The World Cup: That 39-day event that drew thousands of visitors from all around the globe to the greater Meadowlands region?
The World of Blue hotel, the 21-story, 427-room tower off Route 3 in East Rutherford, handled the surge in stride.
That was the goal when P3 Properties took over the landmark building in January and immediately launched a $100 million renovation. And, as owner Harvey Rosenblatt made clear Monday at a formal ribbon-cutting, it was only phase one of the company’s plan.
P3’s vision for the property has been chronicled before — first in its acquisition announcement, then in its World Cup-driven redevelopment push — but Monday marked the hotel’s official debut as what Rosenblatt believes is becoming the Meadowlands’ premier luxury hospitality and event destination.
He said the hotel’s strong World Cup performance revealed something larger: a growing appetite for a distinctive, high-end hotel and event venue in the heart of the Meadowlands, a market long dominated by limited-service brands and stadium-adjacent convenience.
World of Blue’s event footprint is central to that pitch. The property includes expansive ballroom facilities, including a main ballroom that can host up to 1,000 guests — weddings, galas, corporate functions, cultural celebrations and large-scale gatherings that typically require a trip into Manhattan or deeper into North Jersey.
Rosenblatt said the hotel is designed to serve leisure travelers, business guests, touring entertainment professionals, families and groups year-round.
“The World Cup may have brought many guests through our doors for the first time, but our goal has always been to create something exceptional and enduring,” Rosenblatt said. “We want World of Blue to become a destination people throughout the region know and love — whether they are staying with us, attending a wedding, hosting a corporate event, celebrating a milestone or visiting the Meadowlands.”
He said the hotel is already attracting guests who previously would have stayed in Manhattan, including touring performers scheduled to appear at MetLife Stadium later this year — early evidence, he believes, that the Meadowlands can support a higher tier of hospitality.
“The World Cup gave us an incredible opportunity to introduce World of Blue to guests from around the world, but what has been most exciting is seeing that enthusiasm continue,” he said. “The ribbon cutting celebrates what we have accomplished, but more importantly, it marks the beginning of what we believe will be a very exciting future for World of Blue.”
