Read this before you book! This is absolutely NO early check in whatsoever under no circumstances. Guests were waiting in the lobby for hours on end until 3:00:00pm to check in. I observed guests sleeping in the common area waiting. You should plan your flight/travel accordingly. There is only 1 staff member that does check in. I waited 1.5 hours (from 3pm) to get checked in. There will be a line ahead of you. Also, do expect your key card might not work after you try to get into your room. This is a common issue. Blankets and towels must be REQUESTED. Only the fitted, flat and pillow case will be on your bed at arrival. The rooms do not look like the photos at all. This didn’t bother me but just FYI. Bathrooms are communal and range from small to large. Single use only. One bathroom toilet was in need of desperate repair as it spray water everywhere when attempting to flush. I also recommend bringing your own Toilet Paper as it had run out at some point during the stay. Heat (during the winter) is set at one temp and is not adjustable. At least it was perfectly warm. Regarding the beds - yikes! You can absolutely feel the metal bed frame beneath you. The “mattresses” really need to be replaced as they are worn out. I found myself sleeping on the upper or lower half of the bed. The amenities, scarce as they are, are absolutely irrelevant. The hot water for tea or coffee is broken, permanently. To conclude, I’d rebook this hostel as a last resort. I hope you found this review helpful in your decision making.

*SCAM* If you read other reviews, you will find the hotel quite often does not have the accommodations that were prepaid for, and it does not come through with a refund. It’s bad news to show up at a hotel in NYC late at night to find the accommodations you prepaid for, are not available. I booked my room two months in advance and paid for my room a month in advance. I messaged the hotel three times to let them know I would arrive late at night. When I arrived, they had sold the bed I had already paid them for, and they had no bed for me. I slept on a couch in the common area. I have not been able to get a refund for the paid-for night when they were unable to accommodate me. The staff, especially Sam, was delightful. This could be a decent hotel if it were not running a SCAM! If I ever get my refund, I will update my review to reflect that. As the other reviews have mentioned, the pictures in no way reflect the actual accommodations.

This place is cheap and it has that going for it. Also the bedroom was clean and surprisingly spacious. Good location. Downsides: bed/mattress awful, terribly uncomfortable. The floor would probably be better. Thankfully I brought a camping mattress and popped it on top and slept ok. AC for the bedroom seemed to work but was very loud and also sort of broken. They say 24hr check-in but on multiple occasions the desk was unstaffed. I saw people waiting ages to check in because nobody was there. They would also overbook and turn people away, even with a reservation. The "kitchen" is no such thing. Just some microwaves and a fridge. No toaster, no cutlery or kitchen utensils. Bathrooms were clean enough. They only sometimes provided hand soap, toilet paper was sometimes missing, and they never had a way to dry your hands. Overall I would stay again, just because it was so much cheaper than anywhere else, but I would definitely bring something to address the terrible mattress!

PLEASE DON'T BOOK WITHOUT READING THIS. Me and my partner booked 4 nights in a private room at this hostel. Beside the terrible beds, dirty showers and no personal for 45 minutes during check in, we didnt feel uncomfortable enough to leave this place. Later, while being out during the day, someone entered our room, touched our stuff and ate part of our food. The hostel was fully unaware of that and told me the cameras were broken, so we could not check in. We could barely sleep on thst first night and felt unsafe leaving our stuff in the room (there are no locks - of course) We suggested to check out and get a full refund for this unpleasant experience. The manager and staff in charge accepted this request. Unfortunately and on top of all of this, the hostel didn't issue a refund with our booking platform and informed that a refund is not possible. This place is not worth its price. The staff is never at the entrance and anyone can just enter and steal a key. The cameras obviously are not working and the manager is aware of all this issues but does not care. There are way better options for 10-15 dollars more.

I will use this place again. It's right down the street from central park, a subway, a CVS and a starbucks. The room was pretty clean and people were cleaning things when I arrived. The guy running the desk at night helped me with finding a few things around the area I needed, nice people. Downsides for me, was it was COLD and it's February. All that's on the bed is a sheet. I ended up sleeping fully dressed every night. Also my shower in my room was broken.

