Springhill Suites - Long Island City Review. Great Staff and Spacious Room, With a Few Accessibility and Noise Issues

I was in town for just one day to attend an “old guys” fraternity gathering in a backyard in Astoria/Long Island City. My flight arrived at LaGuardia shortly before 9:00 a.m., and I reached the SpringHill Suites around 9:30. I politely asked whether an early check-in might be possible because I was hoping to take a nap before the party—I’m old! They accommodated me immediately. SCORE!

Since Saturday breakfast ran until 10:30, I grabbed a plate of bacon and found a seat. At 9:30, the first-floor breakfast area was packed, with guests cutting in front of one another as if it were the apocalypse and the world had run out of toilet paper again. Through it all, the breakfast staff worked incredibly hard to keep the area clean, replenish food, and answer questions.

My room on the 12th floor was spacious by New York City standards. As an above-the-knee amputee, I had requested an accessible room with a roll-in shower. Like many Marriott-family hotels I’ve visited, the room seemed to meet the basic ADA requirements: grab bars, a handheld showerhead, and anchored bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

However, the shower did not have a built-in bench, which I usually find in roll-in showers. The staff quickly provided a shower chair, so that was an easy fix. A few practical improvements would make the room much more usable for actual ADA guests. The shower tray should be closer to the mounted toiletries so guests can also place their own soaps within reach. The towels were left on the sink, forcing me to scoot the shower chair over to retrieve them because I do not shower while wearing my prosthetic leg. Placing towels within reach of the shower would make a meaningful difference.

The hotel has three elevators, but they are small considering the number of guest rooms. A line frequently formed in the lobby. The elevators are fast—unless yours turns into the local train and stops on every floor.

The hotel is in a very industrial area, although new residential buildings are being constructed or converted nearby. There is a bodega at the end of one block and a DoubleTree at the other. There is also a street-cart guy nearby, and I got a combo over rice from him at an awesome price by any standard—especially for New York City.

Rideshare vehicles can reach the hotel, but street parking narrows the remaining roadway. Since I move slowly, the cars behind my rideshare had to wait while I got out.

The first-floor gym, which I did not use, is about the size of a large Manhattan studio apartment. There are also three universally accessible restrooms near the gym. The hotel market uses a self-checkout system: select an item, scan it, and pay by card—no cash. Security is stationed at the entrance, which has become fairly typical at New York City hotels.

Noise was the biggest drawback. I could have sworn I smelled cigarette smoke coming from another room on my floor. Doors slammed throughout the night and into the morning, and some younger guests near my room seemed to be having a party in the hallway. I understand that people want to ensure their doors are securely closed, but the constant slamming was disruptive. Having security periodically patrol the guest floors—using the type of scan system commonly used in hospitals and office buildings—could help address smoking, hallway gatherings, and excessive noise.

Despite those concerns, the staff was absolutely awesome. Their friendliness, hard work, and willingness to help made the overall experience a good one. The early check-in alone was greatly appreciated, and the staff truly made this hotel shine.

Sometimes Missing the Show Means I Had a Great Day

Today was awesome.

After spending days watching the New York weather forecast bounce all over the place—55% chance of rain, then 77% with thunderstorms, then suddenly looking pretty good—I couldn't have asked for much better.

The temperature stayed in the mid-70s, the humidity was low, there was some sunshine, and toward the end of the day we got a raindrop here and there.

That's it.

Apparently, I spent several days worrying about New York weather for absolutely no reason.

And I'm perfectly okay with that.

This Was Why I Came to New York

Yes, I wanted the New York bagels.

Yes, I wanted the pizza.

Yes, I wanted to see what they did to LaGuardia.

And yes, I had plans to see a Broadway show.

But none of those things were really why I got on a plane this morning.

Today was about the people.

I got to spend the afternoon hanging out with friends and people who are basically family—people I've grown up with and known for years but don't get to see nearly as often as I'd like.

We talked.

We laughed.

We gave each other a hard time.

Because that's what you do with people you've known forever.

There are friendships where you haven't seen someone in a long time, but within about five minutes of being together, it's as if no time has passed at all.

Today felt like that.

And Then There Was the Food

Oh, the food.

I also got something I've been missing for a while:

New York City backyard food.

Not a fancy restaurant.

Not something carefully arranged on a plate so someone can take a picture of it for Instagram.

I'm talking about the kind of food you eat while you're hanging around outside with people you've known forever.

Good food.

Good people.

