Elizabeth Sile

Whether it’s because Queens is home to New York City’s two major airports or because the borough has long been overshadowed by Brooklyn, the best hotels in Queens, NY, have been mostly made up of no-frills hotel chains catering to business travelers. But this neighborhood, the largest of the five boroughs, is rapidly rising as a destination in its own right. The secret’s out: Queens is one of the most culturally diverse places in the world and has everything from trendy bars to beautiful beaches. While in town, check out our fave things to do in Queens, knock some delicious Astoria restaurants off your list, and don’t forget about laid-back Rockaway Beach in NY — Queens’ very own beach town. Add to that several recently opened hotels, especially in the boutique category, and you’ll see why Queens rules as a standalone destination or as a jumping-off point to Manhattan and beyond. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to best hotels in NYC Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured below, we've based our list on top reviews and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

If you’re looking for the best Christmas things to do in NYC, then why not stay at the most festive hotels? New York’s elaborate Christmassy window displays may get all the attention in December, but New York hotels go all out in their holiday decor, too. Whether you want to take in 30-foot Christmas trees or visit a pop-up winter wonderland, the city’s hotels deck their halls to get everyone – from the Grinch to Buddy the Elf – in the holiday spirit.  We've tried a huge range of NYC Christmas hotels out (yep, it was a tough gig) and we've whittled them down to this hand-picked selection of hotels we think are well worth your money. After all, what's better than Christmas in NYC? Well, we'll tell you: Christmas in NYC in a hotel that specializes in bringing festive cheer. So prep your voice for Christmas carols, grab a jug of eggnog, and get ready to wrap presents because we think you're going to like these. Happy Holidays! RECOMMENDED: 🏙Full guide to the best hotels in NYC🌳Cozy cabins near NYC you can rent on Airbnb🪵The best Airbnbs with fireplaces in NYC Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

These days, Queens, NY, is less a “hidden gem” and more a destination in its own right, with the best hotels in Long Island City putting you in the heart of it all. Locals and visitors alike are drawn to their trendy bars and restaurants, thriving comedy clubs, waterfront parks, and art museums. The rewards for overnighting in Long Island City and Astoria include access to eight subway lines (N, W, R, F, M, 7, G, E) for easy trips to other boroughs, a 5- to 20-minute commute to Manhattan, and tremendous value. But the best reasons to choose a hotel here are the neighborhoods themselves. Eat your way through the best Long Island City restaurants and take in cultural institutions like MoMA PS1. And don’t miss nearby Astoria’s bars and beer gardens. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best hotels in NYC

Can’t live offline? Rather than stake out a 24-hour Starbucks or pirate from your neighbor with the open network, elevate your daily workspace at these best hotel lobbies with free Wi-Fi. NYC hotels have been adding more enticing amenities to attract guests and locals alike—from pet-friendly hotels in NYC and top spa hotels, to dining establishments that are among the best Manhattan restaurants. But perhaps our favorite trend is how hotels have opened their lobbies and Wi-Fi passwords for anyone to work, study or take an email break after a day of shopping and walking. Many of these freelancer-friendly hotels add coffee, cocktails and food to the mix, so you can truly turn their spaces into your own remote offices and hangouts. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best hotels in NYC

New York’s iconic Union Square is created at the junction of two streets, Broadway and Bowery Lane (now Fourth Avenue). The best Union Square hotels and the surrounding streets help make it one of NYC’s top meeting places. On any given day, you’ll find groups of Hare Krishnas, chess players, skateboarders, naked statues of Donald Trump, shoppers, student protesters and commuters heading to one of its eight subway lines. One of the best farmer’s markets in NYC is held there every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and in the winter, about 100 red-and-white tents go up to form an annual holiday market. Flanking the square are everything from mega supermarkets to fashion stores, restaurants, and bars. The neighborhood only covers a few Manhattan blocks and the 3.6-acre park, making it one of the city’s smallest. Within its defined boundaries—stretching roughly west to east from Fifth Avenue to Irving Place and north to south from 18th Street to 14th Street—you’ll only find a few hotels, but they offer something for everyone, from traditionalists to millennials. And if you don’t mind a short walk, you can stay in Gramercy, Flatiron and Greenwich Village, NYC to still be closeby. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best hotels in NYC

There’s opulence, and then there are NYC’s most over the top hotels. In a city like New York, the term “over the top” is almost daunting. We are a city of superlatives, with soaring skyscrapers, decadent dining, and a 24/7 energy that pulses from the base of Bowling Green all the way to the top of the Bronx, and beyond. So what could make a hotel over the top? It goes well beyond a killer lobby bar and an attentive maid staff. These are more than your spa hotels or hotels with Jacuzzis in-room. This is New York City. The bar is set a little higher. From decor that borders on Babylonian, to offbeat amenities like on-call sneaker concierges, these hotels take things to another level with everything from robot luggage storage to maritime and library themes. You won’t find your regular continental breakfast here, folks. And sure, these hotels are not for everybody, but they are some of the top hotels in NYC for a can’t-get-anywhere-else hotel stay. Only in New York. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to best hotels in NYC

