Hilton Garden Inn opens in LIC

The Hilton Garden Inn held their grand opening on 41st Ave. in LIC today.

The 183 room hotel is the first full-service hotel in the neighborhood, featuring a full bar, room service, and restaurant.

Natalie Serese, Director of Sales and Marketing for the hotel, said the hotel had been fully booked and primarily drawn tourists from Asia and Europe since opening last month.

She also said the local community had been quick to embrace the hotel.

“It’s been amazing,,” she said. “Our bar downstairs has been doing really, really well because of a local following. The community is happy about it I guess, now there’s a place their family can stay, or they can to grab a drink on the corner.”

Rob MacKay, director of the Queens Tourism Council, said the hotel’s popularity was indicative of the borough’s growing popularity as a tourism destination.

“People want to come to Queens, and stay in Queens,” he said.

The presidential suite at the hotel.

Marty Markowitz, VP of borough promotion and engagement at NYC & Co., spoke at the opening.