I’ve long been a fan of Hyatt Place hotels. They’re an excellent brand for family travel and offer a consistent experience within the U.S. But I was recently disappointed with a stay at the Hyatt Place Long Island City.
The hotel has a lot going for it, including a solid award value and an excellent location — the transit options are great for not being in Manhattan. These would likely be enough to get me to stay there again, but the negative aspects would make me far less willing. It’s really a bummer, as I’d hoped to find a consistent NYC hotel for future travel.
Hyatt Place Long Island City — Booking Details
I booked the Hyatt Place Long Island City for one night using a Category 1-4 free night certificate. You can no longer use these for any Manhattan properties, so using it at the Category 3 property was the next best thing.
The cash rate was $242.23, so I thought I got decent value from my certificate. Given that I was tacking NYC onto the end of a trip to Richmond, Virginia, I only needed the one night.
Arrival and First Impressions
I arrived at the Hyatt Place Long Island City at 11:00 AM, after flying into LaGuardia. The hotel is a handful of stops on the subway after taking the free Q70 connector bus from LaGuardia to 74th St. / Roosevelt Ave. I stepped off at Queensboro Plaza and walked the few blocks to the Hyatt Place Long Island City.
Given that this is NYC, I wasn’t at all surprised the lobby is smaller than most Hyatt Place properties. I asked to check in, but was told the room wouldn’t be ready until 2:30 PM. No matter. I was hours early. I sat down to wrap up a bit of work, then dropped my bags at the desk, and headed out to explore.
I returned much later than 2:30, just as it was getting truly dark outside. By that time the room was ready, and the hotel lobby was generally busier. Check-in was quick and easy.
Hyatt Place LIC Room – The Problems Begin
The room layout was a bit atypical, but that was honestly expected. Space is at a premium in NYC, something I’ve especially noticed with Manhattan hotels. The “standard” domestic Hyatt Place layout would eat up quite a bit of space per room.
The first thing I noticed was that the bathroom smelled funky. Really funky. Like some super strong cleaning product that I didn’t recognize. It wasn’t pleasant. And it lingered. I thought it would be a temporary issue, but it was still strong by the time I showered the next morning. Looking back, I should have asked for a new room.
My other minor complaint is about the noise. The noise at the fifth floor — directly facing a busy elevated road — was noticeable. But not horrible. I managed to sleep well. But if you’re noise sensitive this could be a problem. I could distinctly hear the traffic in the whole bedroom section.
Beyond these items, the room was fine. It offers the usual Hyatt Place amenities. The bed was comfortable, and the desk was what I needed. You just got a bit of the bathroom smell even there. The view could certainly be better, but there’s really no good side to the hotel,
The Breakfast Letdown
Let’s face it. I enjoy breakfast — probably more than most people. A decent hotel breakfast is greatly appreciated. I prefer stays where I can choose from a menu, but I often stay at solid limited-service hotels as well. Hyatt Place isn’t anything five star, but I’ve gotten accustomed to their standard, and am generally happy with it.
Unfortunately, the Hyatt Place Long Island City offered the worst Hyatt Place breakfast I’ve ever seen. The hot options included just cheese omelets, sausage patties, and…donut holes. There were no potatoes on the menu. The cheese omelets looked sad, and I would have preferred their scrambled eggs. which are usually powered. If a hotel is short other options, I’ll will settle for those. There were no pancakes or French toast either. Many less common offerings I’ve seen at some properties were also nonexistent. It was truly odd.
Beyond that, there was no salsa nor other condiments for the eggs. Some Hyatt Place properties offer salsa, cheese, hot sauce, and sometimes additional items. None of this was present.
All other breakfast items were continental. Ad they were basic. You had your choice of bagels, toast, cereal, and yogurt. Most surprising of all, there wasn’t any fresh fruit.
Finally, I took no photos since the place was a bit of a madhouse. The breakfast area and seating area was the smallest I’ve seen at at Hyatt Place hotel. And I would have had random people in the shot at any moment. I decided to take my plate of a sad couple items, quickly eat in a corner, and leave.
Of all the things to skimp on, breakfast shouldn’t be the choice. The brand is known for it — at least meet the brand standard. The Hyatt Place Long Island City fell short.
Hyatt Place Long Island City Location
At least the Hyatt Place Long Island City is excellent. The hotel is just across the East River from Manhattan, opposite Roosevelt Island. It has easy access to multiple subway lines, including lines 7, N, W, E, F, and R. The end of the G line to Brooklyn is also a reasonable walk away. Queensboro Plaza and Queens Plaza are the main stations.
I took the G line down to Brooklyn my first afternoon, grabbed pizza for lunch at L’Industrie Pizza before walking the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan. I eventually made a loop back to the hotel via Roosevelt Island, after a couple other stops. Riding the aerial tram had been on my list for a while.
Other Hotel Amenities
Unlike most Hyatt Place hotels, the Hyatt Place LIC doesn’t have a pool. It does offer a fitness center on the first floor. I was able to use this during the morning.
The hotel has the usual bar-restaurant on the first floor, as part of the lobby. What it doesn’t have is a top-floor restaurant, which is a shame. Actually, no, it’s need to be many floors taller for that to be a draw. Buildings are going up like crazy in Long Island City.
Finally, I got elf’ed during my stay. I have a son who likes to do this, and I have to tell him to knock it off. All you’re doing is wasting people’s time. But he thinks it is funny.
Final Thoughts on the Hyatt Place LIC
Would I stay at the Hyatt Place Long Island City again? It honestly depends. I’d for sure look for a better option. The bathroom smell was the worst feature — and it didn’t go away. Plus breakfast needs a serious upgrade.
Other than that, it’s relatively standard. I’m left wondering if my stay was an anomaly, or if the hotel is simply cutting costs in the wrong way. The connectivity is great, so it would be a shame to rule out this Hyatt option in NYC.
Have you stayed at the Hyatt Place Long Island City? What did you think of the hotel?
shame on hyatt. not enforcing brand standards. hyatt needs new leadership team like they had with world of hyatt.
What do you expect? It’s Long Island City, NY. Basically, anything in New York City and it’s environs is going to be smaller, older, dirtier and more expensive than any of it’s other counterparts elsewhere. Why should this be any different?
And, yes I am being totally serious about this.
I have stayed here many times. The breakfast is terrible and is worse since the pandemic. They don’t care and just do the minimum. But— the room has always been very clean and comfortable every time I have been there. And- the location is excellent- 2 stops to Grand Central and a quick walk to the station is faster and closer than many hotels in Manhattan. The LIC area where the Hyatt is is excellent with restaurants, shops and services. The neighborhood is clean, safe and nice. The price, location and the room is the reason you stay here. Sadly… Read more »
Their breakfast pre-pandemic was pretty good with way more options. Sadly it went downhill since…
I’ve stayed there a couple of times with Cat 4 certs. I love the location for the ease of getting to Manhattan, particularly Central Park and the Met. No issues either time. Can’t speak to the breakfast because I left really early for a flight one time and I slept late and ate at a bodega the other time. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay again, though I am going to check out the HP Jersey City next trip because of the rave reviews of the skyline views.