Hyatt Regency JFK Airport at Resorts World New York on Friday, Aug. 6, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony welcoming guests to experience the city’s newest shopping, dining and entertainment destination in Queens.
Executives from Genting Americas East — which owns the hotel, casino and Hyatt — and local elected officials as well as community members attended the celebration, which included a traditional lion dance performance.
“We are excited to debut Hyatt Regency JFK Airport at Resorts World New York and invite guests to experience our intuitive hospitality as they relax and recharge after a day of gaming, dining and entertainment,” said Brian Reynolds, senior vice president of Resorts World New York City. “Working with our Resorts World team, we’re pleased to deliver on an innovative and seamless experience that is sure to energize travelers.”
Bob DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, said they’re honored to collaborate with Hyatt and are proud to welcome guests from all over the world and provide them with a “truly unparalleled casino resort experience in the heart of New York.”
“There is no better way to celebrate Resorts World’s 10th anniversary than with the opening of this world-class hotel in New York City,” DeSalvio said. “While the hotel has always been part of our vision, today’s ribbon-cutting takes on additional significance as we celebrate the Queens community and do our part to move New York forward.”
Faced with COVID-19 amid the construction of the $400 million hotel — which took three years to build —presented quite a challenge. DeSalvio acknowledged the dedication of the architects, engineers and construction workers who finished the project under unprecedented circumstances.
“We have never, ever experienced anything like this,” DeSalvio said. “The project, shutting down, we mobilized to get the construction going again. And then to have just come out and look like this in record time, it’s really quite an amazing feat.”
Admitting he was “a little biased,” DeSalvio proclaimed that the only resort that came close to the New York City location was Resorts World in the Catskills, also a Genting property, and said that the company’s experience in developing resorts was going to make the NYC location a “world-class destination for New Yorkers to enjoy close to home as well as for visitors from around the globe, to be able to enjoy what they’re seeing here, a truly great place to dine, to stay, to shop, and gaming, as well, and be entertained.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said the opening of the hotel is another “huge step forward in Queens’ comeback.”
“We’re open for business,” Richards said. “What a better way to come out of this pandemic and bring jobs back?”
State Senators Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Leroy Comrie also lauded Hyatt Regency and Resorts World as job creators.
“This project means jobs. It means hundreds of construction jobs, good union jobs, and then post-construction about 500 jobs. So it means jobs in an economy that really needs it,” Addabbo said.
Comrie said “forget Manhattan,” inviting people to visit the “World’s Borough” and stay at the Hyatt Regency, which he described as well-designed.
“Come to Queens and enjoy yourself. Come to Queens and have a good time,” Comrie said.
Congressman Gregory Meeks talked about the impact the new resort would have on the economy of Queens County and New York City by creating “good-paying jobs.”
“These kinds of things are contagious,” Meeks said, hoping that other businesses will follow suit.
Hyatt Regency JFK Airport at Resorts World New York is an eight-story, luxury hotel, featuring 400 residential-inspired guest rooms and premium suites with energizing design and insightful in-room technology.
The hotel also features the world-renowned Sugar Factory Restaurant, a fitness center, state-of-the-art conference and meeting spaces and additional gaming areas. The centerpiece of the property is a soaring grand lobby, perfectly suited for art exhibits, events and musical performances, that connects the hotel with Resorts World New York City (RWNYC), which opened in 2011.
Guest rooms
The hotel features 400 guest rooms including 275 king rooms, 91 double rooms and 34 suites. The variety of accommodations is ideal for business and leisure travelers alike thanks to an incredibly convenient location near JFK Airport. The oversized suites are designed to make guests feel at home with kitchenettes and separate living spaces. Many of the chic guest rooms offer floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the city’s skyline.
Entertainment
The property offers 6,500 slots and electronic table games. Resorts World features three unique levels of gaming: Times Square Casino, Fifth Avenue Casino and Central Park Casino, along with several high-limit rooms.
The $400 million hotel and amenities investment has long been part of Genting’s vision of bringing a destination resort, popular in global locations such as Las Vegas and Singapore, to New York City. The resort seamlessly features a variety of non-gaming amenities to complement the most innovative gaming products and entertainment offerings, allowing guests of all interests and budgets an experience that fits their personal tastes.
This development brings the total investment in Resorts World New York City to over $1.1 billion after Genting spent more than $700 million to enhance the existing Aqueduct grandstand to become a leading entertainment destination.
The hotel addition has created hundreds of good-paying careers for New Yorkers and will provide additional revenue for New York State’s Lottery Education Fund. Resorts World has already generated more than $3 billion for New York’s public schools.
Meetings and events
Beyond redefining the hotel experience for leisure guests, the new hotel applies a high-touch experience for meetings and events, with 5,000 square feet of total function space and state-of-the-art meeting facilities all backed by a dedicated team offering meeting planners a seamless, confident service for themselves and attendees.
The rooms are designed to host a range of events including corporate meetings, art exhibits and community programs. Including Resorts World New York City, the property will now have more than 64,000 square feet of event space.
Dining
Sugar Factory, the world-renowned café and confectionary shop, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its signature menu items include decadent milkshakes and old-fashioned sundaes.
Guests can also enjoy additional food and beverage options including a convenient Grab ‘n’ Go. Regency Club guests can enjoy daily continental breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres and light snacks at this exclusive club.
For more information, visit rwnewyork.com or hyattregency.com. Located minutes away from JFK Airport, the hotel is accessible by the A Train, Q37 bus, and LIRR to Jamaica Station with pickup from a free casino shuttle.