Good conversation.

And absolutely no reason to rush anywhere.

Which brings me to Broadway.

🎭 About That & Juliet Ticket...

Remember that ticket I bought for & Juliet?

Yeah.

I missed it.

I stayed at the gathering so long that by the time I left, there was no chance I was making the show.

And you know what?

I don't care.

Thankfully, the ticket was $49, not the approximately $200 I would have spent to see Paranormal Activity.

Would I have liked to see & Juliet?

Absolutely.

Was spending more time with friends and family I rarely get to see worth losing $49?

Absolutely.

Broadway will be there the next time I'm in New York.

Days like today aren't nearly as easy to reschedule.

I'd make the same decision again.

🌃 A Ride Through Queens

Eventually, though, the day had to come to an end.

On the ride back to my hotel, SpringHill Suites in Long Island City, I got to take some pictures as we headed south on Vernon Boulevard, just past the Roosevelt Island Bridge and toward the Queensboro/59th Street Bridge.

It was one of those rides where I could just look out the window and enjoy being back in New York.

No rushing to Broadway.

No checking the weather app.

No wondering whether I was going to get rained out.

Just enjoying the ride.

And I'm glad I took some pictures along the way.

🌯 But the Night Isn't Quite Over

Now I'm back at the hotel.

There's a street food vendor right outside, which means I have one final decision to make tonight.

Actually, who am I kidding?

The decision has already been made.

I'm getting something over rice.

Chicken?

Lamb?

Combo?

I haven't decided yet.

But something is going over rice, and I'm going to eat it.

Then I think I'm officially done.

This morning started with a flight from Charleston, a completely transformed LaGuardia Airport, an early hotel check-in and a plate of bacon.

It ends after a beautiful day with people I don't get to see enough, great New York food, a Broadway show I happily missed, a nighttime ride through Queens and, apparently, a plate of street-cart food.

I came to New York wondering whether the weather would ruin the trip.

Instead, I got exactly the kind of day I came here for.

Sometimes the plans you miss aren't nearly as important as the moments that made you miss them.

Today was worth the trip.

✈️ I Made It to New York—and What Happened to LaGuardia?!

I made it!

After days of watching the weather forecast go from 55% rain to 77% rain with thunderstorms and then back to almost nothing, I got on the plane in Charleston this morning and headed to New York.

It has been a very, very long time since I've flown into LaGuardia Airport, and I have one question:

What did they do with the old LGA?!?

Seriously.

The LaGuardia I remember and the LaGuardia I walked through today seem like two completely different airports.

It's new. It's clean. It's bright.

There are food options everywhere.

People aren't sitting on the floor waiting for their flights because there aren't enough seats.

And, perhaps most importantly...

I didn't see any rats running around in the drop ceiling.

If you flew through the old LaGuardia, you know I'm not necessarily exaggerating. 😂

This place has changed.

🗽 Now THAT'S a New York Welcome

As we descended into LaGuardia, I was also able to catch a picture of Lower Manhattan from the plane.

That's one of those views that immediately tells you:

Yep. I'm back in New York.

There's something about seeing Manhattan from the air that never gets old.

Then it was time to start working through today's agenda.

👻 Paranormal Activity Didn't Happen

I had hoped to score one of the same-day Rush Tickets for Paranormal Activity.

That didn't happen.

And I'm still not paying around $200 for a ticket.

I wanted to see some ghosts, but not badly enough to have one haunt my credit-card statement for the next month.

But Broadway isn't completely off the agenda.

I got a ticket to see & Juliet instead!

So tonight I'll be heading to Broadway after the party to see something I hadn't originally planned on seeing.

Sometimes those spontaneous choices end up being the most fun.

I'll post afterward and let you know what I thought of it.

🥓 Hotel Accomplishment Unlocked

Next challenge: Could I check into the hotel early?

YES.

That might actually be today's biggest victory.

I got into my room, dropped everything off, and then took care of another extremely important New York travel priority.

I grabbed a plate of bacon.

Because obviously.

So let's review:

✈️ Made it to New York.

🗽 Saw Lower Manhattan from the air.

😳 Discovered that LaGuardia apparently became a completely different airport while I wasn't looking.

🏨 Got an early hotel check-in.

🥓 Ate bacon.

👻 Failed to get a Paranormal Activity Rush Ticket.

🎭 Got an & Juliet ticket instead.

🎉 Party starts at 1:00 PM.

I'd say we're doing pretty well.

