When news first broke that Saturday Night Live comedians Pete Davidson and Colin Jost bought a retired 277-foot long Staten Island ferry boat in January 2022, reactions began with curious intrigue but quickly nosedived to comedy punchlines, even providing constant fodder on the sketch comedy show itself.
But it turns out all those laughs may have covered up the fact that their investment in a massive $280,000 non-working vessel is actually well on its way to become one of the most unconventional entertainment venues out there, complete with 24 hotel rooms, Curbed reported.
“The goal is to keep the character and aesthetic from the original ferry and incorporate it with the comforts that are needed,” architect and developer Ron Castellano who runs Studio Castellano, and is also one of initial investors, told Travel + Leisure in a call this week. “It’s not trying to use the most expensive materials or the most intricate craftsmanship, but it’s certainly something that will be unique.”
While initial reports said the floating landmark would focus purely on entertainment, as the schematic design phase began, the fifth floor veered into overnight accommodations. “We already have plenty of bars and restaurants in the venue, and when we were looking at that space with the balconies, it just lent itself to hotel rooms,” he said.
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Under the current designs, the two pilot houses on each end will transform into two-story suites, which are “more deluxe,” Castellano explained. The remaining rooms would be rather uniform, each getting the coveted New York City amenity of a sundeck. “That ferry for that class had an outdoor seating area on both sides, so that will get divided up with each of the rooms,” he said, noting that everything is still “preliminary.”
Another innovative aspect of the Staten Island Ferry hotel is that the location may not be static. “It was built in Texas and has just been tugged wherever it needs to go,” Castellano said. “I think it would be interesting for the venue to travel to different cities at different times.”
With the vast amount of outdoor roof space, the thought is that the renewed ferry could stay open year-round in warmer venues like Miami in the winter and then be tugged over to New York in the summer, perhaps even adding other eastern seaboard stops.
“Right now, that’s on the table,” he explained. “It just seems like a great idea.” The challenge will be to find docking locations that can fit the massive length of the structure. “It’s not easy to find a place for it, but we’re looking at all the options.”
With both Davidson, who left the late night comedy show in 2022, and Jost, who is now the longest-running “Weekend Update”
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