For layovers and overnights before very early flights, the Hilton New York JFK Airport offers a comfortable crashpad, with 356 rooms and suites, a 24-hour complimentary airport shuttle and an indoor heated pool. The rooms are unadorned—white linens, taupe walls, wood headboards—and overall the property heavily caters to the business traveler with ample desk space, free printing, meeting rooms and a business center. For an upgraded experience, book one of the Executive Level rooms to gain access to the Executive Lounge, which serves complimentary breakfasts, drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
Neighborhood: Anyone who has caught a flight out of JFK probably doesn’t have a high opinion of the neighborhood, but there’s actually more to it than the airport. Visitors can get a dose of natural beauty at serene Baisley Pond Park just a few blocks away, or journey further south to kick back on the sand at Rockaway Beach.
Nearby:
Anil’s Roti Shop: For Trinidadian curry and flaky, split-pea-stuffed bread
Forest Park: For beautiful hiking trails, softball fields and an 18-hole golf course
Rockaway Brewing Company: For local suds within walking distance of the beach
Time Out tip: The hotel isn’t far from what is arguably Queens’ biggest attraction: Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. Built for the 1939 World’s Fair, the massive green space boasts the Unisphere, an 140-foot steel globe, Citi Field and Queens Museum. There’s more than enough to occupy an entire afternoon—if not a full day.