West Side YMCA

...everything else was disappointing. Shared bathrooms and showers were disgusting--and this comes from someone who has traveled extensively in developing countries. Rather than making the bunk beds (more on those in a minute) daily, staff should clean the bathrooms more often. And none of the urinals flushed, so that was fun, too. Especially with two urinals for the entire floor we were on. Good times. Bunk beds weren't purpose-built. Rather, the Y just stacked two twins on top of each other. They didn't even bother to secure them in any way shape or form, e.g. screw them together. Made for an interesting night, never knowing whether the whole thing will come crashing down or not. Mattresses were way beyond their prime.

Great location...!!!!!.... I feelt like in center of NYC.....everyone was nice

The hotel is very clean, staff are very professional and very helpfull. The hotel is very well located in the heart of NYC. One of my best trip ever.

The hotel is reallly bad, very dirty, rooms with out bathroom,

I needed a cheap place to crash for about 9 hrs and was willing to settle for a clean, safe place with decent bathrooms in a suitable location. That it did, but truly no more. By clean I mean the sheets, the room was just OK. All in all it fit the bill,given the location and the city, a good deal at about $100.

The location, Central Park and Lincoln Center, is great. The price is low. The rooms are minimal, clean bed, TV, dresser, closet.

Because we reserved thru an online website, we were unable to upgrade to a room with a bath. Because we reserved thru an online website, we were stuck in a room that has never been updated - imagine a cell in a prison abandoned 40 years ago. The windows were so dirty we could not see out of them. The television did not work and the maintenance person was unable to fix it. There was no light switch in the wall socket only the motion sensor. Two minutes after we switched out the lights, they would turn back on again. It was nearly midnite when the maintenance person returned to our room and installed a light switch. Shared baths were filthy.

The bathrooms were not clean, not in a good shape. The room was OK but the bed is not comfortable.

PROS: For the price in Manhattan, this works. It is very near Columbus Circle, so it is very easy to get to a number of train lines. It is across the street from central park, which makes for a nice morning run or day strolling through the park. Lincoln Center and shopping (although mostly your chain franchises) are just down Broadway. In fact, friends of mine who are locals said that it was a good value for the location. CONS: Internet connection is horrible. It barely works in the rooms. Further, the Y has content blockers that randomly block webpages, even if they aren't illicit (I couldn't read a page in Timeout magazine--a website that gives you info on all the things to do in the city during your stay; The Times things-to-do section was also blocked). Mobile phone connection: Tmobile coverage was spotty in the room and the lounge. Needless to say, data coverage was random. Bathrooms: I've stayed in many hotels/hostels with shared facilities. These are the most inconvenient. (1) The showers are super small and tight, (2) there is only one hook to hang your towel, so you either have to walk down the hall wrapped in a towel or be ok with possible getting your clothes wet, (3) the bathroom itself is small. In fact, the door to one of the stalls is over half blocked by a structural post. Some of the latches don't lock on stall doors, too. Noise: It's on a quiet street, so there is no noise from that. But inside! Every night I was there over half the rooms on my floor were taken up by teenagers on school trips. Slamming doors, screaming down the halls, congregating in front of random rooms happened at all hours of the night. I did not get a single night's sleep without being woken up once. The problem is that there is no surveillance of the kids by either the chaperones or the staff. Location: It's a very residential type neighborhood. Most of the stores there are the same ones that you can find in your local mall--a few exceptions. As for dining: there isn't anything special around. Plenty of Starbucks and a cafe or two for breakfast, but if you are looking for a very New York dinner you will have to go downtown. Sum up: Ok for a night or two, or if you are on a very tight budget and can sleep through anything. I've stayed at the Y on the westside, too, and preferred that. It was newer, quieter, cleaner. A little further out of the way, but perhaps a better alternative. On the other hand, if I were only going to be in town for one or two nights, and could secure a room in a proper hotel for $50-$75 more per night, I might do that instead.

For the price, location is unbeatable, but the bed gave me quite a back ache the next morning.