HI - Syracuse - Downing International Hostel

Syracuse

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Address	535 Oak Street, Syracuse New York, USA Map
Price	Dorm Bed: $17 & $20, Private Rooms: $34 & $40

Location/Contact

Details

This is a Hostelling International (HI) hostel. A membership card isn't required, but an extra fee will apply for non-members. You can get a membership card before your trip here.

Online booking is not offered for this hostel, contact them for availability and reservations (any contact info we have is listed above).

Description

Features

Kitchen
Lockers
Lounge / Common space
TV
Movie Library/Rental
Book Collection/Exchange
Washing Machine (laundry)
Clothes Dryer

Ratings & Comments

4 Average from 36 Ratings

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Comment by donw, Finland

November 2009

Home from home, but better.
I spent four nights here, September 2009. Old house on a quiet street, perfect if you want a good night's sleep. Comfortable rooms, including common room. Big kitchen with all necessaries, even some free offers. Close to town, with helpful friendly staff and ditto residents, some long-term visitors who know when they've found a good thing. All the hostels I've stayed in in America have been fine, but this tops the list.

Comment by RT, Bo

October 2009

Truly Accommodating
I stayed at Downing from the end of August to the beginning of September in 2009. The hostel is very clean, on a nice street, and close to a bus stop. I was most impressed by how the staff (Lunetha) goes out of their way to accommodate requests and make your life easier. The house is very quiet and downright luxurious for that type of rate. Even the dorm rooms are quite spacious since they weren't filled up when I stayed there. Interesting architecture, at least to me. A bit old but well maintained. Wonderful amenities like Wi-Fi throughout the house and a well equipped kitchen, laundry room. The only thing in need of consideration is that its closed during the day. But overall a great hostel with a great rate. If I am ever in Syracuse, I am definitely staying there.

Comment by Joan Warner, USA Hawaii

September 2009

Lovely
Quit often I stay at this hostel when on the mainland. This year, at the end of July, the hostel was filled by a large group booking, so I had to find another place to stay. This is to thank the Manager, Lunetha, for her online assistance in my frantic search for lodging. She answered my Saturday afternoon email within two hours, my Sunday morning email within ten minutes, and my Sunday afternoon email within twenty minutes. She suggested alternate dates for a HI hostel visit and also another nearby place to try. She included several details to help me make a decision. This was all beyond and above what I should have asked, but she answered with kindness and thoroughness.

Comment by Anthony Kettle, Canada

September 2009

One of the most restful hostels in the northeast U.S.
This is a peaceful hostel in a beautiful large Victorian house about twenty minutes' walk from the bustle of downtown Syracuse. It is run by personable, welcoming, dedicated staff with deep commitment to the international hosteling movement. The accommodation is basic -- like all hostels -- but you need a break from work pressures and a nice base to the explore the area, I can't think of a better place to stay.

Comment by Lynne Behnfield , USA

September 2009

A home away from home.
While doing the Erie Canal towpath on cycles, we relied on Downing IH to serve as our hopping off place. Friendly, helpful staff. Helped us stow our cycles off the street and allowed us to park in the drive for extra security at night. Lovely old mansion showing her age a bit, but comfortable and not at all institutional, a plus for me. Great price, huge kitchen-dining room, lots of baths, and a laundry facility. Not nearly full, though we were there in July 2009 (two times). Undiscovered gem. Met such interesting people, too. Great location.

Comment by Carl, USA

September 2009

A hidden gem -- more people should use this hostel
I've previously stayed in HI hostels in San Francisco, Seattle, and Miami. After years passing through Syracuse as both a student and to visit family, I never even thought to look to see if there was a hostel. This time, I am very glad I did. The Syracuse hostel is in a quiet neighborhood in a central location, in a gorgeous old mansion. There weren't very many guests during my visit, so I never had to wait to use a shower or the restroom -- it was almost like staying in my own bedroom. I actually had a wonderful experience with the manager, Lunetha. She was very personable and helpful. She was patient in showing me how to get the after-hours lock to open and took the time to learn about my visit to Syracuse -- she was genuinely interested in my welfare and in supporting the mission of hosteling. It seemed like she took a lot of pride in the upkeep of her house and her guests. The only reason I didn't give this hostel five stars is because it lacked air conditioning and it was pretty sweltering during my visit. But I do recognize that this is a restored old house that never had air conditioning to begin with, and there's really only about two months during the year that temperatures get this hot in Syracuse anyway. All in all, this hostel is a good bargain and a great way-station if you are in transit through Syracuse or staying in town for a few days.

Comment by M. van Gageldonk, The Netherlands

August 2009

Very good, clean, kind service
This is a different experience from your average hostel. It is located in a wonderful old Victorian house in a residential area (about fifteen minutes by foot to downtown, or catch a bus only a few minutes away). The hostel is clean, quiet, and has very kind service. One would wish staff at other hostels to be as helpful as Lunetha!

