We needed a place to stay near JFK for one night recently, and we booked a room at the Holiday Inn. The fact that it is less than 5 minutes from the terminals is about the only good thing about the experience.

When we arrived to JFK, we called the hotel from the "ground transportation" near the baggage claim area. They said that the shuttle would be there shortly to pick us up. We called more than a few times over 30 minutes and no shuttle showed up, so we ended up taking a taxi to the hotel. It was only about $10, but it was the principle of having to pay rather than using the shuttle.

The check-in process took a very long time, even though we already had a reservation.

The hotel is old and has not been well maintained. The elevators are small and, although there are several, it took a while to get one on a slow night. The hallways have carpet that is very worn and dirty.

The room was no better, as the carpet had several stains on it, and there was noticeable water damage on the ceiling. We also found that there was no hairdryer in the bathroom. After calling the front desk three times, it took over 45 minutes for a new one to get to the room.

We also could not adjust the temperature in the room to be cooler, although there was a thermostat on the wall. We slept on top of the sheets because it was so hot. Maintenance looked at the thermostat and said it was set properly, but it did not help.

The door to the room did not close properly, so you had to put your shoulder into it so that it would latch shut. The area was very noisy, as well, with the Van Wyck and Belt Parkways around the hotel, and JFK across the street. We were woken up on several occasions by noise in the hall, too.

The bed was not bad, except the pillows were literally half the size of a normal pillow. If you rolled over, your head would fall off the pillow.

We did take the shuttle back to the airport with minimal problems in the morning.

I would highly recommend staying elsewhere, even if you're only there for one night.

The hotel is old and needs maint.

The reception staff and shuttle staff are unfriendly

The hotel offered online breakfast menu/order. After waiting for 1 hour for breakfast it turned out that the hotel staff and management don’t know about the Holiday Inn online ordering system! Finally they told us that the system works only in other Holiday Inn Hotels! we re-ordered and got an excellent breakfast (2 hours late)

On the plus side, the rooms are specious and clean

It is true that most hotels in the area are nothing to write home about, but the Holiday Inn is in a class by itself ("D" for depressing and dirty). The only this it has going for it is the friendliness of its staff. Dare to step off the taxi and you'll notice the bullet-scarred revolving door, and inside, the dirty upholstery and the overpowering stench of decades of cigarrette smoke. I felt bad for the staff, having to book guests at such a badly managed, unkept venue. The hotel restaurant had recently lost its liquor licence. We ordered dinner and found the pasta and crab cakes were sligthly above unpalatable, but again, the waiter was very sweet and helpful. The "upgraded" room we got had a ventilation system that provoked an immediate allergic reaction (Or was it the drapery/rugs? We'll never know), and we were forced to open the windows so I could breathe jet fumes for the rest of the noisy evening. The bathroom was the only thing remodeled in our room, and it was clean. If you are a smoker or traveling with a furry pet and they offer you good rates, try it. But if, like me, you are disgusted by what I have described, this is not the place for you. Run to Doubletree, where we stayed on the return part of our trip.

Stayed in this hotel 1 night 12th April. Flight arrived from London at 22.00 and got out of the airport by 23.00. Went to collection point and was told the coache would be around in a few minutes. About 10 of us waiting. 1/2 hour later still no show. Another coache to us. Arrived at hotel at about 23.45 and then stood in a queue for nearly 2 hours. In this time the staff were slow and rude to most people trying to book in. As they have changed hands they didnt have a drinks licence and no one could get a drink.
Finally got a room and went to bed. When i checked out the following morning I tried to complain again but the staff just gave me a question form to complete.
I am going to complain to Holiday Inn because I stayed in 3 different Holiday Inns in New York in 4 night and this was by far the worst.
I would not recomend this hotel to my enermies.