Hotel Boom Brings Tourists, Developers, Businesses to Long Island City

It’s not really breaking news that there’s a hotel boom in Long Island City. But the New York Daily News penned a piece on how the amount of affordable hotels is transforming the neighborhood into “a haven for tourists.” According to the News, “In the last six years, 15 hotels have cropped up in the neighborhood… bringing the total to 27. There are 105 in all of Queens, thanks to the borough’s two airports.” (We counted nine alone between 21st Street and Northern Boulevard just north of the Queensboro Bridge.) Hotel prices in LIC start around $185 per night, which is $150 less than hotels in Manhattan. And many boast an impressive list of amenities — the Paper Factory Hotel, scheduled to open this fall, is supposed to have a spa and beer garden; The Ravel Hotel is expanding into the lot next door to add two pools, one of which will be converted into a skating rink in the winter. The success of these hotels has brought even more developers into the neighborhood looking to capitalize on cheaper real estate — an Aloft Hotel and Crowne Plaza Hotel are now in the works. And an increase in businesses and restaurants has made LIC “that hot new place where everybody wants to be,” at least according to the spokesperson for the Z NYC Hotel on 43rd Avenue.

Long Island City Is Undergoing a Hotel Boom — and Residents Benefit, Too [NY Daily News]