Kew Motor Inn
This is a 1960s lunch menu from the inn's restaurant, the Harlequin Room. The menu has various sandwiches, appetizers like chopped liver, and entrees like sirloin steak.
This 1976 advertisement features an illustration of the hotel and a list of amenities available.
This 1983 advertisement, titled "The Magic is Love", features a couple inside a heart. There is a list of rooms and amenities below the couple.
This 1985 advertisement is titled "From Outer Space to Your Luxurious Room...the Magic is Love!" It shows a picture of a satellite and goes on to say how they now have satellite transmission for TV. This ad also doubled as a coupon, where if you showed it at the front desk you could get a free gift.
Known Name(s)
Kew Motor Inn
Address
80-05 Grand Central Pkwy., Kew Gardens Hills 35 Queens, NY
Establishment Type(s)
Hotel
Physical Status
Extant
Description
On 80-05 Grand Central Parkway in Jamaica, Queens, the Kew Motor Inn was erected in 1962. This rectangular building is modern in design taking its cues from the international style. It is a four-story structure with a flat roof. The front and rear elevations feature narrow bays of windows divided by strong vertical elements. The windows have fixed upper panes and lower operable outward opening panes to allow ventilation. Both ends of the building lack any windows. The end facing Union Turnpike has a sign that reads “Kew Motor Inn” in big red letters. The end of the building is embellished with a small white raised diamond pattern over the entire elevation.
Since construction in 1962, the exterior has undergone some changes. A photograph from 1966 shows that the current extended entryway, which provides protection from the weather, was non-existent back then. While the exterior of the first floor was once embellished with a decorative pattern featuring one triangle balanced on top of another, those are no longer extant. A new sign graces the new extended entryway. Where once there were big, blocky red capital metal letters there is now a blue and white flashing electronic sign.
What the original 1960s interior looked like is currently unknown. However, we do have pictures of what the rooms now look like. The lobby is heavily mirrored. Guest rooms include: the Safari room, featuring a large mural of African animals, the Oriental Delight room, with chintz wallpaper and various East Asian decorations, and the Mirror Room with mirrors covering all the walls and the whole ceiling. The Arabian Nights room has metallic orange and gold vertical striped wallpaper and vaguely Arabian styled furniture to match its theme. The hallway has green doors and a green and purple multi-patterned carpet.
Detailed History
The Kew Motor Inn was built in 1962. A newspaper article from 1965 indicates it was one of many lodging establishments gearing up for the 1965 season, presumably to serve visitors coming to the world’s fair. It was in the Green Book from 1963-1966. By the 1970s, however, the Kew Motel had taken a different promotional approach, focusing on its appeal to couples seeking love and romance. The ads for this establishment promoted mirrored sweetheart suites, sumptuous rooms, and how the hotel was “the place to celebrate romance.” Ads also mentioned AM/FM radios as a feature, along with free fresh flowers.
The establishment had a relationship with Duke Baldwin, a local restaurant critic who lived at the hotel for a period. Baldwin advertised his promotional capabilities and had a local TV show where he featured area celebrities. Baldwin promoted the hotel and its restaurant in the N.Y. Amsterdam News from 1976 to 1986 or so.
The hotel’s in-house restaurant, the “Harlequin Room,” had a reputation due to its advertising by Duke Baldwin. He constantly praised the food. Along with this, many events were held there in the 1960s and 1970s according to local newspapers. Looking at an old menu and Baldwin’s sponsored articles, the notable items the restaurant used to serve included sirloin steak, veal cutlet, peach melba, filet mignon, and lobster tails. Of course, they also served breakfast and lunch at an affordable price.
In 1966, the Kew Motor Inn was sold to Lawerence S. Ingoglia. He didn’t own it for very long, as Jack Nager bought it in 1967.
The change in ownership may have led to a change in clientele. In 1966, The Kew Motor Inn held a Reform GOP politicians’ dinner. It included three of New York City Mayor John Lindsay’s cabinet members, the Buildings and Marketing Commissioners, as well as first deputy commissioner of Marine and Aviation. However, the following year, the NYC Relocation and Welfare departments moved in 555 tenants from heatless buildings into the establishment.
Over the years, the hotel has become known for unsavory activities. There have been several police blotter reports of criminals making the hotel their base of operation, the most notable being a trio of bank robbers in 1967. In fact, one of them helped rob a bank on his wedding day. The ringleader had mob ties and a connection with the hotel’s bar.
More recently in 2012, the hotel was raided because of allegations of prostitution happening on its premises. Currently, the hotel is still open, and rooms can be rented by the hour or night through its website or on the phone.
