Hi would love some advice. My daughter (age 20) is travelling (alone) from Mexico back to UK early August and has 24hour stopover at JFK. I need to book her into a hotel and she is keen to get some sightseeing done! We have visited Manhattan before, but she would be happy for another visit. Alternatively she could visit Long Island City or Queens? The research I have done so far says that the hotels near JFK are pretty poor, but she is arriving at JFK 11pm on a Sunday night. Should she get a taxi to Long Island City and stay there, visit during the day, then back to JFK for Monday evening. Or should she stay at hotel near JFK and then make her way into Manhattan for the day? We would be so very grateful for your advice. Naturally its always good to keep costs down - but safety is a key issue as she is travelling alone. Thank you.

I would not stay in a hotel near JFK. As far as I know, this is not an airport like most other major airports, where there are many serviceable chain hotels nearby.
And the area has nothing to offer the average tourist apart from some big-box stores accessible by taxi.

It's safe to take the AirTrain subway combo into Manhattan and stay at a hostel there.

For something different. There are a number of hotels in Flushing Queens and she could enjoy the Asian cultures that converge there.


https://ny.eater.com/maps/where-to-e...ings-chinatown

And for hotels do not stay near La Guardia either it is isolated.

As IMDonehere says - If she wants a different take on NYC, she could stay in a hotel in Flushing, Queens. This is the center of Chinatown and is larger than the one in Manhattan and doesn't cater solely to tourists. You'll find a lot of food stores and restaurants that are specifically Asian, of all kinds. Again, not touristy. And safe.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/SmartDea...tel-Deals.html

Small correction: I drove past JFK in a taxi today and noticed that there ARE a few chain hotels nearby. But no idea of what these are like. The immediate area remains of almost no interest to a tourist, apart from one interested in seasonal flat racing at Aqueduct, and Asian restaurants and shops in the further-away Flushing.

Possibility remains of shopping in big-box stores on nearby Rockaway Turnpike at the Five Towns Shopping Center with Modells, Payless, etc. (budget stores for sporting goods and apparel and shoes) and is a short taxi ride from airport hotels.

We just spent five nights at the Q4 Hotel in Long Island City. It's right across the street from two subway stations, so it's really easy to get into Manhattan for the day. The E train from Queens Plaza (one of the two stations I mentioned) will take her back to JFK. http://www.q4hotel.com/

Lee Ann

Once when landing from Europe at JFK late afternoon with second flight early the next morning, we stayed at the Hilton at JFK. It was fine. Nothing special though.