891 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025-4403 Subway 103 Street (1) Tel 212 932 2300 Websitewww.hinewyork.org
BUG review
This massive 667-bed Hostelling International gateway hostel takes up a city block on the Upper West Side within walking distance to Columbia University and Central Park. Facilities include a fully-equipped kitchen with lots of pots and pans plus extra appliances like blenders and waffle makers; a cafe (open 7am-2pm & 4pm-10pm daily); a dining room with pool tables; a nice lounge with TVs and free wireless internet (internet computers cost $2 for 20 minutes); a cinema-style TV lounge and another TV-lounge that is decked out like an art gallery with white leather sofas and arty photos of New York hanging on the walls. Outdoor areas include a sunny courtyard plus a big balcony and another outdoor area with a barbecue and volleyball court. Like other HI hostels, this hostel feels charmless and institutional and the no-alcohol rule dampens the atmosphere even further; however it is clean and amenities are more extensive than other New York hostels.
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Price Dorm bed $37-43 ($34-40 HI) Prices are in US dollars and are inclusive of all taxes.
This was up to the usual HI standard in that it was clean and tidy, although the bathooms suffered and weren't well maintained. Dorms however were nice and reasonably quiet. I stayed in a 12 bed dorm and slept well. Individual lights for each bunk top and bottom are genius. Location is great and staff are helpful when it comes to checking out activities andevents in he area.It is however a huge place and therefore loses any atmosphere. It is very functional but lacks character.
A large unfriendly hostel in a good location just near Upper West side, near Central Park ( although go thru some dodgy areas to get to Central Park). Not recommended if travelling alone as difficult to meet people here.
Not bad, but feels like a large dorm facility. 8 May 2006
Pros:
It is close to the subway.
Cons:
The place felt very institutional.
sarahlizz3
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(1)
(Review ID: 403)
I stayed here in August of 2004. This is a very large hostel just south of Harlem on the Upper West Side. It is pretty clean, but it feels like a large dorm that was never decorated. The rooms are a bit cramped with bunk beds, I stayed in an 6 bed room. The beds were alright, not horrible, not great. They were however horribly noisy, I would recommend an upper bunk if you can manage it. Everyone sleeping on the bottom bunks felt like the top bunk was going to collapse on them from the amount of noise!Staff was helpful, but not overly friendly. All in all it was an OK hostel. Nothing spectacular, but certainly not a bad place.
