Stay Report: Home2 Suites by Hilton New York Long Island City/ Manhattan View (New York - September 2015)

Stay Report: Home2Suites New York Long Island
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Hotels in New York can be very expensive at times, especially around holidays and weekends, and usually rooms in the city tend be smaller/compact.  There are many hotels outside the city that provide a lower price, a bigger room, and still have access to the New York train system.  I have been wanting to try the Home2Suites brand so when I saw one was located near New York, and had all the amenities mentioned above, I decided to try it out.

The hotel was very convenient located near two subway stops and was only 3-5 stops away from Manhattan so provided easy and convenient connections.  The hotel is located either a couple of feet away from the 39th subway stop on the N & Q line, or about a 2-3 minute walk from Queens Plaza where other lines are available.

Upon entering the hotel lobby, straight ahead is the check in desk with elevators to the rooms right behind the desk.  To the left of the check in desk is sitting area/kitchen area and computer stands.  You can access the two computers or just sit and relax in the lounge chairs; the kitchen area is also where complimentary breakfast is served in the morning.

 

I proceeded to the desk to check-in and receive my key.  Check-in took some time so it could have been more efficient, generally throughout the stay the front desk service was alright - not bad but not great and there is room for improvement here.  As a HHonors member, I did receive a complimentary bottle of water at check-in, which was a nice gesture.  Once I received my key, I proceeded to my room.

The room itself looked like a junior suite.  Upon entering the room, on the left hand side was the bathroom while on the right was the kitchen. The bathroom had a sink on one side and a shower on the other side. The shower had refillable shampoo, body wash and soap was provided – no other amenities were provided but this was a nice environmentally-responsible gesture.

The room itself had a full kitchen with a full fridge, sink, stove, dishwasher, and plates.  Beyond the kitchen was the sitting area with a couch, which turns into a sofa bed. In front of the couch is a TV with drawers underneath.  Next to the couch is the bed and there is a curtain which can be drawn to separate the sitting area from the bed area – but the curtain only extends the length of the bed and not the length of the room.  Across from the bed was a pull out desk and shelves above the desk, and next to the desk was a tiny closet (that had an iron and ironing board).  The bed itself was comfortable and provided a good night sleep. Each lamp had outlets so there were plenty of places to plug in a recharge.

As it aims to be a suite hotel, there are many facilities available for the guest to enjoy.  These include complimentary breakfast, a gym, laundry facility, a small market, as well as complimentary wifi.  As I was only here for a short while, I only got to experience the wifi which was complimentary and provided decent speeds. 

Overall, it was a nice stay at the Home2Suites.  The room was spacious, there were many amenities in the room, and the location was convenient.  As I said, I was interested in trying the brand and after experiencing it, the hotel seems to be a combination of two existing brands from competing companies.  The room size and layout is very similar to Hyatt Place while the kitchen, the additional amenities, and focus on the environment are very similar to the Element.  It all combines to a comfortable hotel in a convenient location