Still in Paris, Melnikov designed two privately commissioned versions of a ramped garage that never got past the conceptual drawing stage.

Ramped garages are actually very unpopular with many Americans - "ignored at best," Ms. McDonald said, "hated by many."

This was evidenced by the continual expansion of the hotel during its peak and the fact that the 1952 tower incorporated features like modern bathrooms and a drive-up ramp garage.

Although an automated garage is more expensive to build it typically takes only about half as much precious real estate as a conventional ramped garage to handle the same number of cars, or even more.

The Hoboken structure, designed by Gerhard Haag, an engineer and architect born in Germany, where ramped garages are rare and automatic garages common, is a first-of-its-kind in the United States.

The new, modernistic hotel incorporated many features that were unique to hotels of its time including a drive-in ramp garage with parking in the basement, all rooms with an exterior view, modern bathrooms with tub/shower combos that had walls tiled up to the ceiling, and high-speed, self-leveling elevators.