Queens County Inn and Suites Long Island City

This hotel has a neglected air. Sporting dated motel decor that comes off as almost mid-60s retro -- dark cherry wooden mantlepieces extending into bookshelves on both sides, golden brown striped wall paper against orange striped curtains, smokey gray furniture, and brass decor accents. Although public spaces like the lobby and breakfast room tend to have a classic warm-yourself-by-the-fireplace feel and only slight visible wear in couch cushions, the rooms are a different story. Even for a value hotel, the rooms are a bit sub-par, with torn lampshades, scuffed walls, (sometimes) dirty linens, and comforters with lumps large enough to stash footballs inside. And, oddly for a 100-percent non-smoking hotel, there is a stale hint of cigarette smoke found in the halls and guest rooms. Guests are primarily Europeans, and a variety of languages can be heard throughout the hotel, although there are a few locals who occasionally rent rooms as well. Hallways are also dated and walls are thin -- you can hear conversations seeping through the dim hallways, which can be awkward.

Located in southern Queens' Long Island City, the Queens County Inn & Suites is conveniently located a few blocks from the N, Q, 7, and 7X trains at Queensboro metro stop, and from the F train at 21st St - Queensbridge. This makes reaching Manhattan, and even areas of Brooklyn, extremely easy. The area is a mix of residential, business, and industrial depending on which streets you are roaming down. Just off the Queensboro metro stop, Queensboro Plaza houses offices for a few large corporations. Closer to the hotel, the area becomes more industrial and residential. Directly across from the hotel there is a cab depot. Times Square is a 15-minute train ride -- on one train -- from the property, LaGuardia Airport is about 45 minutes by public transport (20 minutes by car), and JFK is just around an hour by either car or public transport.

The 133 rooms are all a bit run-down and dated, even for a value property. Visible rips, scuff marks on the walls, stains on the carpets and towels, and lumpy bedding bring quality feel down a notch. There is also a perplexing scent of stale cigarette smoke lingering in the air, even though the property is billed as being 100-percent smoke-free. King Whirlpool Suites are the most spacious with a large in-room (and run-down) whirlpool tub in the corner, while King Standard and City View rooms ring in at the smallest, with just over enough room to move between the bed and flat-screen TV/dresser. City View rooms have nice views of the Queensboro Bridge and tall buildings of the Upper East Side, while other rooms tend to look over the cab depot across the street. King Suites, which can sleep up to four or five, come with a separate room with medium-sized futon and additional flat-screen TV. All rooms have coffeemakers and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are standard motel bathrooms, and overall clean, although towels may have spots. Toiletries are Pantene and Vaseline products and there are shower/tub combinations. While the walls tend to be a bit thin, rooms near the breakfast room and elevators (or other high-trafficked areas) tend to be the noisiest.

The Queen County Inn Inn and Suites has standard value hotel features like luggage storage (a pit of bags stored just off the side of the front desk), free Wi-Fi, and a free breakfast. However, it has a few appreciated extras as well. Most notably, the hotel has a small fitness room located on the ground floor. The fitness room contains a handful of cardio machines as well as weight equipment, a water jug, and flat-screen TV. There is also a small business center area located near the front desk where guests can check e-mail and print boarding passes. At one point, the hotel also provided meeting rooms, but these are no longer available. At nearly half the size of the lobby, the hotel's breakfast area is home to a hot and cold breakfast buffet each morning. Hot meal items consist of waffles, eggs, oatmeal, and meats; cold items range from cereal, to yogurt, to fruit. Juices and coffee/tea are also provided. This area remains open as a lounge for guests that want to relax and have a self-catered snack, but note that it is also used as an employee break area. In addition to an ATM machine in the lobby, the hotel also has a book lending library where guests can browse books for reading while staying at the hotel. Unfortunately, there is no parking on-site (outside spaces are used for loading/unloading only), but guests can park at a pay lot down the street or (try to) find free street parking.