Here's the most honest review as of September 2021.. I was a little skeptic about this place because there were so many mixed reviews on expedia and other places. The check in was super easy, and I got assigned to the type of room that I had reserved online. I booked a room with a bunk bed, and yeah, the furniture is not new, but the beds were nice and sheets were clean. No signs of bugbeds or any other types of bugs in the room or in the hostel. There is one bathroom per floor, but it was always clean and it always had toilet paper. Hot water was also availabe and the shower was clean. Final review, if you are looking for a budget friendly place then I highly recomend it. For me I just wanted a place to sleep, leave my luggage and shower. I would definitely stay there again and I recomend it for those who are traveling on a budget.

Garbage hostel. Broken beds. Not a single working toilet. Smelled like garlic chicken and fish oil. No soap in sight. Dry vomit on the floor and bathroom sink. The employees don’t work. They just sit around drinking Pepsi and watching nba highlights from three months ago. Didn’t see any bugs or rats so that was pretty nice. Our bed was broken completely with a mattress the thickness of a double stuffed Oreo. It was fun though. These people are totally scamming everyone that comes through. Sort of respect that. Gotta get that bag by any means necessary.

We had the worst experience ever at the Central Park West Hostel. We booked a double bed room for 2 and when we arrived they could only find us 2 separate rooms with people we didn't know. The rooms weren't ready and we saw mice. They didn't have enough keys so we needed to ask the welcomedesk to open the room each time we went out. It was dirty. They told us we would get a refund as we didn't get the double bed room as we booked, but we never have heard from they after we left and we have no possibility to get in touch with them.

I have a reservation room with shower and restroom. However, staff told me the room wasn't available when I arrived. Toilet at fifth floor was clogged without cleaning 😫 That time I didn't expect any soundproof of the room. The most terrifying thing was a male open my door at midnight! But my room was only for female! I thought I would never choose this hostel again.

Amazing location but room looked like a crack house with destroyed furniture, broken lamps, a view into another individuals apartment and no blinds to have privacy. We did not feel comfortable walking in the room without our shoes on. Beds felt worn out (sweaty from years of use). Spent an hour wanting for the employee to come to the front desk to check in and out. Fine if you just need a place to sleep for a night or two but wouldn't recommend long term.

This place should not exist... Bathroom locks don't work, some toilets were out of order, and one was missing a seat all together; if that wasn't enough there was dried puke on the floor and hallways. Bed frame was broken as were steps on the stairs which are a major hazard. The pictures online did not accurately represent the room in any way shape or form. Being priced low does not excuse the lack of certain basic human needs and cleanliness standards. So not cool.

The pictures don’t reperesent the current estate of the place. Clumpsy repairs, old looking and dirty. It has bugs and the beds are in terrible condition. The matresses are thin as paper and there is a bar crossing the bad frame that stab you in the back. Make yourself a favor and avoid this place at all cost.

The hostel is very good for the price. The value for money is exceptional. Some things that MUST be improved are the cleanliness of the lobby and the wifi coverage. I agree with other comments, the location of the hostel is the best thing. By the way, ask the hostel team days before you arrive if they have your room available or not, because they may have already overbooked. Keep on traveling!

Room was very basic but was fine for the price. Hot water for shower and rooms were very clean. Had microwave and refrigerator in common area. Make sure you get a key card for the front door if you come in late.

They do not know how to run a business the rooms were entirely too hot the bathroom was always dirty and they completely overbooked on New Year's Eve. I returned to my room in the early hours of New Year's Day to find out that my room had been rebooked and my bed had been giving away and was told that there was no room left in the hotel that every room was full and I had a reservation for a week and had already been there for a day. Worst hotel ever........

