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The Rockaway Hotel + Spa
Queens, United States
Important Announcements
<b>IHG One Rewards members can earn & redeem points at Mr & Mrs Smith hotels.</b>
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This is an exclusive IHG One Rewards collaboration, however because these are not IHG branded hotels, other member benefits will not be available. Please contact the hotel prior to arrival in order to make the most of your stay.
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PROPERTY FEATURES
The Premises
The Rockaway Hotel is a part of a tight-knit local community that includes the much-fêted Rippers, Rockaway Brewing Co. and Tacoway Beach: breezy staff are made up of Queens locals, the hotel supports more city-based small businesses than we can count on two (sun-kissed) hands, and owners Terence and Dan even named its restaurant after their mom. But this is no quaint cottage: this six-storey Scandi-style block has over 16,000 sq ft of outdoor space – and puts it to good use. There’s an outdoor heated pool with loungers; a rooftop with views of surfers and the city; and a mind-clearing yoga deck facing the ocean. Every room has a view (choose between the sparkling Atlantic or genteel Jamaica Bay) and features photography by NYC-based creatives – a theme that continues throughout, with its curated collection of 150 art pieces. The Rockaways are laid-back, kind-natured and neighbourly, and like the Ramones who would hitch a ride here from the city, this hideout makes no apologies in celebrating its home turf.
SMITH EXTRA
Compliments of the House
A signature cocktail each
View Your Escape
At the Hotel
CHECK-OUT: 11am, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm, but you’ll be able to check in earlier if your room is ready.
A grab and go breakfast can be purchased at the Greenhouse café, or make a leisurely morning of it with a sit-down meal at Margie’s.
FACILITIES
Outdoor heated pool, spa with infrared sauna, yoga classes, priority rooftop access and exclusive use of loungers, bikes to borrow, restaurant, coffee shop, bar, use of beach chairs, towels and umbrellas. In rooms: WiFi, TV with Chromecast, free morning coffee, robes, Goldie’s bath products
PACKING TIPS
Surfers would do well to leave some room in their bags or boots – Rockaway has plenty of unique boutiques to browse. Head to Boarders, Off Season and Breezy Point, plus the Swellife (surf-inspired casual wear) and Zingara Vintage (thrifted beach towels, bags and dresses).
CHILDREN
Connecting rooms can be organised for families, and there are activities to keep kids busy (crafts, painting classes, water safety sessions) but there’s no formal kids club or crèche.
ECO-FRIENDLY
At the Rockaway, it’s about more than just environmental sustainability (although that’s a big focus: LED lighting, water saving practices, energy efficient flow systems and centralised hot water heaters are at play). Fabrics and materials are eco-friendly – take the heavy focus on rattan for example, one of the most sustainable tropical woods available – plus all timbers are sourced from legally forested farms. But it's the social sustainability that sets this hotel apart. The workforce is already largely made up of Rockaway locals, but they’re also running a free, eight-week program to train Queens locals in hospitality, directly benefiting the local economy. The hotel partners with local businesses (Goldie’s Natural Beauty; Locals Surf School; Rockaway Brewing Co. and more) to promote peninsula-based small businesses, and is working with the Campaign Against Hunger to finance a two-acre urban farm in Edgemere to help combat food insecurity in Queens.
SPA
There’s an infrared barrel sauna (known benefits include better sleep and clearer skin; sign us up), plus daily wellness classes including hatha yoga, vinyasa flows and ‘sculpting’ cardio sessions. You can book in for a treatment, too – expect all the traditional options plus seaweed and green clay body wraps, CBD and aloe facials and ‘grounding’ massages using sea extracts and white tea.
POOL
The heated outdoor pool is open from sunrise to sunset, and Rockaway Hotel guests benefit from exclusive use of the loungers (upholstered in Sunbrella fabric, no less).
ALSO
The hotel has a number of ADA compliant rooms. These accessible rooms have a roll-in shower, visual fire alarm, visual telephone signaler and TTY outlets.
It’s fair to say that the Rockaway Hotel + Spa is a de facto gallery of sorts: there are over 150 pieces of art from local and nationally renowned artists. Each piece was curated by the hotel’s so-called Chief Social Impact Officer, Michi Jigarjian – and many were sourced from nonprofit arts groups. Look out for the works of Rockaway locals Tom Sachs and Roe Ethridge, plus photography by surf-snappers Susannah Ray and Joni Stembach, furniture by Giovanni Travasa, murals by Ivan Forde, ceramics by Michelle Cortez and a piece by Alessandro Teoldi made out of airline blankets in a nod to nearby JFK.
