AirTrain Plaza Hotel JFK Airport

Howard Johnson’s glass and gray brick facade stands out as a sharp, welcome sight on a block that's lined with industrial workshops and warehouses. Inside, things are bright and upbeat, if a big of a decorative mishmash: A grand chandelier hangs overhead, while a gold-tiled wall competes with a black-and-white checkerboard floor, and purple mood lights reflect off the ceiling. The lobby has a few inviting couches, but in general, it’s not a place you’d want to hang out -- this is an airport-area hotel after all, and the neighborhood doesn't inspire one to kick back and enjoy the view. Hotel guests are a broad mix, but most are travelers on their way to or from the JFK Airport, which is a quick AirTrain ride away. 

Situated in a concrete, industrial area of Jamaica, Queens, that overlooks a Long Island Railroad and MTA subway yard, the Howard Johnson is a 10-minute taxi from JFK Airport. Alternatively, it's a three-minute walk to the AirTrain, which makes the trip to all terminals in 20 minutes. Otherwise, there's little to do in the neighborhood, though nearby food options include pizza, Mexican, and various fast food outlets, all within a five-minute walk. For a wider variety of cuisines, the front desk has a binder of menus from nearby restaurants that deliver. There's also a a pool hall eight minutes away on foot, and a multiplex movie theater a five-minute taxi ride from the hotel (a 15-minute walk). Those looking to explore should keep in mind that this is one of the less polished areas of New York City -- not altogether unsafe, but rough around the edges.

The E, J, and Z subway lines are a three-minute walk from the hotel as well, and trips into Manhattan and Times Square take about 45 minutes. From there, it's an easy walk to plenty of tourist sights, including Central Park, Radio City Music Hall, and Rockefeller Center. Long Island Railroad (LIRR) trains also depart from here, known as Jamaica Train Station, for connections to Long Island destinations and Manhattan’s Penn Station -- the latter takes about 20 minutes to reach.

Rooms are arranged over seven floors and include two balconied suites plus three handicap-accessible rooms. While there's not much that's memorable about these rooms from a style perspective, things are fresh and modern. The color scheme in rooms is dark, with muted tans, grays, and dark brown hues alongside taupe accent walls and dark wood-veneer furniture. Dashes of color come from carnation-red bed runners and matching couches in the suites. Otherwise, all rooms are carpeted in brown-and-tan patterns, and pleather-upholstered statement headboards stand over the beds. 

Large flat-screen TVs are standard, as are luggage stands, coffeemakers, mini-fridges, safes, irons, air-conditioning, and ironing boards. The suites have large balconies overlooking the train yard, but the balconies would be more usable if there was furniture. Standard Rooms also overlook the train yard in most cases, but lack the outdoor space. The view is nice for railroad enthusiasts, but otherwise isn't exactly picturesque, and train noise can be heard 24 hours a day. 

The tiled bathrooms are sizable and have generous granite countertops plus bathtub/shower combos. They include eco-friendly soap, shampoo, and lotion, and have wall-mounted hairdryers. While things are clean for the most part, we did see trash from previous guests in a few rooms that we inspected.

The Howard Johnson offers all the amenities you’d expect from the HoJo chain hotel: continental breakfast, a business center with two computers and free printing, and a small fitness room.

The daily breakfast buffet, served in the hotel’s basement Breakfast Lounge, dishes out waffles, sausage, cereal, baked goods, eggs, toast, and hot drinks. Food gets mediocre reviews at best. The coffee machine in the lounge is available 24-hours a day and also serves hot chocolate and a variety of other hot beverages. Down the hall from the cafeteria is the small, mirror-walled gym with a recumbent exercise bicycle, treadmill, and sit up bench -- it's tiny, but fine for short cardio workout.

There’s a soda machine and ATM in the lobby. A business corner has two computers and offers free printing, though Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. For the taxi or public transit averse, the hotel offers a scheduled shuttle service to JFK airport -- check with the front desk for times and fees. The hotel also offers laundry service for a fee.