Fire Island Pines Resort, a longtime affluent gay vacation spot 60 miles east of Manhattan, is primed for a makeover under a new owner.
Located on the barrier island off the southern shore of New York's Long Island, the waterfront resort, which includes the iconic Pavilion nightclub, a 30-room hotel, the Canteen and historic Blue Whale restaurants, two houses and a pool deck, filed for bankruptcy following the pandemic and was put on the market in a court-ordered reorganization sale, according to Muroff Hospitality Group, the exclusive listing agent.
After a yearlong marketing process including a drone video tour of the property and overcoming "significant challenges," Muroff found a cash buyer, entrepreneur Tristan Schukraft, who Muroff said is known as “the CEO of everything gay.” Schukraft bought about 75% of the commercial district of Fire Island Pines for $15.5 million in a deal that closed in September, Muroff said.
Muroff said the sale had to contend with issues including the fact that the hotel portion of the property was closed and not operable; multiple ownership stakes; and vocal input from local homeowners and residents. The timing of the deal was also key due to the seasonal nature of the business and the challenges that could have occurred had the closing taken place in mid-season, Muroff said, adding that the deal will help "ensure the long-term continuity" of Fire Island Pines, Muroff said.
The deal has been selected by real estate professionals familiar with the market as the winner of the 2025 CoStar Impact Awards sale of the year in Long Island.
About the project: Schukraft plans to renovate the shuttered hotel as the Tryst Fire Island, as he continues to build his global LGBTQ+ portfolio that includes the Tryst Hotel and Circo nightclub located in San Juan, Puerto Rico; the Tryst in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and the iconic Abbey Food & Bar in West Hollywood, California, Muroff said. The sellers of the resort complex were Outpost Pines and Ruff Picketty, Muroff said.
What the judges said: "This transaction seems to reflect a perfect matching of seller and buyer in a very niche market where contextual use is a factor in project success," Rebecca D'Eloia, executive vice president, RXR Realty.
"Fire Island Pines Resort needed to be sold to the right buyer who would maintain [its] historical significance," Aaron Yassin, partner and director of operations at Hive Developers, said. "The complexity of the distress of the property and [its] ownership created significant challenges which were successfully overcome. The legacy of the resort will now not only live [on] but will be reinvented for the future."
They made it happen: Mitchell Muroff, owner of the Newton, Massachusetts-based Muroff Hospitality Group.
CoStar market manager Morgan Markowitz contributed to this article.