Booked a single room and when I came to check in I was informed that it’ll be a sharing room with another person. Absolutely Terrible, If you want to have peace of mind and you have hard earned money then stay away from this Place!!! Avoid it at all cost

If I could give zero stars, I would Some people live there, and they are rude! I rent a room with 2 beds for 1 person, and when I got there, was another person in my room that I needed to share. A old man that was in the down room, came all the time to my room to yell and say bad words because I was stepping hard on the floor, and I wasn't, I was just arrived there. He was aggressive with the sound, I couldn't walk in the room because of him. It's not a good place, It's not clean, and safe. They say that they have lockers in the room, bulshittttt

Staff was amazing! Hostel was clean, great for travellers and young people at heart that are looking to vibe and explore NYC. Myself and my friend both said we would go back again to book since it’s so close to so much! I would not recommend for people who are expecting the Hilton because it’s not that type of place we are young people in our 20’s and early thirties. Hotel cleaning everyday, pillows and sheets to sleep in it’s great for leaving your stuff and continuing your adventure as everyone in there is doing the same. We drank and shared with other guests!🖤🖤🇺🇸🗽🍎💋

They are totally cheating with the pictures they show in the website, the rooms hallways and restrooms are dirty , the mattress are dirty and also the pillows this place is gross don’t come!

I've stayed in a lot of hostels, and this was pretty terrible. The location was good as it's close to the 1 and a few blocks from B/C metro stations, but those are both local trains and take a while to get anywhere. Location is also good because it's close to restaurants, Central Park, and the Hudson waterfront. But location is not enough. The rooms were tiny, mattresses were so thin and worn out that I could feel the frame of the bed right through them. It was terrible. The room had no ventilation and it was extremely warm with no way to change it. I was given a thin sheet for my blanket, but apparently it was enough with the strong heater. I didn't feel very comfortable there at all also due to covid, as my vaccination card was not checked during check-in. I wouldn't be surprised if this place causes covid spread. At least each room only has 2 beds. The bathrooms were fine but I ended up showering at the gym instead because it didn't look great, also I wasn't given a towel. I had to wait for a pillow too for a few hours because apparently the other person in my room took my pillow, so the staff had to go wash it and air-dry it. There's no extra pillows in the entire hostel? Odd. The hallway to the bathroom also smelled like smoke all the time, it was really disgusting. At least the bathroom didn't smell, although it wasn't the cleanest either. Wifi was fast which I appreciated. Common area was small and dingy, really not much going on there. Relatively cheap compared to other hostels, but for how far it is from downtown and for the quality, I would not recommend staying here.

You get what you paid for, If you go only to sleep that’s okay, the rooms are dirty, the beds… well can we call that bed? The bathrooms looks like they never clean them, honestly the only good thing about this place is the location… I’m about to check out and there’s nobody at the front desk. If you are coming with plans that includes be out the whole day, you could consider this place.. any other.. just stay away.

Rooms are cool. Only two people. Mostly clean. Saw a few tiny bugs. Only accepts people from out of state. Kitchen is just a hot/cold water machine and two microwaves. No plates and they barely have plastic utensils behind the front desk. Stayed for one night. Okay place for sure but I wish they had an actual kitchen. Shares the building with apartment tenants. Amazing location, a stone's throw from Central Park and in a very expensive neighborhood, the Upper West Side. Not much in the way of extras, very basic, bathrooms oddly small, old building I suppose. Cheapest price however you'll find in the whole city.

I met 4 staff members all were caring and actually helped me get around. The rooms were clean with the beds made also it was a great size. the toilet was clean with no smells. I would highly recommend it.

Scary, some toilet seats were missing, loud through the night. I thought the orphanage AGO was bad. It was. This place is a challenge too. Positive points are it is cheap, good location and friendly staff.

I really enjoyed my stay at the HI New York Hostel. I was there for a period of 2 weeks. I wasn't even sure of my exact dates of checking out and Patrick at the reception was very understanding of my situation and was flexible enough to add and subtract the dates of stay. Additionally, due to COVID, all the rooms had just one person, so I was the only one in a room meant for 6 people. All the sheets and pillow cases and towels were fresh and clean. I could request for towels anytime and was gladly given one. There are very small downsides that are with this hostel; one being the bathroom outside of my room (in my case) which meant that I had to mask up every time I stepped out of my room even for a quick visit to the bathroom. But apart from that, the hostel staff was very friendly, the whole place was very neat and clean and pretty much better what you would expect in a hostel.

It feels very unsafe overall as you won't get a card and will have to ask the staff to open your room for you (that is, if you're lucky enough to find them in the first place). The internet only works in the lobby and the corridors are really cramped. It's really cheap and has a great location however.

