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 will admit that I was hesitant to stay here. I've never experienced a hostel before and was…read moreanxious about the 3-mile distance away from the theatres I was in town visiting. I am so proud to say this hostel was perfect for a solo traveler! It was a short train ride from the hustle and bustle of NYC but was tucked into a quiet residential area that felt safe. Pay attention to the type of room you book. I did a 4-bed women-only room. It was clean and they provided towels & soap/shampoo in the lavatories. I will definitely stay here again. It was 1/5 of the price I usually pay for my theatre runs & I slept like a baby. Bring a small lock for your assigned locker. The beds are bunk style so be aware you might be climbing a bit. There's a bar, snack counter & "community activities." It was hot inside one of the mornings but it was scorching outside. I live in an area where we keep our AC's cranked up so I just wasn't used to that. The elevator is a little slow but that's okay. The employees are really kind and helpful. They don't mind answering questions. 10/10.

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 !!!

Come here if you care most about price and location and not so much about noise and atmosphere…read more Pros: - Price: About $50 a night, on the low end of hostels. - Location: One stop on the J train to Manhattan. - Internet is really fast. - Showers and bathrooms are clean. Expect a line at 9 am. - Lounge area has a large kitchen, 2 TVs. - Accepts credit cards Cons: - Noise, Light, Privacy: The rooms are more like partitions with no ceilings. Noise travels, so may affect sleep, but with bunk beds, how much privacy do you expect? - Atmosphere: You get to know your roommate, but people mostly keep to themselves. - Noise: Train runs right next to the hostel. - Surrounding area looks sketchy at night but is actually pretty average New York. - There are 4 showers and 2 stalls for males on each floor for 20+ rooms, so expect a wait for showers at peak times. If hungry for meat, go to La Isla two blocks away.

My review maybe kind of late but here I go. I booked this place in April of 2015 and granted like…read moremost other places you can't check in until a certain time I had taken a China bus all the way from Virginia Beach to Brooklyn I was dead exhausted everyone in the foyer was laying about but when I try to do it because I was so exhausted and there was nowhere else for me to lay the Russian I'm assuming she was Russian Lady told me I couldn't but she didn't tell that to anybody else so everyone else was allowed to rest it's not like they would let me into my room early so I had to sit there and suffer for hours upon hours while other people got to rest on the furniture but not me even though I was a paying guest and then she tried to charge me $75 for someone walking me up to my room when when I checked in I wasn't told I wasn't allowed to have gas and when I booked my thing there was nothing that said you will be charged more for having a guest so I did a call back from my bank and got my money back this place is a s*** hole and it doesn't surprise me that you can't leave any reviews on Google and to be honest I'm surprised this place is still open. And like everyone else has said yes the walls do not go all the way up to the ceiling the water pressure and the place was horrible the bathroom was pretty but the water pressure was horrible and the service was absolutely horrible I'm so sorry for the hotel owner and that she's so miserable but that's not my problem

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!

If you loose something in the Nolita express.. consider it GONE. I accidentally left my laptop…read morethere and I called them and they said they would check my pod/sleeping area and the place I left it (the lounge). They told me that they couldn't ship it (understandably so) but it's the fact that they called me later and said they couldn't find it where I said I lost it and I took a 35 minute train ride from Maddison square to Nolita just to find it where I told them!! They did not search because the pillow I placed my laptop under was in the same position as how I left it they literally told me they lifted the pillows but they didn't. Pods were ok sized for me (5,7) and water was freezing so be prepared for that. It's a nice area, loved the vintage vibe but I wouldn't go here again unless I desperately needed a place to stay

disgusting! No Air Conditioner in the middle of Summer, No internet, nasty bathrooms, no kitchen,…read moreno plates, no utensils, no coffee NOTHING! Only a refrigerator and water! no roof on room! paper thing wood walls You will not be able to sleep! You will hear and SMELL your neighbor's farts, snoring, coughing because you don't have a roof! No manager or supervisor to complain!

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.