A Great Value, Staff and Comfortable
I have traveled regularly to NYC for several decades at all budgets. It is frustrating to try to find a place that is quiet, comfortable, spotless, with a great staff, updated and efficient for less than the cost of my monthly house payment. I think the Giraffe delivers on all of these. Too many well known hotels are simply noisy, a little frayed around the edges, have just OK staff. I can endure any of those things, but what is really bugging me these days is how hotels offer an attractive basic rate but then get you with service fees for everything. At the Giraffe all the basics are included. For example you will read numerous posts about the nice breakfast in the morning, the wine and cheese at night and then later cookies. I appreciate the free papers (NYT, WSJ) and free WiFi as well as little things like two free bottles of water in the room. (By comparison, I was just at the W in San Francisco and they charge you $4 a bottle in the room!). The beds and linens are extremely comfortable. Bedside is an iPhone docking station. The closet actually had enough space for my wife and I to hang everything for 4 days. We had 2 chairs for sitting in the room and plenty of space to move around (it was a King)
The staff was always pleasant and friendly. They all seem to really enjoy their jobs and working at the Giraffe. I will certainly return.
This is a comfortable hotel. It isn't a hip, boutique experience. There were many people from Europe, all ages and families. 
The hotel can book a car service to JFK for $77 including fare, tax, tip. A cab can easily run you $55 and wont be as comfortable or ready for you.