Stayed there in 2018, I loved it!!! Great price, friendly and informative staff, prime location, I tell all my friends about it. I'll be back New York ... trust

Most miserable place I’ve ever stayed in my life , it’s noisy it’s cold . It looks nothing like the pictures. I booked trying to save money on a trip that was poorly planned. I can’t sleep.. it’s miserable…

This place is a scam! Don't stay here! If you try to cancel, they will tell you to go through the booking platform and then deny the refund. They don't give you any key cards. You'll have to rely on the front desk person to unlock your door or you won't be allowed to even CLOSE your door and if you do, someone will have to climb up the fire escape and open the door from the inside.

The furniture is dated, often no hot water in the shower, wifi only in the lobby. Location is good, close to subway, Central park.

Came here dec 15-18 and the staff have been incredibly helpful so far. They accomodated everything i needed for my short trip to new york. If i came here again, id choose this hostel. Amazing for the price i paid

Amazing location My stay was above my expectations to be honest Bed was NOT the most comfortable but i could sleep well since i was very tired and couldn't hear any noise It’s a very budget oriented place to stay so it might be not for everyone.

Great location, Close to central park and Times square about 20min. Excellent service regards helping guest. Both Dim & Mick are helpful. The venu need to be refresh !

I had to cancel my trip due to COVID and followed their cancellation policy - No answer to phone or response online. Still waiting to talk to someone about the partial refund.

DO NOT STAY HERE. Rooms are dirty, extremely hot, no ventilation, mattresses are as thin as air, and no lockers in a shared bedroom. Bathrooms are filthy, most toilets are clogged, no toilet paper or soap to be seen. Random people walking around the building. Not even a good place to stay if you just want somewhere to crash. Scary and unsafe. Stay away at all costs.

The room was not ready after the check-in time. The room was not well maintained and very old. The restroom did not have enough toilet papers and no hand soap.

1) affordable 2) matched my hopes & expectations as I was hoping for a funky, but safe and comfortable place to perch for a vacation in NYC 3) best sleep I’ve had in years!

Good place if you want something cheap and close to local attractions

good location but its the literally the worst hostel I have ever been to. Its unsafe, dirty, very poor service. NO WIFI. NO kitchen. No wifi in rooms.

This place is a huge scam. Never had a worst experience. We booked two nights because the pictures look decent and it was affordable for New York. When we were ready to check in at 3pm the room was not ready so we had to wait 1 hr. We were finally informed the room was ready and when we got the the room it was not clean with trash everywhere and dirty linen. We informed the receptionist we wanted a refund he said he understood. But we would have to call third party because he would not do it. After contacting third party they needed permission from the hostel to confirm refund but they never did so we were charged regardless. Let it be known when you try to contact the hostel no one will answer the phone and their email does not exist. This place is terrible. They don’t even have locks for the doors so if you have anything valuable good luck. You would be better off sleeping on the street then staying here you will also save your money.

The value of the hostel was well-worth the price, and the location was great for all access to the city and Central Park, especially for my first time travelling solo in New York City. However, the place needs a lot of maintenance when it comes to cleanliness in each room, and just a friendly reminder to keep an eye on your luggage because there can be a few coakroaches lurking around. The bathrooms were shared, and they were dirty most of the time of my stay. The service was acceptable and took their customers to consideration, but if you request for stuff (such as towels, blankets, soaps, etc.), it would cost you extra, and it's an inconvenience for travellers who came from anywhere in the world. Overall, it's alright for those who travel alone and only need basic necessities, but I wouldn't recommend booking there again personally. So, if you want peace and quiet without getting disturbed by another visitor in the middle of the night while you're asleep AND a tidy clean room with a private bathroom, I'd suggest paying for more in a Holiday Inn or a Wyndham.

If you can stand cockroaches everywhere in your room, smelly bed, cold showers, and basically old and dirty everything, this is the place for you because it’s cheap and the location is good. If you can’t, DO NOT live here. My trip would be so much better if I did not live in this hostel. I basically felt bad every night because of the thought of going back to this place. Staff was pretty friendly so I can’t really imagine why they are okay with this hostel ruining people’s experiences.