American Dream Hostel 24th Street

First hostel experience went pretty good.
We stayed there for two nights in one of the private two-bed (max three persons) rooms. We got in the city early and were able to leave our bags in the office until check-in so we could begin our vacation. It seemed to be safe enough to leave our bags, but we had locked the zippers up anyway. Our room was clean, with a TV and AC unit in the window (which came in very handy at night when we woke up in a hot sweat). We had our own sink in the room (but the water pressure was not much more than a dribble, and the drain took forever to drain). The staff were all helpful and accommodating. We really just used the place to sleep at night, and it was good for just that. Didn't really eat breakfast (except for a few doughnuts). It was in a safe neighborhood and close to empire state building and about a twenty-minute walk to times square and Rockefeller Center. We'd stay again if looking for a cheap place to stay in the city. You get what you expect for what you pay. Not recommended for those requiring high maintenance.

I stayed there during Feb 2007 for nine nights. During my tenth day there, the owner (Lou) came over to my room and basically very rudely kicked me out because four customers were coming in and it was better business for him. He said to me "pack your bags and get out of the room, there are four customers downstairs and I need the room." When I confronted him and told him "what about my reservation?" he just ignored this fact completely. I had to find a place to stay in the middle of the day with all my bags in the streets of manhattan, really a sh*tty experience in the city. So save yourself some trouble and don't ever go there, whatever it says on their web site about Lou being a great host is BS!

We stayed here for four days in September and really couldn't fault it. It was actually better than some of the hotels I've stayed in. The breakfast was excellent and was available until 12 p.m. which we found great. We had a private room with shared bathroom and found it clean and spacious and clean sheets were provided daily. Excellent location!

My friend and I stayed in a two-bed room for nine nights. It was nice hostel, with friendly people staying there and a friendly owner. Unfortunately the AC was broken in our room so it was pretty hot, but the summer in NY is hot, and luckily we got a new AC for the last night. The bathroom and shower is clean, but the rest of the house is not too clean, especially the windows and vents. But the housekeeper and her daughter can realy tidy up your room if you ask them. Cocroaches only show up if you put food on the floor. But I never saw one. The only problem is the construction-site next door, which wakes you up at six o'clock every morning, mon-fri. The kitchen is fairly nice, but maybe on the small side. Breakfast is included, but if you grow tired of bread and cereals, there is a great place near by on the corner of Lexington and E24th. A lot of great nightclubs is in walking distance, and the closest subwaystation is at Park ave. and E23th. Thats only three minutes away from the door. Pros include the location, included breakfast, AC (in some rooms). Cons are that it's not too clean. Noisy construction-site.

One of the best things is the location -- very convenient to union square and greenwich village. The staff was friendly and there are no curfew hours. As for the rest -- the place is somewhat dirty, with roaches running around unsupervised. Our room had dirty walls. The sheets are were grungy and so was the carpeting in the room and hallways. Though, bathroom and shower room were relatively clean. This is definitely not one of the better places I stayed at.

My husband and I stayed at this wonderful hostel and were pleasantly surprised. It was clean, centrally located and safe. Lou personally greeted us as late arrivals. He and his staff were VERY friendly. We liked meeting new people in the common kitchen area in the morning and had interesting conversations. We are in our 50s and were surprised to see that there was a wide range of folks staying there, not just the 20ish crowd. The toilet and bath are located in the hall but were very clean. I would recommend having ear plugs because of the traffic noise. We had a sink in our room and that made it convenient. I would stay there again, even by myself. The room was very small, but this is NY and to be expected. Don't let the look of the place fool you. It is a great value and a great price. Oh, I loved NY. Thanks Lou for a wonderful stay.

Clean, centrally located, great breakfast, nice and professional staff. Good value for money! I'll be staying here again!

The location is okay and safe, the owner is extremely nice and hospitable, and the breakfast is great. There is no common area except for the kitchen.

This place is ok but a bit expensive.

This is the best place in the world!

I love this place, it is the best in New York. The owner, the secretary, and the people that stay there are great....