New York City's Hilton Hotel Times Square will close permanently, according to published reports. The 478-room hotel, at 234 W. 42nd Street, filed a notice on Aug. 31 with the New York Department of Labor that revealed its plans to shutter the property.
Per the updated filing, "Furloughs, which began on 3/16/2020, will become permanent effective 10/1/2020 through 10/14/2020 due to the permanent closing of the hotel. A total of 200 employees will be impacted." The official closing date is Oct. 1, 2020.
While citing "unforeseeable business circumstances prompted by Covid-19" as the reason for ceasing operations, the hotel – and several others in the area – was already struggling financially before the pandemic, according to The Real Deal, which reports on New York real estate.
When asked for comment on the closure, a Hilton representative noted: "Hilton Times Square is an independently owned and operated property." As such, operating decisions are made by the owners, not by Hilton Corp.
Meanwhile, Hilton’s major convention hotel in Manhattan, the New York Hilton Midtown, has “temporarily suspended operations,” noted a spokesperson for Hilton Corp. That 1,878-room property has more than 150,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 24,000-square-foot ballroom that accommodates groups of more than 3,000 people. The shuttered Times Square hotel had two small meeting rooms on the lobby level.