TownePlace Suites Long Island City: Spring for Four Points Instead

TownePlace Suites Long Island City Hotel Review is part of the TPOL in NYC ongoing Trip Report

Getting There: AirTrain + Subway.

Is there any hotel I have not stayed at in NYC? From the Consistently Inconsistent Park Hyatt NYC to the efficient, sketchy hotel in Jamaica, Queens (see How to Avoid Expensive Hotels in NYC), I’m like those annoying Farmers Insurance commercials: I know a thing or two because I’ve seen a thing or two.

Long Island City

Long Island City is the place to stay if you need to be close to Midtown without the sticker price of Manhattan. Taking the F train from the Queensbridge station to Midtown takes less than ten minutes.

Location

Apart from the convenience of the subway, this hotel is not in an ideal location. There is nothing around it except construction. Like Brooklyn, LIC is overrun with development which may, in the short run, be good for business travelers looking for cheap hotel options, but will become overpriced like everything in NY.

Hotel Itself

The hotel is brand new in sharp contrast with its surroundings.

Towneplace Suites?

This is the first time I’ve stayed at Towneplace Suites. It’s best described as a cross between Aloft and Residence Inn. I picked it because it was $8 cheaper than the Four Points LIC, my favorite hotel in LIC.

Construction

Construction noise is a problem but the hotel discloses this on its website.

Thermostat

It’s the middle of winter. I walk into the room. It is freezing. I understand the need to save energy but a thermostat reading 58 is cooler than being cool.

The Remote

I dedicated a whole post to how annoying it is that the remote is under the TV, not next to the bed (see Complaint of the Week: Hotel Remotes).

Room

The room was very big compared to most NYC hotels. The bed was especially comfortable.

Mini Kitchen

Usually I do not use the kitchen but because it was frigid outside and because I had no desire to walk anywhere, I made use of the fridge for my Uber Eats order, the microwave for reheating, and the tea machine for trying to bring up my core temperature.

Bathroom

I can’t recall a hotel in NY with good water pressure. This was another with low pressure. The first room didn’t have hot water forcing me to change rooms mid-stay.

Soap

This is the best soap if you have a cold like I did or if you are hungover. The aroma woke me right up and cleared my sinuses.

Breakfast

Breakfast is strangely only offered from 6:30AM to 9. I passed.

Overall

For $8 more, the Four Points is a much nicer hotel in a more developed part of LIC.

TownePlace Suites Long Island City Hotel Review is part of the TPOL in NYC ongoing Trip Report