000 sf of meeting space. The hotel is also adjacent to the newly renovated War Memorial Auditorium, a 1,900-seat amphitheater for cultural events. Hotel amenities include a 24-hour business center, a full-service restaurant and a 657-car parking garage.

Located at One West Lafayette St., the property is owned by a partnership consisting of Lafayette Yard Community Development Corp. (LYCDC) of Trenton, and Acquest-New Jersey LLC of Bloomfield Hills, MI. Marriott International of Washington, DC will manage it.

The LYCDC itself is a product of difficulty in getting financing for the project when it was proposed a few years ago. The city itself formed the corporation as a vehicle to obtain and guarantee an estimated $50 million in bonds, and the state itself eventually added several million dollars in financing. Total cost of the project has not been disclosed. Local officials estimate, however, that it will add at least $1.2 million a year in tax revenues to the city's coffers and provide between 120 and 140 jobs.