What could improve? Everything. Dirty. Seemed to be prostitution going on. Bed was horrible. I tried to sleep fully dressed on top of the sheets. The seediest place I have ever stayed in. I was here 25 years ago and it was quit w nice. Weird stains on the wall. Multiple places. Just say no. I didn't feel safe here. Particularly as they gave me a room all the way around the back. This is a scary scary place. read more

The hotel pictures are doctored. This place e is right off a main road,no amenities. They mix smoking rooms. The rooms are dirty and unkempt. I wouldn't stay here. Plus its know for prostitution. Not a family place. read more

I'm giving this hotel 1 star because THE BEDS DO NOT HAVE COMFORTERS (only a light blanket and a sheet smh)

Reserved at $111, charged $161;asked for 2 beds, only had 1. Bathroom had mold, couldn't close bathroom door. Dirty, just all around bad experience and will never go back read more

Old place . Broken everything .. falling apart .. ohh & if u give them ur card got anything they will charge it after u check out .. scam artists this place is read more

My family and I stayed at the Gateway Inn on May 16, 2025. I requested nonsmoking rooms. The whole Inn was smoky, with filthy bed linens, and the desk clerk brought more that was not clean. He later told us the linen closet was locked until Saturday morning. Please don't waste your money at the Gateway Inn. This Inn needs to be shut down. The price was misquoted, and the beds were full-size or queen-size. Turner H. read more

Booked 3 times from same day from Calif. spoke to manager. Still screwed up horrible rooms. Non smoking room smelled like smoke Cheap. Missing drawers. Heater had its own idea Guy are from test Incompetent Charged me 30 dollars ( I had 3 rooms) more a room then was quoted ( it wasn't for tax or fee) Pretty awful all the way around I usually like to write good reviews But had to be honest on this one read more

Bugs in the room and ripped towels and not a clean bathroom. The beds are uncomfortable. read more

Gateway Inn - Bugs in the room - Hotels Near Me - Merrick, New York

A hidden gem with a wonderful staff, clean, quiet and relaxing - gateway inn in Merrick NY, Long Island is an outstanding hotel.

Conveniently located near Jones beach. With a mere 10 minute ride to concert venue it's ok for an overnight and get the hell out next morning. It's old, run down with some questionable characters at 7-11 next door as well as hotel guests. I worked for Starwood Hotel & Resorts for 13 years. When we pulled up to the motel I turned to my husband and said, "oh how the mighty have fallen!" It's a dump, pillows were dead, ac worked good but continued to make a loud noise throughout the night which kept walking me up. We were given an outside room on first floor. I was certain we'd be dead by nights end. I was very uneasy with room location but was told it was the last room available. Difficult to explain room location other than I felt we were on the street and removed from the main motel building so felt less safe. The one window view was of the outside wall of main lobby. There was a flat screen TV and channel guide which worked so a star for that. The room with tax was definitely too much for the quality. read more

DO NOT STAY HERE - BE WARNED! The most disgusting and dirtiest room I've ever stayed in. I'm talking walk from the bathroom to the bed barefoot, your feet arBLACK. A fun cherry on top to the filth? Their AC unit did not work and our room stayed a balmy 78-80 degrees. The solution the front desk guy had was to give us the slimiest fan. This place made an hourly hotel look luxury. read more

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This place has horrible service, and needs an urgent makeover, paint is peeling and missing everywhere, from doors to walls, they definitely do not clean anything else other then the sheets and pillows. Yes it's cheap but there is no excuse for this property to be run so poorly. If you want to criticize a hotel, this place is for you. Roaches, Food & Oils All over the walls. Thank you gateway inn for reminding me why I shouldn't visit this beautiful city read more

The hotel was extremely dirty. Tons of stains on the walls, dirt on the floor, air conditioning filter needs to be replaced, smell of mold. Better to pay a bit more for something else local. We asked for a refund as we left. Clearly there were plenty of vacancies, and we were told no. Regardless of policy, if someone feels as uncomfortable as we did, one would think there's a bit more compassion, but sadly, no. Must to avoid. read more

This place is a dump that, I'm told by relatives, used to be nice under the prior owner. The current owner is seemingly not putting even a dime into the property. This hotel exudes neglect. We stayed here only because it is close to where we needed to be. The room was okay, but the HVAC unit was not calibrated properly, Although set to 73 degrees on a cold night, the room was much, much hotter than that. Before I knew that, I asked at the front desk for an extra blanket and was told there aren't any. If you stay here, be sure to reserve (and insist) upon an inside room, which will be quieter and a bit larger than the outside-facing rooms. The latter seem to attract some unsavory characters, at least some of whom appear to be conducting commercial activities involving physical intimacy in the rooms. The room rates are absurdly high given the overall condition of the place. Under the prior owner, a free continental breakfast was served. Now there is only coffee in the lobby. There is some upholstered furniture in the lobby, but there is a sign posted on the glass door to the lobby ordering people not to sit on the furniture (!). Stay here only if you have no other options, and keep your expectations very low. read more

