After my previous stays in Crowne Plaza LAX and Crowne Plaza EWR, I was not having much expectation from this hotel. Afterall, it is just for me to stay for a night after arriving from Panama at 1230am!
Despite being the first to disembark and the had an all clear from the arrival machine, it took us more than 1 hour waiting to clear the CBP checkpoint!
Unlike many other countries, airport hotels in USA are NOT CONNECTED to the airport! The exception probably being the newly opened TWA hotel in Terminal 5 but at almost $300 per night, it is certainly not worth splurging (vs 35,000 IHG points for Crowne Plaza).
Once you are at the landside, take the Air Train to Federal Circle (the whole journey may take about 20 minutes). There are phones that you can use to call the respective hotels to arrange for the free shuttle to pick you up.
Federal Circle Station at 2am
We arrived at the hotel almost 2 am and without any queue, check in was a breeze. The room looked much nicer and newer than my previous 2 Crowne Plaza. The bed was comfortable (or its more like it was 230am already) and the room spacious. I had no issue with the drainage unlike what I had with the LAX Crowne Plaza.
Wi-Fi speed was pretty lousy (compared to the speed I had in Panama).
At 35,000 points, this hotel is a hassle-free stayover for those arriving late into JFK (or flying out early).
That Time Of The Year! 