Brooklyn’s Bossert Hotel Is Getting a New Life as Ritz-Carlton Residences

The Hotel Bossert has been vacant in Brooklyn Heights for more than a decade. Now, the landmarked 14-story building is headed for a new chapter as the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Brooklyn Heights, the brand’s first residential project in the borough.

The Renaissance Revival building at 98 Montague Street opened in 1909 and quickly became one of Brooklyn’s best-known hotels. Designed by New York architecture firm Helmle & Huberty, the Bossert was once known as the “Waldorf-Astoria of Brooklyn,” welcoming celebrities and business leaders. It also famously hosted the Brooklyn Dodgers’ 1955 World Series celebration. The building’s distinctive exterior—with its geometric brick facade, sculpted granite-and-limestone base, ornate terra-cotta cornice, arched windows, cast-iron railings, and lion’s-head keystones—is being restored as part of the conversion.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses bought the Bossert in 1988 and used it until 2012, when they sold it as part of their broader departure from Brooklyn Heights. Plans to bring the building back as a hotel came and went over the following years, leaving the landmark vacant as various redevelopment efforts stalled.

SomeraRoad, the New York- and Nashville-based development firm founded by Brooklyn Heights local Ian Ross, acquired the property for $100 million in 2025. The firm is partnering with Marriott International, Inc. to transform the former hotel into the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Brooklyn Heights, a 61-unit condominium with primarily three- and four-bedroom residences.

The project also recently cleared a key preservation hurdle. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved revised plans for rooftop additions and other exterior work, after previously sending the proposal back to the development team for revisions. Because the Bossert sits within the Brooklyn Heights Historic District, changes to its exterior require the commission’s approval.

The residences will combine private homeownership with signature Ritz-Carlton touches, including a 24-hour-attended lobby, dedicated residential services, and amenities geared toward wellness, leisure, and entertaining. Residents will also have access to benefits through Marriott’s Residence Owner Recognition Program, ONVIA.

Several details of the residences remain under wraps, including their square footage, pricing, and interior design team. The project will also bring a new restaurant to Montague Street, where Union Square Hospitality Group, founded by Danny Meyer, plans to open its first full-service Brooklyn outpost in approximately 3,200 square feet. Construction is expected to begin later this year, with completion slated for 2029. SERHANT. New Development is handling sales and marketing, led by Ravi Kantha and the Kantha Team.