Years ago, when Sharon asked one of her Japanese friends, who had hiked up Mt. Fuji what it was like, the reply was that Fuji-san was “much more beautiful from a distance.” This is true for many iconic locations; the closer you yet, the less interesting they look. Sure, it’s fun to climb the Statue of Liberty but you’d rather look at her from the Staten Island Ferry.

The same goes for looking at city skylines. In order to see them, you have to be removed from them. We realized this when we stayed for a weekend in Weehawken, NJ, which is a short distance across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

We had plans in New Jersey for most of the trip but we also wanted to make a quick trip to Manhattan to see a show. So I decided on a hotel in Weehawken. It was close to a ferry across the river and not far from the NJ Turnpike. I wasn’t expecting the hotel to have such a great view of Manhattan’s skyline.

EnVue, Autograph Collection
550 AVENUE AT PORT IMPERIAL
WEEHAWKEN, NEW JERSEY

EnVue is part of the Marriott Bonvoy Autograph Collection; “A global collection of distinctive independent hotels carefully crafted to leave a lasting imprint.” In short, they’re a member of Marriott Bonvoy but don’t fit the description of any other brand. EnVue is different from other Autograph hotels as it’s obviously a new hotel that shares a footprint with a Residence Inn. EnVue does take the areas that front Manhattan, which provides an amazing view from the lobby on the 3rd floor.

What Does The EnVue Cost?

We booked our room using Marriott Bonvoy points. The cash rate for our two-night stay would have cost $552.

I used 67,000 Marriott Bonvoy points instead. This was a value of 0.87 cpp, which isn’t great for Marriott points but it is a value that I’m willing to use for a free night. Self-parking cost an additional $22 per night.

When checking in, you have to reach the lobby from elevators in the lobby or the parking garage. The main floor looks amazing. We didn’t know the lobby bar became a nightclub on the weekends. More on that later.

We received a room on the 8th floor. I tried to apply a suite night upgrade to our reservation but Marriott informed us that this property does not participate in the upgrade program. The hallways have stylish decor. We were located about 1/2 way down the hall from the elevator.

The hotel is triangular shaped, with EnVue taking up two sides of the building. We had one of the lesser views available, even being Platinum members. I don’t know if this is because we booked with points.

We did have an exterior view, which was better than the rooms which face the interior courtyard. We were looking at the hills with Weehawken City on the top of the cliffs. That’s where you’ll find the Alexander Hamilton dueling ground.

What Are The Rooms Like?

I was impressed with the room, as it’s much nicer than what’d you find at a hotel across the river at a similar price range. There was a king-size bed with sufficient space on each side of the bed. There was also an ottoman for lounging, with a small table along with a work area.

The only thing lacking in the room was drawer space (here’s probably why). However, there were places to store your luggage, which is an acceptable alternative for short trips.

The bathroom was large, with an extra-size walk-in shower and plenty of room at the double sinks.

Are There Any Other Amenities?

A surprise at the EnVue was an indoor pool. There were also lounge seats around the pool, which seemed somewhat unnecessary.

There is also a fitness center but it was always in use during our stay and I don’t like taking pictures of guests when they’re working out.

What About Meals? Is There A Restaurant?

We arrived on a Friday and had plans for that evening. We arrived back at the hotel around 10 PM and found that the lobby floor had been transformed into a club with a DJ. We are way, WAY past the dance club stage of our lives and asked if there was anywhere to eat nearby. The hotel directed us to a sports bar on the ground floor of the hotel. While the kitchen was shut down, we were able to order food from the sushi bar, which was enough food for us.

The next morning we skipped out on our free Platinum breakfast. Instead, we took the NY Waterway to Manhattan and went for brunch at Sarabeth’s instead.

On our last day at the hotel, we figured it was easier to have the free breakfast instead of trying to find somewhere that served a Taylor ham, egg and cheese on a hard roll. (IYKYK)

The hotel restaurant is NOHU (I guess for North Hudson?) As Platinum Bonvoy members, we were allowed to order anything from the menu.

We both ordered the Weehawken Classic. Mine was with scrambled eggs and bacon.

The hotel staff was overwhelmed with guests and it took a while for us to put in our order. In the end, it was a filling breakfast but I’d be upset about paying $18 for a similar meal at a diner around the corner. This is why when even we get a free breakfast, we’ll often go outside of the hotel for food.

Final Thoughts

We really liked many things about EnVue. It was nice to stay in Weehawken and have an amazing view of Manhattan from outside the front of our hotel, even if we didn’t have a view from the room. The $9 ride across the Hudson was less than we’d pay for a train ticket and it only took 10 minutes.

We looked into staying there on another trip but there are some downsides. It’s not easy to get to Weehawken, even if you’re flying into Newark Airport. Taking only public transportation would involve at least three transfers. At that point, I might as well just get an Uber or private car and get a ride into Manhattan.

The other BIG problem was the club scene in the lobby. We were there in March so it was cold outside. However, there’s a large outdoor deck and I could easily imagine a party outside and possibly loud music until the late hours on the weekends. It’s the same reason we tend to avoid W Hotels.

However, if we’re ever staying in New Jersey again and have a rental car, I’d definitely consider staying here again. In fact, I might prefer staying on the Residence Inn side of the building.

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