Iconic NJ hotel closing down this week
It made it the better part of 40 years but it’s all ending Thursday.
To understand this hotel is iconic you have to understand something about Mahwah. Before the Sheraton was built in the mid 1980s the tallest building in town was just three stories.
Then came the Sheraton Mahwah Hotel. 22 stories tall. Gleaming. Inspiring. So close to the New Jersey New York border at night it called out like an illuminated call to action that yes, there was in fact life here. Plenty of it.
1986 it opened. Ronald Reagan was president. “Family Ties” and “Cheers” were hit shows. A lifetime ago and a lot of history in between.
Our own Bob Williams used to often work a club called Illusions located in the hotel back in the late 80s as a disc jockey. He said the place absolutely rocked and was his favorite place to play, and that the sight of the Sheraton looming in the distance was statuesque.
In more recent years it was home to the Deadman’s Curve Classic Car Festival every Labor Day.
Over the years the large building rented out some office space in addition to operating as a hotel. The pandemic brought about remote work and the office rentals dried up. The revenue from hotel rentals isn’t enough to keep the place open compared to the money that can be made with what’s to become of the land.
After the Sheraton is demolished, warehouses are being constructed. Isn’t that the way much of New Jersey is going?
The final guests will check out Thursday morning and that’s it. The Sheraton is closing down for good. Weird thought: when that last guest checks out, do they bother even cleaning the room? It’s being torn down.
On the demise of this Mahwah landmark Mayor Jimmy Wysocki no doubt spoke for many when he stated simply, “It’s going to be sad to see it go.”
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