The Best Hotels to Book in Elizabeth, New Jersey

Stay at Renaissance Newark and there’ll be only 3mi (5km) between touchdown at your terminal and turndown in your comfortable bed. With funky, oversize headboards and marshmallow-soft beds, the rooms are refreshingly contemporary – and convenient for the Prudential Center, the Meadowlands and New York City. Dine on nachos and burgers in-house at Ironbound restaurant, add a bottle of white wine or beer and your layover will soon feel more like a luxury break.

Why submit to a long and stressful airport layover when you can relax at Embassy Suites in Elizabeth? With about 190 air-conditioned rooms, there’s invariably room at the inn, for both you and your four-legged friend. Rinse off the worries of that turbulent flight in the indoor whirlpool, and don’t miss complimentary drinks and light bites during happy hour at the Local Tap and Kitchen restaurant, where comfort food is the order of the day. Sightseeing? The hotel is just off the New Jersey Turnpike, so in half an hour you can be stepping out in New York City.

Bargain hunters, get set to flex the plastic: this Elizabeth hotel is a tempting three-minute stroll from the largest outlet mall in New Jersey – the Mills at Jersey Gardens, housing more than 200 retailers. You’ll want sustenance first, so rise in time for breakfast at the Bistro, the on-site new American restaurant. The signature breakfast sandwich, topped with flavorful bacon, goes down a treat. Later, all shopped out, toast the end of your stay with an old-fashioned at the hotel bar.

For an extended stay in Elizabeth, upgrade to one of the spacious suites at the Residence Inn, which are double the size of most traditional rooms in the city. Disembark from the free airport shuttle, settle in and make yourself something to eat – you can cook in the fully equipped kitchen of your suite, with a stovetop, dishwasher and full-size refrigerator. If you’d rather dine out, there’s a steakhouse and a bistro in the vicinity, and the front desk will be happy to point you in the right direction. Excess calories can be burned off using free weights in the fitness room – or by wandering the streets of Manhattan, just over 10mi (16km) away.

Looking for special-occasion accommodation in Elizabeth? Look no further. Toast the start of your honeymoon, or your milestone birthday, with a glass of fizz while soaking in your private jacuzzi. Rooms are warm, corporate, spick-and-span spaces with bright bedspreads and piles of plump towels in the bathrooms. With the Mills at Jersey Gardens outlet right across the street, you’ll be able to extend your holiday wardrobe before you fly. Allow time for waffles and coffee back at the hotel before you check out.

Want to refresh before you board that flight? Rooms at this hotel, an easy mile from Newark Airport, are cocoons of rest and relaxation, some with tranquil leafy views, and all with blackout shades. They’ll supply cots and cribs for young ones, and revive you with free hot coffee in the lobby when you rise. Breakfasts are big, and kids don’t pay for theirs. By the time you’ve hopped on the complimentary shuttle and checked in at the airport, you’ll be serene as can be.