Long Island City’s best lobby for working and using the free Wi-Fi is at the Boro Hotel. The elegant industrial space, designed by the firm Grzywinski + Pons (also behind the Hotel on Rivington in the Lower East Side), has lots of natural light, tables and chairs, modern sofas, a fireplace and bookshelves curated by Strand Books in Union Square. Rooms and suites have a similar minimalist feel, thanks to mid-century modern furniture, stark white linens and hanging edison bulbs. A select few rooms even have sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. Non-guests can order coffees at the cafe and drinks at the lobby bar. Happy hour is from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Neighborhood: Long Island City is in the middle of a profound shift from a one-time manufacturing district to cultural hub. Cheap rent brought savvy Manhattan- and Brooklynites to the nabe and excellent restaurants, bars and clubs followed shortly thereafter. These days, local institutions like the Chocolate Factory, MoMA PS1 and the Oracle Club have made Long Isladn City a destination in its own right. Nearby: LIC Beer Project: For top-notch local beers in a relaxed taproom MoMA PS1: For boundary-pushing contemporary art and funky live events Mu Ramen: For steaming bowls of tender tonkotsu and oxtail broth Time Out Tip: Don’t cross the East River into Manhattan without first checking out Socrates Sculpture Park, a city park that hosts large-scale sculpture exhibits year round. Views of the Manhattan skyline are

The 178 rooms and suites at the Hyatt Union Square benefit from the hotel’s convenient location—one block off the southeast corner of the park on 4th Avenue—with floor-to-ceiling windows that provide sweeping views. Opt for the Urbane Terrace room with a king-sized bed or Empyreal Suite with separate living and sleeping rooms. The decor is light and contemporary, with leather poufs, Autoban nest armchairs and a color palette of white, black and tan. The hotel also has a partnership with the nearby Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa and salon. But our favorite guest amenity is the free bike rental program—maps included.

Don’t get confused by the name; this is a hostel, not a hotel. The decor is more generic (yes, those are the ubiquitous Malm dressers and Ung Drill mirrors from IKEA) compared with LIC’s other hostel, The Local. But the prices are lower, especially for private rooms with en-suite bathrooms. If room decor isn’t a priority, then budget travelers will find the rooms clean and the location convenient for getting to Manhattan. For those who want to mingle, there’s a communal space in the basement (complete with an old bank vault you can sit in) and activities every night of the week from karaoke to “drink and draw” parties.

Five minutes from CitiBank’s Queens headquarters and the bars and restaurants along Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ affordable design brand Aloft will be the latest hotel to open in the borough when it soft-opens in November. Like the three other Aloft properties in New York (Harlem, Brooklyn, Downtown Manhattan), there’s a W XYZ bar for cocktails, beer and wine in the lobby and 24/7 Re:charge gym. The rooms are basic with pops of color on the carpeting and pillows, plus modern art. Reservations are open for December 1.

The reason to stay at this Long Island City hotel? Location, location location. It’s within three blocks of six different subway lines that get across the river to 59th Street in about five minutes. Because the hotel is only a year old (it opened in April 2015), the 183 rooms, as well as public areas, feel contemporary, mixing Mid-Century modern-inspired furniture with a palette of greys, light browns and whites. Request a room facing Manhattan for views of the skyline, or upgrade to the Presidential Suite - the only guestroom in the hotel with a balcony. While there’s a fitness center, guests can also request a Stay Fit Kit, which includes a yoga mat, straps, blocks, hand weights and resistance bands for in-room workouts.

Another chain player near Long Island City’s 39th Street station, this all-suite hotel offers an affordable option for families and extended stays. Every suite has a kitchenette with a refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher and cooking supplies, and guests also have access to laundry facilities. The 657-square-foot, one-bedroom option, with a king-sized bed and pull-out couch, is the best bet for parents and kids. The other studio-sized rooms work well for couples and solo-travelers.

Though The Local is a hostel with shared and private 4-person dorm rooms catering to students and young travelers, there are also double rooms with queen- and twin-sized beds for budget-conscious couples and singles. All rooms have ensuite bathrooms, and the dorm rooms have underbed lockers, reading lights and outlets for each bunk, and free towels and linens. The Local’s brick walls are painted white and industrial lighting is used throughout so the hotel feels more elevated in its design than a traditional hostel. The hotel’s LIC neighbors head to its cafe for Gimme! Coffee in the morning and Singlecut IPAs from nearby the Astoria brewery at night. Don’t miss the movie screening area in the lobby too.

To eat your way through New York’s other (and many say better) Chinatown, at the end of the 7 train in Flushing is a true local experience. The Parc Hotel puts you a block from White Bear for wontons, the New World Mall for everything from dim sum to pork belly buns and the Michelin-recommended Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao for soup dumplings. The hotel’s style decidedly fits its location; there are 96 minimalist rooms and suites with large floor-to-ceiling windows, Asian artwork and Chinese food options at breakfast. The hotel also has a rooftop bar called A+ perched above the bustle of the neighborhood, and it’s within walking distance of Citi Field and Arthur Ashe.

On the other side of downtown Flushing as The Parc Hotel—a little removed but still within walking distance of the top restaurants and bars—The One is a boutique hotel from the same owners as Spa Castle in College Point (there’s a free bus between the two for guests). Rooms have rain showerheads and tubs, Bvlgari bathroom amenities and black and metallic accents in the decor.

There are far fewer standout stays close to LaGuardia Airport compared with JFK, but this hotel in Flushing, three miles away, offers a free shuttle and convenient location. Greys and browns dominate the decor of the rooms, and the hotel overall caters heavily to the business traveler, with large in-room workspaces, a business center, gym and indoor pool.

Though this just-opened hotel has LaGuardia in its name, it’s not right next to the airport but in Queens’ Rego Park neighborhood four miles away. It is a good stopover location for the airport though there is not a free shuttle, but the reason to book is for its proximity to Citi Field, Arthur Ashe Stadium, the New York Hall of Science and Flushing Meadows Park. (It’s also a 30-minute subway ride to Midtown.) For a chain hotel, the rooms and dining areas have a lifestyle hotel vibe, with yellow pillows, grey-brown wood furniture, subway tiles and de-rigueur industrial lighting. Guests also have access to the 24-hour Retro Gym in the same building, perfect for workouts between matches at the U.S. Open.