Room was absolutely disgusting! Looked nothing like the pictures on their website. There was stains on the walls, the bathroom light was broken and dangling from the ceiling. Both of the beds sheets had stains on them and I found multiple pieces of hair on both bed sheets and pillows. That last thing I saw was a ROACH crawling on the wall going behind the mirror. read more

Gateway Inn - Roaches crawling on the wall - Hotels Near Me - Merrick, New York

Stay here this past weekend, and honestly it was not half bad. Obviously was there to visit jones beach which is super close, so that's certainly a plus for this hotel. Definitely would like to give a shoutout to the young woman at the front desk who was able to find us a room! Booking.com messed up our reservation, but this young woman found us a similar room for the same price, props to her! read more

If there was zero stars they would get 3 zeros first room they gave me was dirty and bathroom was moldy went back to front desk and they gave me another room which was worse than the first, I requested my money back and left to find another hotel listen carefully do not I repeat do not stay here rooms are discusting and dirty bathrooms are moldy beds are broken down paint is peeling off the walls and doors. they have the nerve to even rent those rooms out I repeat don't stay here run the other way read more

It is unbelievable how disgusting this hotel is. It's like walking into a horror movie. The rooms smell like stale cigarettes and when I woke up, it smelled like paint thinner. Everything is dirty, there's tape on the ceiling and so many mysterious stains on the walls, floor, and even ceiling. I'm glad I brought a blanket because there was no way I was putting my face directly on the pillow. The box springs are even covered in yellow stains as if they've never been cleaned or replaced. Odd adjoining door to the room next to us no thank you. This place is dated and is stuck in 1970, almost as if that's the last time it was truly clean. Next time, I'll just spend the extra money rather than staying in a dump like this. read more

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I stayed in room 102. All night from 0230a to 0500 someone was getting a bath or similar in room 101. The water sloshed all night. No voices, no discussions, just intermittent slosh frenzies. And the way I figure, my head was about 12 inches from the tub in the next room, inclusive of the wall between us. I don't know that for a fact but since I am an engineer, I'm pretty sure I'm within another 12 inches of truth. But the concern was that i woke up in a panic. The water was sloshing and someone was moaning. I thought that maybe someone was assisting a challenged person, be it autistic or otherwise handicapped, with getting a bath, or something like that. Yhe moans seemed to be consistent with the sloshing water. I also imagined that maybe someone had had a stroke and was trying to get help. But as I awoke more at 2:30a, I started to realize the moaning and sloshing were coming from separate places. and neither had anything to do with the other! The guy snoring in room 103 was the moaning and the sloshing from room 101, well, I have no idea what the hell that was, but it sounded like it was 12 inches from my head without a wall. I left my room at 5a and the sloshing was still going on. So maybe room 101 is where the pool is or something, but who cares? I was staying there for a good nights sleep. I did NOT get one. I will not be back. A tent has thicker walls... in my opinion. But none of my claims as to wall thickness or other structural issues are verified or proven. So, go ahead and see for yourself. The staff was cold but effective, and the parking was good. There was no physical lock like the one you use that only you can open AFTER inside. There was the deadbolt, and the cared-key entry, but nothing like the ones I usually see at the Ramada or Holiday Inn that only the person inside can open easily. Yeh, I wont be back, but you can check it out. Your call! Sleep well my friends! read more

OMG, I guess the lesson is do not take anything for granted. As in, "I got a good deal. How bad could it be? It's a room with a bed." HA! Free internet, in this case, does not mean free internet IN THE ROOM -- there is no wifi in the room itself. You have to sit in the lobby to get internet. And a "Garden Queen" doesn't mean if faces a "garden" or even a parking lot. It means the window faces a BRICK WALL RIGHT UP AGAINST THE WINDOW. It's literally like sleeping in a jail cell. I suppose other rooms might be nicer than the one I got, but, no matter what, DO NOT BOOK ROOM 101. If you must book this hotel, do your research and ASK if you will get WIFI and if you will be facing a wall. This is the worst hotel room in which I have ever had the misfortune to spend the night. BEWARE!!!!!!!! read more

Gateway Inn - Here is the view from the beautiful "Garden Queen" room! - Hotels Near Me - Merrick, New York

this place should've been renovated 20 years ago it was disgusting mold in the bathroom dirt on the walls paint coming off all over the place it was probably one of the worst hotels I've ever seen I wouldn't stay there again if they gave it to me for free read more

