Hyatt Place Long Island East End

Children are the dominant guests at the Hyatt Place Long Island East End, a relatively affordable hotel between the tony South Fork that is the Hamptons and the more rustic North Fork of Long Island. Families are drawn to the hotel for its proximity to the east end but for many, especially children, the hotel will be a destination in itself, given the indoor and outdoor pools, free breakfast, rentals of sporting equipment, and proximity to the Long Island Aquarium and Splish Splash Water Park. The hotel is red brick and white masonry with a few plantings. It overlooks the Peconic River and a small marina on one side and an outdoor pool with cement squares, plastic lounge chairs, and blue umbrellas on the other side. During warm weather, the Seaside Grill is open, serving drinks at an outdoor bar with a TV and fast casual fare. Just inside, visible through a wall of glass, is the indoor pool with its mural of an aquarium. The hotel lobby has drum lights, and basic wooden tables with red vinyl chairs; guests can bring food here that was purchased in an adjacent Kitchen Skillet restaurant, where breakfast is served and there are communal tables and a buffet with a green tile backsplash. The atmosphere is lively at the Hyatt Place, where a walk along the river or into workaday Riverhead is a respite.

The Hyatt Place is in Riverhead, N.Y., on the east end of Long Island. Guests can walk to downtown Riverhead in about five minutes, where there are a few locally owned shops and mostly chain restaurants. From the hotel, it's about a 17-minute drive to Hampton Bays and a 40-minute drive to Orient Point, where the ferry from New London, Connecticut docks. The Atlantis Banquets and Events space is next door to the Hyatt, a one-minute walk away. The Long Island Aquarium is a two-minute walk, and Splish Splash Water Park is a 12-minute drive. To make it a complete, kid-centric visit, guests can drive about 10 minutes to Flanders for a McDonalds with tables on the Peconic River and a passel of hungry ducks to feed. For rainy day diversions, guests can visit the Tanger Outlet Mall, a nine-minute drive away. Within a 15-minute car ride, guests can reach Quogue, Long Island. And New York City is a little over an hour and a half away, depending on traffic. 

Views of the river, a marina, and the pool are the vistas through the windows of guest rooms at the Hyatt Place. Big rooms, comfortable furniture, and practical amenities are provided. The decorating is inoffensive: pale yellow walls, exposed wood chairs and headboards, and a few earth-tone colors for throw pillows and curtains. There are some nice extras, too: cotton herringbone throws, single-serving coffeemakers, and kettles for tea. Each room also has a 42-inch flat-screen TV, mini-fridge, ironing facilities, and alarm clock with MP3 connectivity. In the bigger rooms, there are frosted-glass-and-wood partitions between the sleeping areas and the sofas and desks. There are also separate sinks in the rooms, in addition to sinks in the bathrooms, making it easier on couples and families. Bathrooms are modestly sized and generically decorated with mossy-green wallpaper and cream tile; they have shower/tub combos, hairdryers, and KenetMD products. The Hyatt Grand Bed is the chain's signature mattress. Most rooms have the Hyatt "Comfy Corner" containing an L-shaped sofa and leather ottoman that's also a sleeper bed. There's plenty of space for one or two people, even in Standard Rooms. Families will also find the larger rooms comfortably sized. 

Breakfast and daily newspapers are free at the Hyatt Place Long Island. In the Kitchen Skillet Restaurant, there's a refrigerated case for packaged food, like sandwiches and flatbreads, as well as Starbucks coffee, wine, and beer. In the warmer weather, there's an outdoor bar and grill poolside. There are indoor and outdoor pools, and the hotel rents canoes, kayaks, bicycles -- including electric bicycles -- and paddle boards. The gym is open 24 hours and has free weights and machines. There's a 17,000-square-foot banquet hall, Atlantis Banquets and Events, adjacent to the hotel that's popular for weddings. The hotel offers babysitting for a fee and cribs and high chairs to borrow for free. There's free parking at the hotel and across the street. The small business center has computers for guests, and remote printing is offered. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.