New York's skyline is about to get a hotel with a serious dose of adrenaline. Hyatt has announced The StandardX Times Square, a 1,800-room flagship set for a supertall Midtown tower under construction with developer Extell, aptly named "The Torch." When it opens in the second half of 2028, it will be the biggest Hyatt property in New York City and among the largest hotels in the entire city.

The headline-grabber isn't the room count, though — it's what's planned above and beyond them. Expect a rooftop pool, still a rarity in Manhattan, plus an observation deck sitting more than 1,000 feet above street level. And for those who like their sightseeing with a jolt of adrenaline, Hyatt is promising an enclosed free-fall thrill ride at the top of the building. A hotel as an amusement park ride is a new one, even for New York.

StandardX is the younger, stripped-back sibling of The Standard, launched by Hyatt in 2023 with a first opening in Melbourne. The pitch: simpler rooms, more casual service, good beds and solid design, with the energy of the neighbourhood doing the heavy lifting. In Times Square's case, Hyatt says the design will lean into the Theater District's theatrical character, and the building itself will house a big lineup of restaurants, bars and nightlife venues.

Hyatt's Amar Lalvani, the group's chief creative officer, framed the property as a New York original rather than a formula to roll out elsewhere. In most StandardX locations the action happens outside the front door; here, he suggests, much of it will happen inside the building itself. That's a telling comment on Times Square — a neighbourhood where you arguably don't need to leave your hotel at all.

Why it matters for travellers: this is good news if you're a Hyatt loyalist, since the brand's US footprint is thin compared with Marriott or Hilton, and a 1,800-room property means plenty of award-night availability potential in a city where points redemptions are notoriously tight. It also adds a genuinely new kind of stay to the Theater District — budget-conscious design rooms with view-deck, pool and thrill-ride perks bolted on — rather than another boxy convention-style tower. Anyone planning a 2028 New York trip with show tickets and skyline ambitions in the same itinerary should keep an eye on opening dates and early rates.