James Gibson

Review of Hostelling International New Y...

This hostel provided an excellent place for me to ...

This hostel provided an excellent place for me to stay at an economical price. I stayed overnight on June 20, 2018 while visiting New York City alone.

I stayed in the male six bed premium dorm for $62. This is a great bargain compared to New York City hotel rates. And my stay in the six bed premium dorm included free shower shoes and a free light breakfast of three items (cereal or muffin, a piece of fruit, and coffee or tea).

I arrived probably about 8 or 9 p.m. and check-in went smoothly. A male restroom was near my room. And it had enough showers and toilets that there was no problem with waiting. The restrooms were clean and well maintained, too.

I took a shower that evening, and the water temperature was good and easy to adjust. I would have preferred a bit more water pressure, but the water pressure was consistent and sufficient. The shower stall had a bench to put ones clothes, keys, wallet, etc., on while showering and a lock on the door. A hair dryer was available in the bathroom, too.

The room I stayed in was clean, the bed was comfortable, and the window offered a view of the neighborhood. Each of the six beds in the room also has a nice sized free locker. The locker in the room was large enough to accommodate my backpack, camera case, and some other items. I brought my own lock, but they sell locks for between 3 and 4 dollars.

Even larger lockers are available for rent on the lower level of the hostel that are probably large enough to accommodate most suitcases. I'm not sure how many of those there are, and I didn't need to use one.

The window air conditioning unit in the room either did not work well or the thermostat was set inaccurately. But when I arrived a supplemental air conditioning unit was on the floor running at high speed and keeping the room at a comfortable temperature.

The supplemental unit was very noisy, however. When I went to bed about 11 or 11:15 p.m., I turned it down with the permission of the other person who was there. The remaining four of my five roommates came in after I was in bed. But they were reasonably quiet, and I slept reasonably well.

I only spoke briefly with my five roommates in the evening and/or the next morning. But all seemed to be nice, friendly persons.

I hope to make a future visit sometime and stay for a few days or a week. The hostel offers a variety of activities, including tours of New York City, and I hope to take advantage of those on a future visit.

The hostel's cafe is open until 11 p.m. And after I arrived I enjoyed a veggie burger (about $6.25 including tax). The morning of my departure I enjoyed oatmeal and a banana as a free light breakfast and purchased an orange juice (about $2.50). There is also a deli/grocery across the street from the hostel that is apparently open 24 hours a day. A Dunkin' Donuts, Papa John's Pizza, and other restaurants are also nearby.

Behind the hostel there is a patio area with tables and chairs and a small amount of greenspace that hostel visitors can use. I only walked briefly through it, but several visitors seemed to be enjoying fellowshipping there. The neighborhood may or may not be safe for late at night, but I felt reasonably safe near the hostel around 10 p.m.

I rode the #1 Subway train to and from the hostel. This Subway route has a stop on Broadway only one block from the hostel which is on Amsterdam. The Subway runs 24 hours a day and during most of the day runs every few minutes.

I urge visitors to New York City traveling alone on a budget to consider staying at the hostel. I was impressed and hope to stay there again on a future visit.