JFK hotels
 

Does anyone have any suggestions? Pros and cons of particular options? I want to stay by the JFK for an evening to very early morning connection. There seem to be 1/2 dozen or more hotels within 2 miles of JFK and with van transfers. However, web site reports are very mixed, generally critical, and possibly not representative.

There are many hotels near JFK, but I'm not sure if any of them are good.

The problem is that these hotels are transit hotels. Very few guests will ever stay at the same one twice, since most of the time they're being put up there by the airlines when something goes wrong at the airport. When guests pay out of their own pocket, it's usually a rare situation like yours where they want to be close to the airport for an early morning departure.

None of the hotels have anything of interest nearby. Most are in industrial areas with hardly any eating establishments in walking distance. There might be a few really sketchy bars, but I don't think I'd venture to any of them.

I've personally stayed at the HI Express and the Days Inn. Both are relatively new and are reasonable places to crash for the night. You'll get an excruciatingly slow elevator ride, front desk staff who seem half asleep, a tiny room, a clean bed and a well-preserved lump of refined flour for breakfast. Don't expect much more.

If relying on the van services to the airport, be sure and follow the advice of the hotel. Many of them are first-come-first-served and only run every half hour or hour, so you want to make sure you're in the lobby good and early to stake your claim to a seat on the van you want to take.

See also:

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=549015
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=543442
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=472278
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=306832
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=438964
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=390981

There are all the usual airport hotel suspects there. The Ramada is the closest (it's actually on airport property) if that is of importance. Everything else is just off the Belt Parkway. Do know though that all hotel shuttles take you only as far as the AirTrain station at Federal Circle and that you must take AirTrain the rest of the way to the terminals.

There's not anything happening outside the hotels besides low fly-overs on arriving flights, just order room service if hungry.

Be warned that at many JFK hotels, "room service" consists of ordering pizza from Dominos. And some of those that have in-house room service are even worse.

Thanks for the suggestions. If none of the hotels is outstanding, most don't seem so bad. At the least, it seems quite possible to get a good night's sleep before an early flight.

i personally would never stay overnight at one.. did a day stay on last trip and regretted that enough :P

hilton garden inn's shuttle(s) are the fastest rotating between airport and hotel, and that kind of thing really does matter. i waited at least an hour for the ramada shuttle. and its supposedly the closest...

How long is you connection?

If it is 12 hours plus, I would suggest leaving the immediate area of JFK, take the LIRR to Rockville Centre and stay at the Hampton Inn. You will get a good night's sleep, plus you are close to a lot of great food places :-)

If you have a short stay, I would have to say the Hilton (I think it is a Garden one though) or the Marriot.

I just booked the doubletree for late month for $81 on priceline.

Via Hilton website it was $92 higher on lowest web rate. :)

Why doesn't Starwood or Hyatt build a decent hotel at JFK?

Starwood is working on a new Sheraton, hopefully it'll be good.

I've stayed at the following:

Courtyard by Marriott Small (but new) rooms, but clean, friendly staff, Courtyard bar area, my favorite at JFK. 8/10.
Crowne Plaza [former Sheraton]- clean, nice beds, rooms are small, food in restaurant OK, corridors a little iffy 7/10
Ramada- dirty, long lines, default used by airlines in IROPs. 4/10.

All of the airport hotels are in a boring neighborhood I wouldn't walk around at night.

-A

PS: The absolute worst has to be JFK Inn, i've heard far too many horror stories from it, never stay there.

Arriving at midnight. Overnighting due to missed connecting. Which has the niced bes, sheets, pillows, & towels:

Marriot Courtyard ($229 Travelocity Rate)
Crown Plaza ($229 ICH Wbsite Rate)
DoubleTree ($153 Travelocity Rate)
Hiltpn Garden inn ($158 Travelocity Rate)

Ignore the rates...just providing them as a benchmark. I am think the two best choices are the Hilton Garden inn or the Marriot. I think if the airline pays, I don't get any status beneifits or mileage (otherwise I'd probably prefer Hilton, as a Gold).

I think Marriott Courtyard looks the nicest, although Doubletree is usually a higher category?