Marriott Central Park to be city’s tallest hotel

The Marriott Central Park, a 716-foot, 634-room hotel planned for Broadway and 54th Street, is in line to become New York City’s tallest hotel, the Observer reported. Though the Mandarin Oriental inside the Time Warner Center is technically taller, it’s not only a hotel, but a mixed-use project with apartments, offices and a mall. The new Marriott is comprised of a 30-story Marriott Residence Inn set atop a 24-story Marriott Courtyard built over a 20,000-square-foot retail pedestal. At the very top of the building is a three-story circular restaurant. The development site was assembled by Harry Gross. According to Curbed, the project’s building permits were just approved, though an exact timeline is unclear. However, a fact sheet from architect Nobutaka Ashihara projects a 2011 completion date. [NYO] and [Curbed]