So I was stuck on Staten Island over the weekend, because of the last minute rescheduling of an interview I had lined up at the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art in suburban Staten Island, and the thought of doing the ferry trip back to Manhattan and then back again to Staten Island on Monday morning was kinda depressing. So I poked around the hotels in Staten Island for a bit, until I bumped into the Hampton Inn and Suites, on South Avenue.

By NYC standards, the Hampton Inn & Suites was a sprawling huge structure, with expansive grounds and the look and feel of a federal building, rather than a dinky Hilton hotel. The lobby was as airy and opulent from the inside as the building looked from the outside. The Hampton has a bit of something for everyone, including tourists, families with kids, business conferences which expect luxury, a range of amneties and fast service, as well as budget travelers looking for some freebies.

The hotel is just minutes away from the sights and sounds of New York, including the financial district, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. So it’s a perfect location if you’re a visitor to New York looking for a quiet and comfortable place as headquarters for your excursions around the Big Apple. It’s in the middle of one of Staten Island’s numerous parks, so it’s also a good location if you have a thing for nature walks and hiking on trails.

The hotel offers double beds in rooms, cribs, high chairs and other kid-friendly amneties if you’re traveling with family, not to mention complimentary breakfast and drinks, a coin laundry and valet laundry services. For fitness freaks, there’s a pool, a jogging track and a fitness room with exercise equipment. For business travelers, the hotel offers comprehensive conferencing facilities, with meeting rooms, audio/video equipment, fax, printing and photocopying, and a public notary.

The hotel offers 107 guest rooms and suites, with a choice of a single King size bed or two Queen beds. The rooms, same as the hotel, are extra large with plush carpeting and a tinge of understated luxury. What I mean is that it has a downright easy and comfortable ambience, and you can make yourself right at home. Doesn’t mean it’s a dump. Just that the place looks nice, everything works just fine but its not like you’ll go ‘Wow! What a room!’ All rooms come equipped with a 32 inch flat screen television with complimentary high speed internet, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron/ironing board and a solid work desk and lap desk. The marble bathroom, again, was huge, with a swanky shower. Room rates start at $159, which if you consider the New York average of about $190, is quite fair, especially considering the size and spread of the accomodation, amneties and services.

The dining ain’t so bad either. Lorenzo’s Restaurant, Bar and Cabaret, a massive 150 seat diner serving free breakfast and coffee to hotel guests, along with daily lunch and dinner. The cuisine is Italian and continental, with exceptional service and a lobby lounge for after dinner entertainment and drinks. In fact, Lorenzo’s is more of a location for private and wedding parties, rather than just a simple restaurant. They pull out all the stops here, including live piano music, a cabaret show on Saturdays and a jazz brunch on Sundays. Hiroshi Yamazaki was playing live on the piano, and well…Let’s just say, for once, the heavens were smiling down on me, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time. 

Staten Island provides a nice balance between the mad rush of the City and the sedate rurality of the rest of New York. And if you’re looking for a realxing weekend getaway minutes away from downtown Manhattan, no place like the Hampton Inn and Suites.

Info: 1120 South Avenue, Staten Island, New York NY 10314; (718) 477-1600. 

Web links: Staten Island New York - hotels, visitors, restaurants, Staten Island Ferry