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It was so bad that I can't even give it one star the faucets were falling off. The towels were all stained. The pillows were flat the people at the desk were arrogant. There was so much noise going on you couldn't sleep, and then they refused to switch my room so I suggest you don't stay there read more

These rooms haven't been updated since the 90s. You would think since other hotels in the area are much nicer and charge the same they would of renovated by now. The black mold is the icing on the cake. read more

Gateway Inn - Black mold in bathroom - Hotels Near Me - Merrick, New York

Thank you, Gateway Inn, for another great stay at affordable prices! I'm reading all the bad reviews and feeling sad that Americans are all too spoiled to appreciate a decent, clean, quiet, secured place to get a good night's rest. Free parking. With Jones Beach 15 minutes away, Sunrise Diner 2 miles East, Seven Eleven next door, Pit Stop Diner steps away, what's not to like? We loved visiting the Cradle of Aviation Museum 15 minutes away, too, built on the field form which Lindbergh departed for Paris long ago. You can even arrive at the Gateway from Manhattan or from Eastern Long Island on the Long Island Railroad, which is steps away, or take a Lyft from JFK. My family and I have stayed here many times for family reunions and have never been disappointed. Ask for a deluxe interior upstairs room and you'll sleep like a baby with 1960s prices. Good AC, but also windows that open. Secured front door with 24/7 desk personnel. read more

If you like murder mysteries, random noises at night, sketchy locations, a receptionist that does nothing; and of course electricity not working in your room, this is the place for you. Arrived last night for a weekend reunion and our room was a scene from a horror film. I called three times to let the receptionist know we were running late but to not cancel my reservation and she had such a careless attitude. She had someone "fix" the lights in the bathroom while we were done, but it still ended up not working when we came back. The door to the bathroom didn't really work and it looked like someone took an axe and started hitting at it like The Shinning. When we were getting ready to go to sleep, we locked the door but even when it was turned; the door was still able to be opened from the outside. Unsafe, sketchy asf, I will never stay here again. If you have an option of elsewhere, do it. read more

*** I GIVE THIS PLACE NEGATIVE STARS *** Had to attend a party in the area and someone suggested this place saying it was close and clean. While it is close... I guess to the party this place was far from clean. Upon entering the room you are welcomed by a stench. If I had to describe it I would say it was a cross between dirty ass, stale cigarettes, and other body odors. Furniture dates to around the 1960's. Not the good stuff either. There are absolutely no amenities. No fridge. No microwave. I called the front desk and told them that the room smelled really bad. Wondered if possibly there was some accommodations could be made. Instead I was told there was a box of baking soda I could sprinkle in the room. NOT GONNA HELP. To top it off we could not watch television to escape our horrific sourroundings but because it was snowing, the satellite tv would not show. I am so disgusted by this place I will NEVER STAY AT *ANY* Gateway Inn again. Additionally I will be sending my review to AAA as I at least think they care if their sign is hanging outside. Any chain that charges excessively for a dIrty old room stuck in a time warp doesn't care about the people that visit from out of town. read more

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Horrific! A real dump. This place has really done downhill over the last few years. Moldy tub, flies in the bathroom... It had been a decent place when visiting family, but is no longer. Everyplace in the area is expensive, but it's worth paying more fora room that isn't like a 1950's dungeon and has been updated in this century! Stay away!! read more

Do NOT stay here!! As soon as I entered the room I felt like I was in a nightmare. This is an unbelievably dirty and disgusting place and I refused to sleep here upon seeing the accommodations. There were cobwebs in the corners of the room, the heat was cranked (probably to dry the weirdly damp moldy carpeting), and I felt like I couldn't breathe from all the dust and stuffiness. It smelled like the inside of a nursing home and I have never been more repulsed by a room before. Instead of sleeping here I was fortunate enough to have an understanding husband who was just as grossed out as I was and we drove 45 min to sleep at his brothers place on the floor instead of spend the night here. read more