It’s fair to say that the Rockaway Hotel + Spa is a de facto gallery of sorts: there are over 150 pieces of art from local and nationally renowned artists. Each piece was curated by the hotel’s so-called Chief Social Impact Officer, Michi Jigarjian – and many were sourced from nonprofit arts groups. Look out for the works of Rockaway locals Tom Sachs and Roe Ethridge, plus photography by surf-snappers Susannah Ray and Joni Stembach, furniture by Giovanni Travasa, murals by Ivan Forde, ceramics by Michelle Cortez and a piece by Alessandro Teoldi made out of airline blankets in a nod to nearby JFK.
USEFUL INFORMATION
A resort fee of $45 + tax per room per night is payable at the hotel. This fee includes a welcome drink, WiFi, workout classes, morning tea and coffee, bikes, beach chairs, umbrellas and sun cream, and priority pool and lounger access.
Rooms
All rooms are thoughtfully designed with sustainable furnishings and Rockaway quirks, but if you like to start your day with a blast of fresh air then opt for a deluxe ocean view room with rattan-chair adorned terrace. Those looking to stay a while (and why wouldn’t you) might like to book a bungalow. These residence-style hideaways have spacious, light-bathed living areas and modern kitchenettes, plus a bath tub for post-surf soaks.
Food & Drink
Unforgettable Features
The ground-floor restaurant – Margie’s – is lovingly named after Margie Murphy, a Rockaway local and grandmother to owners Terence and Dan Tubridy. Dishes include American classics (lobster mac and cheese, New England clam chowder and steak cuts) and reinvented twists on seaside favourites. We love the seared tuna burger with salsa bruja, the pear and goat cheese salad, the charred cauliflower steak and the cavatelli with slow cooked lamb shoulder. On the weekend, give the brunch a whirl – there are plenty of sweet and savoury dishes to choose from including truffled croque madames, chicken and waffles, açaí bowls and the full elvis (malted waffle, peanut butter, whipped cream and bananas). There’s also the street-side Greenhouse café: a coffee house with your usual orders plus on-tap cold brew, drip coffee and frozen hot chocolates. Pick up a sandwich, salad or sourdough waffle (generously topped with butter and maple) too.
Liquid Bliss
The sixth floor rooftop bar is a fine example of indoor-outdoor living – its marble-topped bar is positioned behind a wall of glass to protect punters from the elements on windy nights. That doesn’t detract from the views, though: look south towards the Atlantic, or north to Jamaica Bay, Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline. Try the Shark Bite (ghost pepper tequila, cucumber, watermelon, lime and tajin), the Harvest Mule (applejack, pama pomegranate, cinnamon, lime, cranberry and ginger), or the B
Experience the Extraordinary
Start off at the beach just one block from the hotel. It’s the only surfing beach in NYC (book in with Locals Surf School; the waves here are relatively forgiving for rookies) but also has plenty of space to just towel-down for the day. Head to the sand by 67th street for good surf; between 90th and 98th street for eateries; or between 105th and 116th for peace and quiet. Explore much of the peninsula on foot thanks to the five-mile long boardwalk. Hike east to Fort Tilden – following the trails through lush bushes to abandoned concrete batteries dating back to the Second World War. Climb up Battery Harris East for a rather surreal vista of deep blue ocean, wild greenery and the NYC skyline. The Gateway National Recreation Area is worthy of a stop-off too: the barracks have been converted into galleries by the Rockaway Artists Alliance. Head to sTudio 7 Gallery for exhibitions in a cavernous auto-repair plant. Jamaica Bay is one of the country’s largest nature preserves within city limits, and you can explore the maze of waterways and islands at sunset with Rockaway Jet Ski.
Transportation
The Rockaway Hotel is a one-block walk from the ocean on Queens’ prized peninsula.
Planes
JFK is a 20-minute drive from the Rockaways. Contact the hotel directly to arrange your transfer.
Trains
Rockaway is easily accessible from the city centre: take the A-Train or S-Train to Beach 105 street station.
Automobiles
There’s a private carpark two blocks from the hotel. Self parking is free from November to April, valet parking is available during peak season (May–October) for $50 per night.
Other
Our transport of choice? The NYC ferry. Set sail from Wall Street pier to Rockaway pier – the 54-minute journey passes through Upper Bay and Jamaica Bay. The pier is a five minute straight walk down Beach 108th street to the Rockaway Hotel.
Location
108-10 Rockaway Beach Dr Queens, 11694United States
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