Markie

There is a shuttle.

Get on the train to Federal Circle and then call the hotel. There are phones just inside the train station on the ground floor - hence it is a free call.

They send the shuttle.

On the way back from the hotel, they run every 30 mins and get very busy in the early am. BUT they drop you off at your terminal rather than at Federal Circle.

I liked my recent stays there - one in an excellent room - end of corridor. Other was much smaller.
Rates fairly high, but cheaper than going in to NYC. Staff friendly and helpful. One stay gave proper Diamond benefits, other stay gave me nothing. They handled my FedEx delivery perfectly.
Self service check-in terminal in reception if queue is long.
When I was there the internet was not working in any of the rooms - it is normally free.

nwhsd

On a recent stop over I chose the JFK HGI based on the limited information found on FT. I was caught by surprise by the outstanding level of service found at the property. When I cleared immigration I called the hotel on my cell to ask about the shuttle pickup point, clear directions were given and the shuttle was standing by for us when we arrived at station C on the Airtrain. The check in process was outstanding with little delay and water bottle and pantry coupons given without any prompts. When I responded to the wake up call question the agent immediately recognized that I would not be dining at breakfast and gave me a second $5 pantry coupon! She also made complete arrangements for my van service to LGA the next morning (New Years Morning) at 5:15 am.

I found the staff to be excellent including great recommendations for local food delivery options, as we were not going to be dining in the restaurant. The room was clean and correctly prepared, the wake up call was executed on time. Check out was smooth and the supervisor made several calls to the van service company and kept me updated on the expected arrival of the driver.

Overall the stay was great. I was happy to have this experience because of the concerns about the other Hilton properties in the area. The JFK HGI was perfect ^ for my one night stop over on New Years Eve, 2005.

mbtmsu

what rate did you pay?

nwhsd

Award stay.

LIH Prem

Thanks for the review. Considering using points to stay there in Sept, since it seems like it's the only decent JFK option for a 7AM flight.

I noticed it's changing from cat 4 to cat 3 on June 1, so I guess I'll wait to make the reward rez.

-David

mangoMan

Hi. I (plus wife & 2 kids) will be arriving from an international flight in the evening at JFK and have a 9 am connection the next morning. We need to overnight at one of the hotels near JFK.

From what I've found on FlyerTalk, the JFK HGI supposedly has the most frequent/reliable shuttle service - this is important as I don't want to spend time after a long flight waiting around for the shuttle. Likewise, I don't want to risk missing my flight in the morning. From what I've read, other hotels (e.g. Holiday Inn) may have spotty shuttle service. The room itself is not important, as long as there are 2 beds and there aren't roaches crawling about

The best rate I can find online for the HGI is the AAA rate of about $180. Other JFK hotels price out around $150-160 so it's not that much more, relatively speaking, but still seems like a steep price for a not particularly noteworthy hotel.

Are there any other discount avenues I may be missing? I have no HH status or points to use. Priceline is not an option, since I can't guarantee I'd get the HGI. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

The $180 sound reasonable for a NYC hotel ( even if at JFK)

Regards

TBS

squeakr

and forget the shuttles - I have never had good luck with them at any JFK hotel. I always just spring for a cab - tell the front desk or concierge you'd like to order a cab for a particulatr time (and remind hem that morning) For !10-12 it's worth the piece of mind, plus I save on the hotel....
that said the HGI is really nice....

troyintn

Anything under 200 in New york is a good deal. I stay a lot at the SPG LGA for 235 and think it is a great deal.

mangoMan

Thanks for the info everyone.

Squeaker, regarding Priceline: what kind of prices have you been getting in the 3 star category (which seems to be the highest available).

HawaiiTrvlr

I have an opportunity to spend 1 night in NYC on my way back from Europe. I roughly have 26 hours in NYC from the time that I land until I fly back out. I automatically thought of a hotel close to JFK. Is the Hilton Garden Inn worth 30K HH points? Or I could splurge and go into Manhattan and stay there. Is 50,000 worth for the Times Square Hilton? What about 60,000 HH points for the Waldorf Astoria? What kind of room can I expect if I book any of the Manhattan choices? Thanks for any thoughts.

travelexpert

Have stayed in all three properties.

You do not mention your HH status, which will impact upgrade possibilities.....

HGI at JFK is bland--just a typical HGI with nothing to do anywhere close.

Given 26 hours--I would go into Manhattan.

Got a two-room suite upgarde at WA--but it's not my style. Very old world, conservative decor.

Hilton TS is hip. Got a standard room--but it was larger than an average FS Hilton room.

I would go with the Hilton TS.

HawaiiTrvlr

I have Silver status with HHonors. Maybe Hilton TS is worth looking at.

dmitriy55

Hilton TS is alright, but definitely not as glam as some of Hilton's international properties. (Bangkok comes to mind, in particular).

I would go with the WA. The decor is a little old-fashioned, but I think the elegance, experience and the history behind the property are well worth the extra 10,000 miles.

expatinglasgow

Definitely stay in the city. You can get to/from JFK with relative ease.

the WA is a classic and worth a splurge. TS Hilton is fine, but it lacks the charm of other options in the city.