And now, after I hit publish on this...

I'm taking a nap for a few hours before the party.

Because apparently my New York itinerary also includes scheduled unconsciousness.

Stay tuned. There is still a lot of Saturday left.

✈️ Plot Twist: I’m Going to New York!

Well, Mother Nature apparently reads my blog.

A few days ago, I was questioning whether I was going to make my trip to New York at all. The forecast went from a 55% chance of rain to 77% with thunderstorms, and I wasn't particularly interested in flying to Queens just to sit in a hotel room and watch it rain.

Fast-forward to Saturday morning.

70 degrees. Fair. A 2% chance of rain this morning.

Okay, New York. You win. I’m coming. 😂

My flight is scheduled to get into LaGuardia around 9:00 AM, and from there I'll head to the hotel and hopefully be able to check in early. At the very least, I'm hoping they'll take my bags because I've got places to go and people to see.

The yearly gathering in Astoria, Queens starts at 1:00 PM, so I've got a few hours between landing and the party.

And because apparently I don't believe in relaxing on vacation, I've already started thinking about what I'm doing afterward.

👻 Paranormal Activity on Broadway?

I'd really like to see Paranormal Activity on Broadway.

There's just one tiny problem.

I'm not paying $200 for a ticket.

I enjoy Broadway.

I enjoy paranormal stuff.

I enjoy sitting in a dark theater wondering what's about to jump out at me.

But for $200, the ghost better leave the theater with me, carry my luggage back to Queens and tuck me into bed.

Fortunately, there's another possibility.

There are some same-day tickets scheduled to be released at 9:00 AM, and I'm hoping I can grab one for the 8:00 PM performance.

So somewhere around the time my plane is landing at LGA, I'll also be trying to score a reasonably priced Broadway ticket.

Because apparently landing an airplane isn't enough excitement for 9:00 in the morning.

If it works out, my Saturday could look something like this:

✈️ 9:00 AM: Arrive at LaGuardia
🏨 Morning: Head to the hotel and hopefully check in
🎉 1:00 PM: Party in Astoria
👻 8:00 PM:Paranormal Activity on Broadway — IF I can get the same-day ticket

And somewhere in between all of that, there had better be a New York bagel and some pizza.

Those aren't optional.

After several days of watching weather percentages climb and wondering whether this trip was going to happen at all, it's funny that I'm now looking at a forecast with almost no chance of rain this morning.

So...

New York City, here I come.

Now I just need the flight to cooperate, the hotel to let me check in early, and the Broadway ticket gods to smile upon me at 9:00 AM.

That's not asking too much, right?

Stay tuned.

✈️ New York Trip Update: Mother Nature Is Making Her Case

A couple of days ago, I wrote that I’m supposed to fly to New York this Saturday, landing at LaGuardia (LGA) and heading to Astoria, Queens for a yearly gathering.

At the time, the forecast called for about a 55% chance of rain.

I wasn't thrilled, but 55% still leaves room for negotiation.

Well...

Mother Nature has apparently retained counsel.

I checked the forecast again today.

🌧️ Saturday: 77% chance of rain.
⛈️ And now there are thunderstorms involved.

This negotiation is moving in the wrong direction.

Normally, I'd be excited about this trip. It's a nonstop flight. I get to see people I haven't seen in a while. And most importantly, I'd be returning to Queens—the magical land of real bagels, real pizza, and enough incredible food to destroy any reasonable eating plan within approximately four hours of landing.

But here's my problem:

I'm not flying to New York just so I can sit in a hotel room and say:

"Yep. That's definitely rain."

I can watch rain from home.

For free.

And I don't have to deal with airports, flight delays, Uber surge pricing, wet sidewalks, or trying to maneuver around New York City while Mother Nature dumps buckets of water on everyone.

There's also the airport factor.

Rain and thunderstorms in the New York area don't exactly have a reputation for making air travel more efficient. Suddenly my beautiful nonstop flight could become an exciting afternoon of staring at an airport departure board while the word DELAYED slowly destroys my will to live.

The good news?

The forecast could still change.

The bad news?

It already changed—from 55% rain to 77%.

That's not the direction I was hoping for.

So, the great Will Niel Actually Go to New York? saga continues.

The flight is still scheduled.

Astoria is still waiting.

The bagels are presumably still delicious.

The pizza is calling my name.

But at 77% rain with thunderstorms, those bagels are going to have to make a very persuasive argument.

Stay tuned.