Sleep Inn – Long Island City

This 100-room hotel is a budget hotel with simple but modern decor. A lovely burnt orange color permeates a large wall in the lobby and an accent wall in the rooms, giving the hotel a cozy, warm glow. The outside of the hotel is unremarkable.

As with most smaller properties in the city, the hotel lacks common spaces. The lobby has a small seating area, although it's not particularly inviting or private. The breakfast area is decent-size and overlooks the lobby but can get crowded in the mornings.

The guests comprise a mix of tourists -- families, couples and singles -- looking to save some money by staying outside of Manhattan, as well as business travelers, due to the hotel's easy access to Midtown.

Located across the river from Manhattan, in Long Island City, Queens, Sleep Inn is five miles (a 15 minute drive) from LaGuardia airport and two subway stops away from Midtown Manhattan on the F train. It’s a 20-minute subway ride to popular Midtown sights such as the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, Macy’s Herald Square, and Fifth Avenue shopping. The rates are average for a Long Island City value hotel, with many of the hotels in the area being enticingly priced compared to Manhattan.

While your dollar goes a longer way here than in Manhattan, you compromise on the neighborhood, which is industrial and run-down. There aren’t any attractions in the surrounding area and it’s at least a 15-minute walk to decent food, nightlife, and entertainment.

Long Island City is an up-and-coming area, and hotels are rapidly popping up due to its proximity to Manhattan. Many hotels in the neighborhood, such as the Holiday Inn Manhattan View, Hotel Vetiver, and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott offer similar amenities, including city views.

The rooms are contemporary and of adequate size for a New York hotel (between 200 and 250 square feet). Each room has modern brown bedding accented with blue and white floral runners. There is a burnt orange accent wall that contrasts with neutral tones of the carpet and other interiors. Two mirrors, including a full-size mirror, are set on either side of the desk. Black and white photographs hang above the bed. All the basic amenities of a value chain are here, including a flat-screen TV, personal coffeemaker, safe, iron, and a bright, clean bathroom. The hotel also offers wheelchair and mobility-accessible rooms.

For a slightly higher nightly rate, some rooms offer phenomenal views of the Manhattan skyline and 59th Street Bridge. However, a Howard Johnson sits directly in front of the hotel, so you have to look slightly to the left out of the windows to experience the view.

By request, a staff member from the front desk can accompany guests to the rooftop, which has views of the Manhattan skyline and 59th Street Bridge to the west, the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to the north, and Queens to the east. The staff are used to these requests and are happy to accommodate guests for photos. However, there is no infrastructure or seating on the roof; guests get a photo opportunity, but not a place to lounge.

Sleep Inn has a small, dingy fitness center with three cardio machines. The nearby Holiday Inn Manhattan View has a larger, nicer fitness center that includes weights. The hotel’s business center comprises one computer and printer and is located in the lobby without much privacy. There is no charge for the business center.

Parking is available on-site for a fee with in-and-out privileges. Some guests have noted that the garage fills up quickly, and is tight and hard to maneuver with larger vehicles.

Sleep Inn also offers an ample hot continental breakfast that includes eggs, sausage, cereal, pastries, fruit, and yogurt. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and there is an ATM in the lobby.