I spent a week here recently due to a family funeral. Overall, I had a satisfactory experience, and would recommend the Gateway for anyone looking for a clean and comfortable place to sleep while busy with other things during their stay. There are quite a few pros and cons to consider. On the plus side, the rates are quite reasonable, the location convenient, the rooms comfortable (if small), and everything on the property is absolutely, spotlessly clean. (Seriously-- like an operating room.) The front desk staff was incredibly helpful, warm and sympathetic when they learned there reason I was there. That said, the down side is that the facilities and amenities are minimal. If you are looking for a fridge, coffee maker, or microwave in the room, you will be disappointed. There is a coffee machine in the lobby, but getting to it required a hike around the building in some nasty weather. The room I was initially given had no desk where I could work, but the manager immediately switched me to a different room that did have one when I asked. The bottom line here is, "You get what you pay for." If you are expecting to spend a lot of time in the room, or if you prefer a higher level of amenities, keep looking and be prepared to shell out accordingly. If you just need a clean and secure place to crash and shower while you are busy with other things during your visit-- with some very nice people on staff-- this is a fine choice as long as you know what to expect. I'd be quite willing to go back. read more

Pro: 1. The room is very clean. The cleaning women/men do an excellent job. 2. The bed was comfortable (Room 207) Con: 1. The room clerk was not at the check-in desk when I arrived (~9:15pm) and I had to wait ~10 minutes for him to return. 2. He initially gave me Room 102. When I asked what the wifi password was, he told me that Room 102 does not have wifi. I told him that Hotel Tonight, through which I booked the room, listed that the hotel has complimentary wifi. He said that when you book on Hotel Tonight, the hotel chooses the room, which may not have wifi. He then gave me Room 207, which had wifi. I believe that the hotel's listing on Hotel Tonight was misleading. If I select a hotel that lists that it has wifi, it should have wifi - in the room that I am assigned. Beware of this hotel's misleading practice! read more

We come to visit family and Jones Beach. It is nice to have a hotel room for a little privacy when visiting my family. Gateway is not fancy but is clean, friendly, reasonable price, quiet, has plenty of parking and a good basic breakfast in the morning. From the street it looks very plain, the rooms have interior windows on a nice green courtyard. We asked for government employee, AAA or mid-week discount and paid 98 for a room. This is walking distance from the LIRR is you want to go in to the city. This is $10 more than where we stayed 2 years ago, but much much nicer and with better breakfast. LI doesn't have a lot of hotels to chose from. read more

I've been staying at this motel for 25 years. The rooms are clean and the staff is friendly and accommodating. Located within walking distance to the LIRR Merrick train station, you have easy access to NYC. The Inn is near enough a major North/South highway to give you access to the Jones Beach State park and the Meadowbrook State Park. You couldn't find a better motel for the price. read more

Okay but not great. Clean bathroom, room a good size, inside room was very quiet given noise of Sunrise highway. Did my bed bug check ( no signs found) and found remains of a cracker under the pillow. Lining of black out shades were ripped and carpet could have used a better vacuuming. read more

Husband returned from a week stay at Gateway. His back is covered in bites, which we can only assume are from bed bugs. I will be contacting the hotel to let them know in hopes they do something about it. read more

Far exceeds expectations and the staff is friendly, accommodating and professional. Special Kudos to the Reservation Manger Jeremy and the Front Desk Manager Larry for their 5 Star reservation and customer service skills. The Property review: Clean, Updated, Great Location AND a 7-11 right next door for snacks and beach standards. This place is one of those places you don't want to tell everyone about because it will only make it harder to reserve in the future...but I think the staff deserves some credit for providing great service when it's unexpected. Please keep up the great work and we will see you soon! read more

We always stay here when we are on the island. It's a great little motel with comfy rooms that doesn't cost 3 arms and a leg! The staff is always really helpful to make for a pleasant stay. I need a room on the first floor and they have always been more than happy to accommodate me. Extra pillows? Not a problem...give them a call at the desk and they'll bring them to you. The continental breakfast has a great selection of pastries, fresh fruit and cereal. Coffee and tea are available 24 hours a day in the lobby that is also a nice guilt relaxing atmosphere to meet up with local friends. read more

My friend and I stayed here for three night the rooms and Bathrooms are clean pretty much. The housekeeping does a great job the front desk is a bit rude but besides that I recommend this place to stay in. read more

Great experience. I needed a couple of days away this was the perfect place. I had a room outside the lobby. The room was quiet and comfortable. 24 hour coffee was available and continental breakfast a plus. The staff was very pleasant and helpful. I would definitely stay here again. read more

Booked through hotel tonight, apparently the rooms they give to those booking through hotel tonight will not have wifi (at least not a usable one) although it is listed as having wifi. They may try to claim that was the particular room I was in, but its obvious they give those rooms for the cheaper price. You get what you pay for I guess, but man that sucks as I had important work to do, but was screwed. smh im definitely avoiding this place if I can't even have working wifi read more

Very nice for the price. Cheapest hotel I've found in the area. Offers a military discount, clean, complementary breakfast and coffee that doesn't taste like garbage. The usual man at the check-in desk is very friendly. I've stayed here many times with no complaints. read more