Disclaimer: This review reflects my personal experience. I'm being fully transparent and honest…read moreabout my stays at this hostel, which I visit once a year for both personal and business reasons. I've been coming to this hostel since 2017, and while I've had a mix of experiences--some good and some not--most of them have been positive. I'm bilingual and tend to understand travelers better than most. I usually book through Hostelworld, which I recommend for anyone looking for a fair price and reliable booking. One of the highlights is the people you meet here. I've connected with travelers from Chile, Germany, France, Canada, and Japan, and shared great moments watching FIFA games--yes, including watching Salt Bae embarrass himself on national television. As a photographer and documentarian, it's my job to assess and evaluate conditions at establishments like this. Some people may not like the location, but I personally do. The hostel is only 5-10 minutes from Manhattan's East Village, with a nearby subway stop at Morgan Ave. The surrounding area is made up of warehouses and lofts and is frequently used as a filming location for movies and TV shows. There are also excellent food spots nearby, including a great bar and pizza place just down the block. When checking in, make sure to lock up your belongings. If you have larger items, you can ask the front desk to store them for you. The hostel does offer handicap accessibility and an elevator, which is not common in many hostels. This is a good option for large groups, families, or group travelers, as long as you book in advance. Rooms are cleaned daily, so please allow housekeeping the opportunity to clean both rooms and bathrooms. I recommend staying here because the layout is comfortable, and beds are first come, first serve, allowing some flexibility. The showers are excellent, and there is free coffee and tea available. There is no breakfast, but there are nearby cafés, or you can buy food and cook in the large shared kitchen. Please label your food properly, and if you're leaving and have leftovers, relabel them as free so nothing goes to waste. Another disclaimer: I received no compensation for this review. Yelp has previously accused me of solicitation, and I want to make it clear that this is an independent review. I am a professional traveler, licensed journalist, and documentarian--it's my responsibility to inform others about the conditions and well-being of businesses operating in New York City. There is no laundromat inside the hostel, but there is one just around the corner with affordable pricing. There's also a game room located in the lower basement, on the same floor as the kitchen--great for socializing and downtime. My name is Panda, and this is my official review of the hostel as of 2023. If you need assistance during your stay, I highly recommend speaking with Nico or Jonathan. They are the longest-serving staff members, knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely helpful.

I stayed in a shared room with 5 beds for two weeks while looking for housing in the city. The NY…read moreMoore is an easy recommendation for me for other people in the same situation. I'm a regular hostel user whenever I travel and something I didn't anticipate here was having my own standalone bed (i.e., not a bunk bed) as well as the room having plenty of space. Bathroom was a nice size and was cleaned daily. The amenities in the basement were solid. I didn't cook much but I did take full advantage of the fridges/freezers. Luggage storage came in handy when I moved!

HI Hostel NYC was clean, convenient and easy to find. I frequently use hostels or rentals with…read morecommunal spaces. The bathrooms here were clean and functional. Staff was friendly and made check in a breeze! In addition to a communal kitchen they had a cafe downstairs with grab and go options, a hot menu and coffees. Easy location to the subway and Central Park. We loved staying in a mostly chill area of the city. Easy to walk to restaurants all around.

I had stayed at HI's three different locations in California and they never disappoint. they are…read moregive you what you need and it's amazing. staying 4 days here in NYC location before moving back to California. I asked for a lower bunkbed and they were very kind to arrange it for me. the best part is the cafe in downstairs who sells affordable priced food and drinks from 8 am to 11pm. so if you wanna avoid cooking in hostel with strangers you can still manage to eat decent meals. also it's huge. probably the biggest HI hostel i had seen so far. such beautiful vibes and friendly staffs.

this is a wonderful hostel! there are not many in the area but this one definitely serves the…read morepurpose. I stayed here during a staycation where I just wanted to get away from my home for a bit. the family that lives here is very very nice and extremely inviting. the rooms are spacious and the beds are comfortable. there is a large living area for anyone to stay in. the property is beautiful and there is a woods and a lake to explore. also plenty of parking available. I would recommend this place to any and everyone !!!

Day 1 Close to the J train. So far, the staff is friendly…read more The single rooms are tiny; 5.5' x 7.5' would be my guess. Bring your lock, but I'm dot sure if a 15" laptop will fit in the locker but a 13" will at an angle.

Do you like being able to hear people clipping their nails,breathing, what song they are listening…read moreto via their headphones? Do you find unhelpful receptionists charming? Is the idea of terrible showers where everyone can see you naked appeal to you? Does the sound of a metro that is so loud it makes the whole building shake excite you? Congratulations you have found the perfect place to stay. They may have changed name to international student residence but worry not because for the low prices of 50 dollars per night you get all of the above plus people's alarms going of 8 times at 6 am, phone conversations on speaker at 11 in the evening and no windows. If I could give less stars I would. You are also not allowed water in your room.

Just like title says a good value for the money. From what I know this seems to be the nicer part…read moreof Brooklyn. I however did not opt to go exploring due to being unfamiliar with the area and not knowing the exact route to the subway. The host was more than accommodating, there was however some confusion in regards to check in time. If you have never stayed in a hostel or are expecting a upscale hotel, you might want to reconsider the word. There is a large flat screen tv, multiple gaming consoles, & adequate cooking space. Sleeping quarters where cramped, but it's what I was expecting for being what it is. David will also for a fee, shuttle you to Port Authority, the airport ETC. Absolutely zero complaints and would love to stay here again in the future!

