The StandardX Times Square hotel will open 1,800 rooms in New York, with a free fall ride and observatory

On 28 October 2026, Hyatt and developer Extell Development Company announced The StandardX Times Square, a hotel of around 1,800 rooms at 255 West 45th Street in New York. It will be the brand’s first address in North America, complete with a free fall attraction, an observatory more than 300 metres up and a rooftop pool. Opening is planned for the second half of 2028.

A free fall ride and an observatory above 300 m

The future hotel will do more than put up its guests: according to Hyatt’s announcement, the building will house a free fall attraction, set within an enclosed space. It will also feature an observatory looking out over Manhattan from more than 1,000 feet, roughly 305 metres above the city. A rooftop pool will round off this line-up of leisure.

Hyatt has not yet explained how these attractions will work, nor their opening hours or prices. Details on the design, dining, nightlife and collaborations will be announced later, the group says.

1,800 rooms for a flagship address

With around 1,800 rooms, The StandardX Times Square will be a very large property, set in the heart of Manhattan’s Theater District. Hyatt describes it as a flagship, not a template: the brand’s future hotels will not necessarily follow its format.

The interiors will draw on New York’s theatrical character, with bold colours and sculptural shapes, reflective finishes and unexpected details. The rooms themselves are described as expressive yet simple. No architect or designer has been named so far.

Bars, restaurants and a rooftop lounge

The hotel will be home to numerous restaurants, bars and nightlife venues, including a rooftop bar and lounge. Their names and chefs have yet to be revealed.

At street level, the spaces will welcome hotel guests and New Yorkers alike: the hotel intends to be open to its neighbourhood.

The StandardX: what exactly is it?

The StandardX is the little sister of The Standard, a brand founded in 1999. The idea: simpler rooms, more relaxed service and a pared-back experience, which the brand sums up in four ideas: good beds, good design, interesting people and a connection to the city. It is a lifestyle brand, deliberately simple.

For Amar Lalvani, Hyatt’s Chief Creative Officer and president and creative director of The Lifestyle Group, this connection to the city takes a particular form here: “In Times Square, much of that will happen inside the building itself.”

After Melbourne, New York in 2028

To date, only one The StandardX address is open, in Melbourne’s Fitzroy neighbourhood, Australia. Times Square will therefore be the brand’s first in North America.

The family is on familiar ground: The Standard already has two hotels in New York, The Standard, High Line and The Standard, East Village. Hyatt completed its acquisition of Standard International, parent company of The Standard and Bunkhouse, on 2 October 2024. Meanwhile, the group is expanding its other brands, such as the Thompson Rome, opened in the former headquarters of the Italian Communist Party.

Extell, builder of Central Park Tower

The project’s developer, Extell Development Company, was founded by Gary Barnett. Its track record includes Central Park Tower, One57 and the W Times Square, already in the neighbourhood. According to Ari Alowan Goldstein, Extell’s senior vice president, Hyatt and Extell share a drive to think big, and 255 West 45th Street is its natural extension.

With more than 1,500 hotels and all-inclusive resorts in 83 countries as of 30 June 2026, Hyatt is adding a very large address to its New York portfolio. Elsewhere in Manhattan, the Viceroy Park Avenue will open on 1 February 2027, while The Plaza will close from January 2027 to restore its façade.