DoubleTree by Hilton Long Island City New York

The room was quite small; it was hard to move around the aisle once our luggage was placed. No complimentary bottled water was provided. The towels had a strong kerosene smell, as if they'd been dried over a kerosene flame, which was really unpleasant – good thing I brought my own. The air conditioning was broken. The hotel is about an 11-minute walk from the metro station. It's also quite close to the pier, so there was a loud booming noise until 2 AM, which was very disruptive. The soundproofing is very poor, but the front desk was willing to help us switch to a room away from the noise source, which was a nice gesture.

My overall stay exceeded expectations. The room was well-lit and meticulously clean, and the soundproofing was also quite good. The staff were friendly and responsive to any requests. The hotel was easy to find, with plenty of amenities nearby, making it convenient for getting around. It was a very pleasant stay, and I highly recommend it to everyone!

If you have the means, I highly recommend staying on the main island (Manhattan). Over here, bums at the subway station actually chase people 😅. Luckily, we ran fast. Every night, as soon as it got dark, walking back to the hotel felt unsettling for an entire week. Thankfully, the police seemed to be in that area 24/7. If you're a group of 2-5 people, you might feel a bit safer. Next time, we are definitely staying in Manhattan 😅. The surrounding area seems to be a predominantly Black residential neighborhood. I had to walk around looking absolutely unapproachable just to feel safe, and I was wearing a pink down jacket and white pants (you can imagine how conspicuous I looked!), making me seem very approachable! I felt like if someone bothered me, nothing would happen!! 😠 I suggest anyone staying here wear all black, a hat, and try to look tough – you'll probably feel safer… If someone asks you for money at the subway station, ignore them! Look down and keep walking. Don't make eye contact with anyone!! At night, after getting off the subway, always stand in the middle of a crowd. One time, because I was dawdling and ended up at the back of the line, a homeless person chased us. Luckily, they seemed underfed and couldn't run fast 🙏. Also, don't order takeout from Flushing. We ordered some 'Guo Bao Rou' (sweet and sour pork) and it took 6 hours to arrive (ordered at 7 PM, delivered at 12:30 AM 🌚). New York is beautiful! (By the way, the hotel doesn't provide disposable toothbrushes, any disposable toiletries, or even a kettle, or bottled water. Remember to buy a large bottle of water, it's more economical. A bottle of water downstairs at the hotel costs five dollars. Remember to bring slippers 🩴). Everything was very interesting!

It's pretty good, but its advantages aren't particularly prominent when compared to hotels on Manhattan Island.