Comment by Alex Merino, Spain

August 2009

Best ratio prize quality in Syracuse
Great hostel. Quiet, kind people, and not bad location. Best ratio prize quality in Syracuse. The atmosphere is great, I mean both Lunetha (the owner) and the hostelers, the best point of the hostel in my opinion. Nice building and neighborhood. I'll be back soon.

Comment by Pete Tannen, USA

August 2009

Great hostel in wonderful old home
I stayed at HI - Syracuse for a night in early July 2009 while bicycling along the Erie Canal from Buffalo to Albany. I enjoyed my stay very much! The hostel is clean and comfortable and Lunetha, the manager, is friendly and helpful. I loved the old restored home that is now the hostel. The kitchen is well equipped and the other common areas are pleasant. While not right downtown, the hostel is not too far away in a pleasant residential neighborhood. I highly recommend this hostel.

Comment by Yawen, Singapore

August 2009

Great!
I passed by Syracuse and stayed in HI for the period of 13 to 16 August 2009. The architecture of the hostel was very unique. I love how the staircase was designed. The kitchen was cosy and nice, and the hostel was generally clean. Thumbs up for that! The lady at the hostel -- Lunetha -- had made my stay in Syracuse a wonderful experience. She helped me out a great deal by telling me where I should go visit and how to get to those places using the bus services available. We even sat down on the table one night and had pizzas together, talking and laughing. It was indeed a memorable experience. My transport to Potsdam was scheduled in the afternoon; she was kind enough and allowed me to stay in even though I had already checked out in the morning. Subsequently, she even called a taxi for me to get to the train station. The rates are very affordable and the location of the hostel makes getting around downtown Syracuse -- $1.25 for a short bus-trip gets you there -- easy. I would definitely opt to stay in HI again if I were to pass by Syracuse.

Comment by Warren, US

August 2009

Charming and clean
I stayed here from June 10th to 15th with my fiance as we searched for a place to live in Syracuse so I could start up law school. As hostels go, this place is great. Lunetha was especially kind and hospitable, and the other gentleman who was working there some of the time was also very kind and helpful. We had a great time chatting with both of them and appreciated Lunetha's tips on finding things to do in the area. The hostel is in a decent neighborhood (still should definitely lock your car and probably not leave computers in open view), and is in a beautiful old Victorian-style home. We stayed in a private room whose price cannot be beat in Syracuse. It was quiet with only a few long-term guests staying there and a couple other short-term guests. The bathrooms for clean, the rooms were clean, and it was fun staying in such a beautiful house. While some of the guests did not do the best job at washing dishes, overall the kitchen was clean and people seemed to respect each other's food and property. Only downside is the rules that dictate times you can be there. Fortunately they were not especially strict and guests are given a code to get in when they need to. Would highly recommend this hostel to someone looking to save some money while staying in Syracuse.

Comment by Chris P., USA

August 2009

Nice building, crappy people
I stayed here for one night in August of 2009. My first warning sign was when I wanted to go out for a run and asked if I could leave bags at the desk. The woman (Lunetha) looked at me like I was from a different planet, and couldn't comprehend why I didn't just take them with me or leave them in my open, six-person dorm room. The worst came the next day when I left my phone charger plugged into the wall. I acknowledge that it was a dumb mistake on my part and the hostel has no obligation to help me out, but I sent an email offering to pay shipping which went unanswered. I called and spoke with Lunetha again, and she said she'd read my email earlier and forgot about it. She refused to answer as to whether or not they found it; she told me even if they did, she didn't have time to go to the post office and told me to try Walmart for a replacement. It's a nice building, but with service like that, I wouldn't bother going back.

Comment by Mustafa, Germany

March 2009

Cuddly
Visited the Hostel July 2008 on a very short notice. They were friendly the place was clean, although somewhat "old." Not that it matters because it was only for a single night and we got what we came for. While traveling through U.S.A. if I were to end up in or near Syracuse I would definitely try to book a room again.

Comment by Jason DiPietro, USA

December 2008

Top Rated. Very accomodating.
I visited this hostel for two days for the N.Y. State Fair. This hostel must be a secret because I had the place to myself. Surprising, since people were booking hotels an hour away from the fair at significantly higher prices. I came in on a motorcycle and there is parking. Cars are usually along the street. The staff were very friendly and open to conversation. The beds were clean, good views from the rooms, and the house is a beautiful old mansion. Great showers, and a comfortable lounge with TV and full kitchen downstairs. Best thing is that it was only a few miles from the State Fair. My guess is that not many people know to take advantage of hosteling in general. If I visit Syracuse again, I couldn't imagine staying anywhere else.

Comment by Erwin Brown, USA

July 2008

Good
I just want to say that I stayed at the Downing International Hostel back in 2005 before the so-called "new management change." The place was cheap, the architecture was interesting, and the facilities were adequate. I'll admit the former managers were not the best fit for the job, and they did allow some shady characters to hang around the hostel. However, they (the managers) still treated me with the utmost respect. Even when I came in late well after midnight from bar-hopping with a fellow hosteler, Mr. Garcia still let us slide on in and he did not lock us out.

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