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The Rockaway Hotel + Spa is a great summer getaway for people hoping to swap the concrete jungle for a beach vacation, but don’t want to travel too far to do so.
The Rockaway Hotel + Spa
The hotel is about a five-minute walk from the Rockaway ferry stop and the beach.
The hotel offers complimentary daily wellness classes for guests at The Studio (located across the street) or OrangeTheory Rockaway, throughout your stay.
Along with the Rockaway Beach Bakery (which recently relocated to the hotel after closing its storefront), the hotel offers three additional dining destinations (The Poolhouse, The Rooftop, and Margie’s Restaurant), so there is somewhere to grab a bite all time of the day.
While at dinner on the rooftop of The Rockaway Hotel + Spa, I was distracted from the beautifully plated dishes and delicious drinks in front of me, because the planes closely passing overhead en route to JFK Airport were so mesmerizing. What a view! One of my fellow diners suggested we download a flight-tracker app to find out where they were headed. This led to conversations about dream vacation destinations and food most worth traveling for.
The hotel caters to both New York City locals wanting a quick beach getaway and the travelers who need somewhere to lay their head before or after their flight from JFK, which is roughly a 20-minute drive.
The Rockaway Hotel + Spa opened officially during Labor Day Weekend in 2020, and six years later, it has certainly hit its stride. There is a distinctly local feel to it, with Rockaway businesses and artists highlighted through the artwork, decor, and more.
Included in the hotel’s summer programming is Summer Wellness Week, which includes daily fitness classes, and the Rockaway Summer Concert Series featuring local bands and poolside DJ sets. And for two weeks in the summer, the hotel hosts a summer camp ($700 a week) for elementary-school-aged children. Whether you’re after a quick staycation or a few days in New York before flying out of town, here’s my full review of The Rockaway Hotel + Spa.
The Rooms
I stayed in the Standard King Ocean View Room with Terrace, which is roughly 190 square feet. Margo Comis, director of guest experience at the hotel, affectionately referred to the rooms as “cozy,” and cozy it was. Since I was staying alone, it was the perfect amount of space for me. It was also nice to wake up to the sun shining through the sliding doors leading out to the terrace.
The Rockaway also offers one and two-bedroom Bungalows, which are equipped with a kitchenette and separate living room area. Of the 13 room offerings, from the Junior Suite King Ocean View with Terrace to the Deluxe Two Queen Bay View, there is something for every type of traveler. The rooms all include a 55-inch TV with streaming and cable, Wi-Fi, a Bluetooth speaker, and a safe.
Guests can request an iron, steamer, rolling rack, and even a mini fridge to be delivered to their rooms for the duration of their stay. In lieu of a room phone, guests have the option to text a member of the staff at any time.
Food and Drink
From The Rooftop bar menu, I enjoyed the ocean breeze cocktail, which reminded me a bit of a pornstar martini. Some of my favorites from our family-style dinner meal included: the miso avocado dip, the lobster crispy rice, the spicy crab linguine, and the Korean-style barbecue ribs. But the showstopper was a 38-ounce prime tomahawk steak “whacked up” with lettuce cups, scallion pancakes, romesco sauce, and kimchi relish.
For breakfast the next morning, I visited the on-site Rockaway Beach Bakery, where I ordered a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a biscuit and a vanilla latte with almond milk. The hotel offers poolside lunch options from the Poolhouse, which provide a perfect bite after a quick dip. I had truffle fries, a chicken caesar wrap ($22), and a frozen watermelon mojito, and it was, in fact, fairly transcendent.
The Spa and Wellness Activities
The property has a full-service spa, as well as fitness classes, which are included in the hotel guest daily amenity fee of $55. Just across the street is The Studio, which offers Mat Pilates, yoga, HeroBoard Pilates, Core Flow yoga, and Vinyasa yoga classes. Guests also have the opportunity to visit OrangeTheory Rockaway Beach for complimentary classes. The spa offers 25-80 minute facials (from $75), massages (from $70), waxes (from $15), and head and body wraps. The spa also does poolside 10-minute express treatments including: a Scalp Drizzle, Aftersun Revival, and a Shoulder & Back reset (which I loved). There’s, of course, a great pool, but if you want to hit the beach instead, the hotel can arrange for beach chairs and umbrellas to be set up near the water for guests.
Accessibility
The hotel offers four ADA-compliant guest rooms. All public spaces are accessible.
How to Book
The Rockaway Hotel + Spa is a fully independent boutique hotel and not part of any loyalty programs. Nightly rates start from $321.
Every T+L hotel review is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed at the property, and each hotel selected aligns with our core values.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
