Is There Such A Thing As A “Boutique Motel?” Because One Is Coming To The Rockaways
- Photo via Societe Perrier
So, this was probably inevitable: the Rockaways are getting in on the whole “boutique hotel” boom in the form of the “Playland Motel,” which Gothamist reports is expected to open over the 4th of July weekend.
And what does that mean, exactly? Well, 12 seasonal rentals (which can be reserved long term), and a restaurant that Societe Perrier claims “will make Williamsburg natives feel right at home with dishes from El Almacen and Rosarito’s Fish Shack, along with brick oven pizzas to be enjoyed under the sun, for the casually upscale beach-goer.”
The project—so named after the former Rockaways amusement park Playland, which once stood near the site but was unceremoniously torn down in 1985 at the behest of Robert Moses—is being put together by the same people behind Williamsburg’s recently opened club Output, and was originally slated to open in time for Memorial Day before suffering some Sandy-related flood damage. According to the Post, it may also soon be the site of a new Rockabus stop, which would pick up at Rockaways-themed Williamsburg bar Battery Harris.
Other than a visceral personal objection to the idea of ever being “casually upscale” at the beach—you’re supposed to be a sandy, sunscreen-smeared mess and choose your food and drink options accordingly—this could actually be a good thing, insofar as it’s pretty hard to object to the idea of bringing more business to the neighborhood. At least, we’ll reserve our final judgments until the 4th of July.
Follow Virginia K. Smith on Twitter @vksmith.