Manhattan Inn Hostel

Impressed Aussie!
Well, I must say that i loved this place. A fantastic location which was helpful when you have no idea where you are. Great service who helped me find places to drink. Helpful staff for when i staggered home! and some really fun and interesting people who stayed and worked there! Overall, if i can go through the travel to get there again, i Will be back (if i'm allowed!).

Not so good
The only good aspect of this hostel is the location -- next to the Madison Square Garden and to the subway station, so it's very easy to reach every area of Manhattan. The rooms are clean, but too small and the toilets too. The fact that there are no toilets outside the rooms but there is just one tiny, uncomfortable toilet per room, means that you must queue all the times! Also the lounge is too small and there aren't enough seats for breakfast. My advice is this -- stay here only for few days, if you are planning a longer stay in NYC look for something better.

Me and my buddy stayed here for ten nights in Sep 05. Although some of the staff are a bit surly and the rooms are pretty small, it was perfect for what we needed. Breakfast was fine, so long as you got down there quick and it was pretty cheap, especially considering it's location. Right across from one of the biggest stations (bus and subway) plenty of shops, bars and delis near by and just a few blocks away from everything you need. When I come back i will definitely stay here again. Oh, the bunks creak like all hell, don't put a fatty on top.

There are pros and cons to this hostel. The pros include the private bathrooms in each room. Bathrooms are very tiny. Had to hunch over the toilet in order to use the sink. This hostel does provide soap and towels although for guests who stay longer than two days. So find a good place in the room to store your towel, or else the cleaning lady takes your towel away and at times forgets to give you another one. Hostel provides linens and a pillow. Linens are a bed sheet and a thin blanket. If you go during the winter/spring time, recommend sleeping with a sweater on. Heater is not always turned on (heater is controlled by staff), because some guests complain that it's too hot or too cold. During my stay, heater would be on during the day, and turned off at night! Location is good -- hostel is about two blocks away from Penn Station, four to five blocks away from Empire State Building and about ten to twelve blocks away from Times Square. If you like to walk, this hostel is for you. It's great that this hostel provides breakfast, but if there are a lot of guests staying at the hostel, you better be the first in line for breakfast. Breakfast includes cereal, muffins (stale), bagels (stale), milk, Tang (that tastes like water). There is a refrigerator in the kitchen, and they allow you to keep your own food in the frig (just write your name on the food). Internet is provided down in the lobby, but for a price that isn't so great. Recommend visiting the Internet Cafe in Times Square. The cons include noise, noise, noise. There are Irish pubs right below the hostel and across from the hostel. Madison Square Garden is located diagonally from this hostel. You can hear drunk people yelling at each other almost every night. And you can also hear the music from the pubs. And during the day, honking from the cars. Definitely take ear plugs. Closing the windows doesn't really help. Hostel should invest in better noise-reducing windows. Not the best staff: I didn't have a great experience with the staff. One guy was on the phone, talking about Britney Spears, and I stood in front of him for a couple of minutes before he acknowledged me. Out of the seven staff members (that I met) that kept front desk, only one seemed to care to provide service to guests. The front door to the hostel is always unlocked. And there are homeless people standing around outside of the hostel. I'm not sure how the staff of the hostel know who are guests (staff constantly changing throughout the day): I never had to show ID to the staff members and they never asked me to show them my room key.Check your reservations. Met a couple of people who got wrong rooms and reservations were "changed" without notice. I don't think I'll be staying at this hostel again. This hostel is great if you're going to stay for more than one or two weeks in New York to save money. But I'd rather spend the extra money and sleep in a hotel -- better night's sleep, better breakfast, better security, better staff, better linens, better TV reception.

I stayed here with a friend in September and you can't beat the location for staying in New York. Across the road is Madison Square Gardens and Penn Station. The free breakfast on the rooftop was great too. Stay here if you are not planning to do anything but sleep here as the rooms are TINY and you get to know your room mates quiet well. There was a television in our room which we would have prefered to be without as it took up space that was needed. The beds were comfortable but very rickety. Bring earplugs as the window was stuck open on purpose as the aircon was hanging out it. Yes, New York never sleeps! The staff weren't too friendly and there is only 1 computer for internet access, and no laundry. There is however a laundry a couple of blocks away.

My family and I stayed here last April and are on our way back next week. It's a very good value, nice and comfortable and clean.

I am going to have to be in the middle on this. The rooms weren't great but they weren't dirty. The breakfast wasn't the nicest but then again it was free!!! The hostel is close to many attractions; however, it's not called the dead zone for no reason.

It's small, it's cramped and I hated every second I stayed there. The staff were rude and unhelpful. Don't go to this establishment. It is of a poor standard and not worth the money it costs!!!

What I liked best about this hostel was its location. Since I traveled by Amtrak and toured New York City by subway, I found it very convenient that Penn station was only about a five to seven-minute walk from the hostel. Generally speaking, it was clean. Most importantly, every room had its own shower room. There was no need to wait in line in the hallway to take a shower. The dorm room may seem a little bit crowed; however, it did not bother me too much, since it is New York City. Besides, people usually return to their rooms late (too much fun at night in NYC, indeed), so you will be too tired to care about it. I met some good people when I stayed there. It is easy to find a McDonald's, Starbucks, drugstore, and shopping mall near the hostel, since it is so close to the Penn Station. This would be a good choice to consider!

This hostel is very good. The rooms are clean and tidy. I came here on a school trip in October all the way from Wales, and the service was great. My friends and I are planning to come to New York after our A level exams and we are planning to stay here again. Thank you.

Don't stay here in cold weather. The rooms aren't heated and the light blankets provide little warmth. The in-room TVs have terrible reception for most channels, the free breakfast is mainly day-old food, and there's no elevator, so if you get stuck on the 4th floor with a heavy bag you'll need someone to help you carry it up (the staff won't offer). On a positive note, it is very clean and bug-free and in a decent location.

The rooms are tiny and not the cleanest, but this is otherwise a pretty good bargain (especially considering it's midtown Manhattan). The breakfast is filling, and it's within a few blocks of 2 subway lines.

I came back from there a few days ago. The hostel was very clean, and the location was better; in a few minutes, I could get to most of the attractions of NYC either walking or via the subway. The staff were businesslike--and nothing more. The district was safe, but most of times I went out to smoke, there was some homeless person who asked for you some cigarettes or a "buck". They weren't dangerous, though. One couldn't hope for any partying in the hostel, but a few blocks away there were nice bars and night-clubs.

I have had the opportunity to stay in many different hostels around the world and may I say that the Manhattan Inn has been one of the best. The place is clean (no bugs), staff are friendly, rooms are clean (a bit crowded) and what's more there is free breakfast. A good deal for a hostel.

In my opinion, the hostel was great and all the staff were really nice and helpful, especially Mike. Breakfast was fulfilling and the kitchen clean. A great place to stay and to meet people. Definitely I will stay there again.