What's with all the hotels!?

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What's with all the hotels!?

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SammyG
rookie newb
Joined: Nov '09
Posts: 42

Have ya'll noticed the insanely large amount of hotels going up in our 'hood? First, there's the "Comfort" Inn that's directly across from the BQE off-ramp at 39th St. Gotta be the most disgusting location for a Hotel in all of America. The view out the windows has gotta be that abandoned train lot adjacent to the ramp.

Then there's the Sleep Inn Brooklyn (www.sleepinndowntown.com) on 22nd & 3rd ave! Again, basically, it's attached to the BQE.

And today I see that the giant building going up next to C-Town at 25th St. is a Best Western!! (www.bwplusprospectpark.com).

I mean, I love this 'hood as much as the next guy, but I never in my life expected it to become swarmed with hotels. What's the deal? Is there really a huge demand for hotels off the BQE? Why did they all just appear in the last year?

Any ideas?

# Posted 2 yrs ago
dailyheights
Honorary Fellow
Joined: Jan '05
Posts: 4,619

If the Comfort Inn is the one I'm thinking of, it's been there for at least 10 years and probably a lot longer. I agree with you that it's a lousy location, but there is (was?) a huge pent-up demand for overnight accommodations in Brooklyn, no matter how basic or utilitarian.

Hotels aren't the only option. If you look around a little, it's easy to find a B&B or short-term apartment rental. There have been some threads on this site listing B&Bs etc if you hit the Search bar. VRBO surely has some listings as well.

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# Posted 2 yrs ago
Windsore
rookie newb
Joined: Sep '10
Posts: 11

Days Inn on 36th St., a Holiday Inn on Union off 3rd Ave, a Super 8? 0n 3rd Ave around Carroll, and another chain on a side street over that way, don't forget Le Bleu. When your parents come to visit your half a million 800 sq. ft. apartment, that they paid for you can't put them on the sofa bed.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
lemur11215
getting it
Joined: Dec '06
Posts: 113

When your parents come to visit your half a million 800 sq. ft. apartment, that they paid for you can't put them on the sofa bed.

So besides the fact that this point is very old and tired, if someone's parents did in fact buy them a $500k apartment, I bet those parents would actually not be in the group likely to stay at the Super 8 on Third Ave and the Days Inn on 36th.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
SammyG
rookie newb
Joined: Nov '09
Posts: 42

Honestly, though, I doubt that these hotels are being filled up with the parents of slope / sunset park trust fund kids. Maybe Hotel Le Blue, but these BQE hotels are nasty! Also, I know there's gentrification in the hood, but come on, it aint Billysburg just yet, dudes!

My theory is that Brooklyn is turning into a super popular destination for European tourists. I think the guide books and the buzz is all Brooklyn all the time and so these hotels are trying to rope them in. If you look on their sites they're all wildly misleading about their proximity to Prospect Park and the shopping and all that. Either that or there's a lot business people coming down here that I have no idea about.

There's just too many coming too fast for there not to be some kind of real phenomenon here. Am I right?

# Posted 2 yrs ago
Salix
getting it
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 140

The world is little bit bigger than the parents of Park Slopers. Many of the hotels are used by families coming for weddings and such, especially families from Brooklyn's Chinese community. I have used a local hotel when a cousin's family came to town & our guest room/office/library was getting a new ceiling with plaster dust, falling wallboard fragments & all. They were in walking distance, we could eat good Mexican food & it was far more reasonable & convenient than putting them up in Manhattan. It was also convenient for me to take them to the airport - either airport.
As for "Sunset Park trust fund kids" - not on my block!

# Posted 2 yrs ago
the0ther
getting it
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 108

probably some fucking tax dodge for building hotels. disgusting.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,346

A relaxation of the areas zoned for hotels?

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
lostingreenwoodhts
Where has the day gone?
Joined: Oct '06
Posts: 1,585

Less of a tax dodge but a way to exploit the zoning resolution and create capitol. I think the Best Western (25th and 4th) will have the best go. The others, can you say "hot sheets hotel?"

A word or two from the highest point in Brooklyn--Greenwood Hts.
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# Posted 2 yrs ago
SammyG
rookie newb
Joined: Nov '09
Posts: 42

So there's some kind of new zoning law? That's what I was thinking. 5 Hotels in a 20 block area opening in a 2 year span seemed a little suspicious to me.

How does something like that work? Why would zoning make it easier to make a profit?

# Posted 2 yrs ago
whynot_31
Former Lurker
Joined: Mar '06
Posts: 16,346

Zoning makes land more or less profitable all the time.

In this example, it might not be profitable to build a condo building at the addresses because no one would pay enough money to live there for the porject to break even.

However, people ARE willing to spend a night (or, ahem 2 hours) at a hotel.

...if the zoning now allows hotels, and it only allowed residential before...

Presto! You get hotels.

[I believe Atlantic Avenue between Flatbush and East NY was recently rezoned and is now getting hotels and other stuff as a result of this phenomena. You'll have to check whether your area was recently rezoned. ...you are not reading the postings of a urban planner]

For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
clbk17
rookie newb
Joined: Jun '10
Posts: 15

Simple, this is preparation for the new Barclays Center.

# Posted 2 yrs ago
The Psycho-ologist
big A little a Bouncing B the system may have got you but it won't get me.
Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 439

SAMMY G said:
My theory is that Brooklyn is turning into a super popular destination for European tourists. I think the guide books and the buzz is all Brooklyn all the time and so these hotels are trying to rope them in. If you look on their sites they're all wildly misleading about their proximity to Prospect Park

This is quite true. I am a Celtic harp player and at Jerry's Bagel's on 37th,I ran into Grainne Hambly and William Jackson (both famous Celtic harpers) straight from Ireland and Scotland respectively. They were staying in a hotel on 39th.

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# Posted 2 yrs ago
Buntster
what am I, new?
Joined: May '08
Posts: 4

Basically, most of the land west of 4th Avenue (plus along 39th, if I recall correctly) is zoned 'industrial.' While this means that residential uses aren't allowed, hotels ARE. Since the income stream from hotels is closer to residential use than industrial (i.e. multiple floors of paying customers every night - at least in theory), it's a way for developers/owners to make residential-type profit without having to get the land rezoned.

# Posted 2 yrs ago