LaGuardia Plaza Hotel

In the grand scheme of New York area airport hotels, you could certainly do worse than the LaGuardia Plaza Hotel -- providing you score the right room. This property is far larger than many other area airport hotels, and has a busier atmosphere owing its many business and events spaces. The large, brick building -- big enough to look lifted out of the suburbs -- stands out, and for the most part, style across the board here is reasonably modern. The lobby is spacious and has a grand look, with a polished marble floor in shades of tan, brown, and black that reflect back the natural light pouring through the windows and the twinkling chandeliers overhead. There's a good bit of gloss on everything, from the contemporary black chairs and shiny brass accents throughout the space, and several seating areas all around are composed of geometric, low-slung, but fairly generic contemporary seating. Guests are frequently coming and going through the front door, or checking flight departures on the electronic board in the lobby. The hotel has two dining outlets -- one of which is breakfast only -- plus a bar for anyone looking to ease those pre-flight jitters. Spaces within the hotel are laid out with simplicity and directions for the ease of the guests. Obviously, most guests here are commuters departing or arriving on flights, and they run the gamut from business travelers to families, couples, and those on their own.

The main draw here is the hotel's proximity to LaGuardia Airport, which is directly across the street -- the hotel provides free 24-hour shuttle services to and from the airport. Unfortunately, the hotel's East Elmhurst Queens location means that the hotel isn’t within walking distance of much else for those hoping to capitalize on cheap rates or a long layover. Shuttles are provided to the Queens Center Mall and the Mets-Willets Point Subway station on the 7 line, but be aware that the shuttle buses to the train station are not round-trip, so guests will need to hail a cab or navigate the Queens public bus system to get back to the hotel (it's eight minutes by cab, or 15-minutes by bus back to the hotel from the station). From the subway station, train rides straight into Times Square take 40 minutes, and from there connections to several subway lines are easy. Alternatively, a cab ride into Manhattan will take about 20 minutes. Queens is home to plenty of its own sights, including CitiField (at the Mets-Willets Point Subway station), the Louis Armstrong House Museum (a five- to 10-minute cab ride), Flushing Meadow-Corona Park (a 10-minute cab ride), as well as vibrant multi-ethnic neighborhoods like Jackson Heights (a 10-minute cab ride). 

Rooms are all large and clean, but there's a fairly wide disparity in style and quality between those that were renovated in 2015 and those that have yet to be overhauled. Guests will want to check ahead before booking to make sure they are getting what they pay for, as some rooms are dated. The more modern rooms are flush with warm colors -- bold red accent walls pick up the red and tan pattern in the carpet, while dark wood tones in contemporary furniture and dramatic headboards give everything a fresh look. There's a bit of deeply-hued abstract art or NYC-photography on the walls, and seating has a classic style with slightly whimsical lines. Less modern rooms include cheap light wood veneer furniture, lots of stripes and soft colors, and fusty carpeting and upholstery.Standard features include 32-inch flat-screen HD TVs, free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, irons, desks, and coffeemakers with Starbucks coffee. The lamps and light fixtures in modern rooms have an outlet as well as a USB port built in, creating various charging ports throughout the rooms that are helpful for guests on the go. Double Rooms have queen-size beds, while the King Rooms have king-size beds, all of which are firm. Bathrooms in standard-category rooms are spacious, but again vary depending on whether the room has been renovated. The updated bathrooms are sharp, with large backlit mirrors, spacious marble vanities, travertine floors, and shower/tub combos plus toiletries, though we did spot some moldy grout in the shower/tub combos. Less modern rooms have predictably less attractive bathrooms.The Honeymoon Suite and Plaza Suite are the stand outs at this hotel. Both have additional separate living rooms with plush couches, plus leather chairs in the Honeymoon Suite. The Honeymoon Suite also has a balcony and one-and-a-half baths, with the full bath including a jetted tub, separate walk-in shower, large double-sink vanities, and a bidet. The Plaza Suite on the other hand has a Jack-and-Jill bathroom set up.

As an airport hotel with 24-hour front desk service, many of the amenities here are geared toward those in transit. The first-floor gift shop has toiletry items, snacks, souvenirs, and coffee. There's also indoor garage parking for a fee -- not uncommon in New York -- and car rental services are available. The hotel's airport shuttle runs around the clock, though requires a phone call upon arrival. The shuttle to the subway runs on a limited schedule and does not offer return service. Both shuttles are free, and there's even a departure board to check flight times in the lobby. A dedicated concierge is available at the hotel to help guests with organizing a day out in the city.There is a heated indoor pool and hot tub on the first level of the hotel, a nice touch considering that this is New York City, though the tilling around the deck could use a deep scrub, there were some stains in the drop-tile ceiling, and the poolside furniture is simple and plastic. A sauna is off the back of the pool room as is the fitness center -- another amenity not frequently found in NYC. It's certainly compact, but has a wall of windows making it thankfully bright, and the small mix of cardio and weight equipment is modern. The hotel has two on-site restaurants, The Pavilion Grille and Elements Bar. The Pavilion Grille serves only a limited breakfast menu in a large dining area that's a bit dated, with lots of green marble and ornately patterned carpets. The restaurant had a distinct musty food smell when we visited, similar to that of a school cafeteria. Keep in mind that breakfast is not included in room rates. Elements Bar is more like a restaurant than a lounge. There are booths and high-top tables, flat-screen TVs, and a square full-service bar in the middle of the room. There is an additional lounge space in the back of Elements Bar with a fireplace, low plush stools, and small tables. The menu is standard pub fare, with steaks, fish, and sandwiches like burgers and wraps. With 15 attractive meeting rooms, one ballroom, and a business center, the LaGuardia Hotel hosts many different types of events and travelers. The ballroom can be used as a whole or broken up into thirds. Each of the meeting rooms have long conference tables and telephones, but not much in the way of audiovisual options. The business center is small but effective, with two desk top computers and a printer. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.