It’s destination Long Island City.
A Queens neighborhood that went from sprawling warehouses and manufacturing plants to luxury towers is now undergoing its latest transformation: as a haven for tourists.
Hotel developers are capitalizing on the area’s proximity to Manhattan — and lower nightly rates — to lure visitors to chic lodges that fight to outdo each others.
And many residents, who are moving in as high-rises continue to sprout up on the waterfront, are embracing the boom.
“Long Island City has been a hub of new development,” said Chris Heywood, a spokesman for the city’s tourism agency, NYC Co. “It’s less expensive [than Manhattan], but it’s not a consolation prize.”
In the last six years, 15 hotels have cropped up in the neighborhood, he said, bringing the total to 27. There are 105 in all of Queens, thanks to the borough’s two airports.
And many of the newcomers offer amenities for locals, too.
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The Ravel Hotel, which led the pack of the neighborhood’s upscale hotels when it planted its flag in 2008, boasts a sprawling, rooftop Asian bistro and lounge. It also plans to install two pools — one of which will be converted into a winter ice skating rink.
The Z NYC Hotel, which opened in 2011, launched a concert series on its roof. And the hotly anticipated Paper Factory Hotel, expected to open this year, will reportedly have a spa and outdoor beer garden.
“We have everything from top-of-the-line internationally famous brands to boutiquey, hip hotels,” said Rob MacKay, director of the Queens Tourism Council.
Many of the accommodations start at $185 per night — about $150 less than Manhattan hotels, he said.
The cheaper prices particularly appeal to international travelers booking stays longer than a week.
Over the last few years, the city has seen more foreign tourists coming in to capitalize on the weak dollar, said James Giordano, director of the tourism and hospitality program at LaGuardia Community College.
He added that the success of the existing lodgings is having a domino effect in the neighborhood as more developers want to get on board. More prime real estate is available at lower prices in Queens than in Manhattan.
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Long Island City is also home to one of the city’s only hostels, the Q4 Hotel. It opened in June 2012 and offers rooms starting at $37 a night — and amenities including a shared TV lounge, kitchen, ping pong table, washers and dryers and free Wi-Fi. And another hostel could be on the way.
The area was primarily industrial — save for a pocket of middle-class houses in the Dutch Kills area until a 2001 rezoning.
The hotel boom — and the ensuing foot traffic — has been good for local businesses and cultural attractions, said George Stamatiades, the co-executive director of the Dutch Kills Civic Association.
“It’s a positive influx of development,” he said of the burgeoning local industry, though he complained that some developers are “nothing but bums.”
The Ravel is attempting to take the boom to the next level when it expands on a lot next door. It plans to build two pools — including one to be converted into a winter skating rink. It is slated to be finished by the end of 2014.
“I’m surprised this area wasn’t built up sooner,” said Ravel spokeswoman Natassa Contini, touting the area’s sweeping — and unobstructed — views of the city skyline.
The neighborhood is benefitting from all the attention, said Lisa Gneo of the Z NYC Hotel.
“There’s a lot businesses opening up. There’s a lot of great restaurants,” she said. “Long Island City is becoming that hot new place where everybody wants to be.”
ctrapasso@nydailynews.com
