Hotel Review: Hilton Garden Inn Secaucus, New Jersey

Located just a few miles from New York City, the Hilton Garden Inn in Secaucus, NJ is an inexpensive option for those looking for a nice place while avoiding the pricey Manhattan hotels. This three star hotel offers quick access to New York City via the Lincoln Tunnel as well as access to the nearby Meadowlands Sports Complex. With prices half that of comparable hotels in the city and free parking on site, this is a great find for anyone visiting on a budget.

Just off the New Jersey Turnpike on Route 3, the Hilton Garden Inn is just three miles from Manhattan, with nearly immediate access to the Lincoln Tunnel from the hotel parking lot. New Jersey Transit busses also pickup right in front of the hotel every 15 minutes and drop off at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City for a $2.30 fare. I found this to be the easiest way to get into the city as driving there was both hectic and pricey, with tunnel toll and city parking totaling upwards of $30. Hotel staff was also very helpful with bus schedules and directions to the pickup and drop off bus stops.

Although getting to New York City was very easy from this hotel, getting around Secaucus and the nearby Jersey City and Rutherford areas was less than convenient. I would recommend getting exact directions to the hotel, from either the Hilton web site or calling the hotel directly, as Route 3 can be very confusing. This four to six lane highway is divided by a concrete barricade, making left or U-turns completely out of the question. Exiting the hotel property you are forced to continue on Route 3 Eastbound towards Jersey City, enter the Lincoln Tunnel or get onto the New Jersey Turnpike. In order to turn around to Route 3 West towards Rutherford, it is necessary to travel several miles until a posted U-turn location can be found. Getting back to the hotel was equally as frustrating, as the hotel is actually located on an entrance ramp to Route 3, rather than a main road. After circling the area many times, I found the most convenient way back to my room was via an illegal left turn onto Patterson Plank Road about one half mile West of the hotel.

Regardless of the bittersweet location, the Hilton Garden Inn is an excellent hotel overall. The lobby offers a dining room that serves a tasty breakfast buffet consisting of meats, potatoes, waffles and made to order omelet choices for roughly $10 each morning. Just across the lobby is a casual sitting area, with couches and televisions as well as complementary cookies in the evenings. Directly next to the hotel's front desk is a 24-hour snack pantry with everything from juice, soda, beer, candy, chips and even microwave dinners. Although convenient, snack prices are comparable to room service rates, with a bottle of Snapple going for $2. Just off the main lobby is a fitness room, which connects to the hotel's heated indoor pool and spa, a great place to unwind after a long day of walking New York City.

I found the individual rooms to be very classy and clean, offering beautiful artwork and nice furniture. In addition to the standard hotel items, like the very comfortable bed, chair and ottoman, and large television, each room has a small refrigerator, microwave and coffeepot. The hotel also offers free high speed Internet in each room as well as free remote printing services for business travelers. The bathroom was also beautiful, with marble countertops, artwork and a very nice adjustable showerhead. Room service is also offered, with choices from burgers to steaks form $10-20 each. This came in very handy, as I couldn't seem to find a pizza place that would deliver to this location.

Overall the Hilton Garden Inn is a great place for visitors to New York City as a reasonable price. They have the class that would be expected at any Hilton hotel, yet prices comfortable for a budget. Smoking rooms with one king size bed start at $139 per night, while non-smoking suites are priced towards $250 a night and include breakfast for two. I would absolutely recommend this beautiful hotel to anyone visiting New York City, although those with little patience for the very confusing local roads need not apply.

Hilton Garden Inn Secaucus-Meadowlands
875 Route 3 East Service Rd
Secaucus, NJ 07094
(201) 864-1400
www.hiltongardeninn.com