My first time traveling alone through New York and I came here. Clean, felt safe, and quiet…read more I had breakfast in the kitchen with some other travelers. They provided some fruit and other options. I like this location in the city. There is a Whole Foods near with a hot bar & a great place to sit upstairs. The flatiron building is close by, Ralph's coffee, Eataly, and La Pecora Bianca (Italian). And, plenty more to do in walking distance

Fantastic accommodations for the price and great location!…read moreFriendly staff and private rooms are available. Comfortable beds and pillows. And they do provide towels and a delicious and fantastic breakfast which helps you save some money while staying in NYC. There is a full kitchen available to use and a refrigerator so you can save and reheat leftovers from eating out, or make a meal yourself if you wanted to (there are dishes and all of that available). The common area are nice and clean, and the area where this is located felt very accessible and safe. I really enjoyed the flatiron district and this is very close to the flatiron building and Madison square park which was beautiful. Citi bikes and subway was also a short walk away and there was a CVS right around the corner in case you forgot anything for your stay. I would definitely stay here again!

Tiny pod rooms; essentially a twin bed with a couple of hooks on the wall. There's a lot of them in…read moreeach section, and in the shared bathrooms, there are two shared showers and one toilet, and two sinks. The pod rooms are essentially open roofs ( there's a cross wood slats covering) and you can hear every snorer, sneezer, sleep talker, etc. in your area, so bring ear plugs and eye covers. Doors use code locks, and there's always someone coming in and out late at night slamming them. The bathroom was clean and the hardworking cleaning lady usually shows up around 7am to clean them, so plan your shower around that. They have super hot water and rainfall shower heads, but shower is tiny. Perfect Bowery location with associated Street noise, so ask for a pod away from Street. The front desk was always manned by a nice attendant, and they do offer free coffee and a pleasant area to sit and relax. Free wifi and a communal kitchen. I paid about $700 for a single pod, and that was the cheapest room in all of Manhattan!

For one person it's fine here ! Rooms are small and tight ! All I hear in the mornings are zippy…read moreand zips for like an hour. The don't have hangers for your clothes to hang up! There's heat and WiFi in the hostel ! The have free , coffee, tea and hot chocolate w. Hot water station . They have an outlets in your room! Some rooms may be a bit bigger depends on who it's positioned! It has a consiedge on the second floor ! This is one of the best HOSTELS I've been in da city !

Nice, spacious lounge and friendly desk service. Was going to crash at my cousin's studio but had…read moreto stay here for the night bc he still had company over. All good! I'm happy to find such a clean and well appointed hostel within such short notice. Their lounge is complete with comfy seating areas, a communal kitchen, a big screen TV and even billiards. Score.

Somewhat convenient, if in slightly sketchy location. I think two rooms per floor have windows -…read moreand these are so close to the subway if it had one of those I'd have been hesitant to open the window! (On the third floor at least this only seems to be two single rooms). It's also at the level of the third floor - you can see them passing through the window. They say rooms are serviced daily and beds changed every two days, however my bin was emptied once in three days and the changed bedding was a stained towel and a clean sheet left on the bed. (The ladies who cleaned were friendly), some staff seemed nice enough, some had quite the attitude - if you go it's easy to work out who is who. You're woken up by any neighbours turning lights on as the ceiling doesn't reach to the top and it's always a fun surprise on arrival when you're asked for a deposit, without any forewarning! The second floor should be okay - however carrying a 20kg suitcase up some pretty steep stairs isn't a fun experience by any stretch, nor is arriving to the area your room is in, to find it smelling rather unpleasant. I had to take to sleeping with headphones on (as often the 10:30pm "quiet time" wasn't adhered to) and with a hat to cover my eyes for when a neighbour decided they needed to turn their lights on at 3am! Whilst I was there I overheard another guest (yes, you can hear everything no matter how hard you try not to!) mention he was leaving due to the heat in the rooms, which seems difficult to control? When I first arrived the place was a sauna! Later someone opened windows, which was fine during the day but freezing at night when you're provided only with a single sheet and a thin, knitted throw. There's one decent pan in the kitchen, which inevitably someone uses and neglects to wash up. People will come and switch the tv over whilst you're watching it. No food or drinks in the rooms mean you have to go outside and next door for anything but water apparently. In theory it's fine, until that's down two flights and up two flights for a drink! The bathroom situation is a whole other level of weird with frosted glass, not only between the showers, but also the toilets, it's quite frosted however still strange, awkward and unnecessary. Some people seem friendly enough, but it's a mix. Two people spoke to me in the time I was there, and the rest look like you've walked into their house (walking into the lounge?), both vending machines were out of order, but the lobby has snacks (albeit cheaper anywhere else!) Got my deposit back at the end and left - there's no refunds for leaving early unfortunately, but it's definitely sworn me off hostels! I've had much better experiences in New York (and paid less) with an Air BNB - the location isn't worth it! The lack of sleep/privacy undoes any perks and then some! There are better places (even for the same or less!) I wouldn't come back - my only real plus is that being able to store bags until 10pm is a benefit, but again one I am sure most places have!

THE BATHROOMS ARE GROSS. Please bring sandals in. Also, they don't change towels everyday?!…read more Also, you gotta walk up the stairs with all your luggage, fyi. Other than that, eh, not bad.

The local is still my go to when in town. Rooms are always clean, it's affordable, and they have…read moreevents happening some nights. Staff was amazing, especially Erika. The only con is the actual rooms don't have hooks, so during the colder months there's nowhere to hang a coat or jacket.