Avis INTERNATIONAL STUDENT CENTER New York (Manhattan)

My friends and I checked out immediately after our first night. We could not stay even one more night due to the lack of privacy in co-ed rooms, inadequate bathrooms/WCs for 10-bed dorms, and poor security for personal belongings.

The mixed-gender 10-bed room on the 3rd floor was excruciatingly hot even with the ceiling fan, so my friend couldnt sleep at all. The 10-bed dorm on the 2nd floor smelled absolutely horrible- worse than any cheap hostel we’ve been to all over the world. The employee Kabir noticed right away then opened a window and sprayed febreeze, but it smelled just as bad that night.

The stench wasn’t caused by guests who happen to have smelly body odor- it was caused by the bathroom floors being practically flooded. Guests who wore their socks into the bathroom rather than shower shoes got soaking wet socks and no way to dry them out. There was only one toilet for each 10-bed room (up to TEN PEOPLE sharing ONE TOILET). The 2 showers were in the same room as the toilet so you couldnt go pee/poop if someone was in the shower.
Although I have stayed in co-ed hostels as a woman traveler before, due to the bathroom situation here I felt uncomfortable and waited over an hour until all the men were done. At least there was a mirror in the bedroom so people could brush their hair, put on makeup, etc.

There’s no elevator/lift, so even if you book the nicer rooms on the fourth floor, you have to haul your suitcase up 3 flights of stairs. The upstairs wifi was extremely slow so you’d have to go downstairs to look something up. The personal lockers in the room were very small. You could fit a purse and expensive electronics like laptops and tablet, but suitcases, duffel bags, and large backpacks had to be shoved underneath the bunk bed on the dirty floor.

We arrived in the morning, so we needed to store our luggage until 3pm check-in. They just put our bags in plain sight on the first floor.

A few low-cost upgrades would greatly improve the guest experience. Here are my recommendations:
- Put bath mats in front of each shower to prevent soaking wet bathroom floors.
- Purchase a bulk supply of cheap plastic flip-flops so guests can purchase shower shoes to prevent the spread of bacteria (athlete’s foot) and the smell of dirty wet socks.
- Offer at least one bedroom option for women-only.
- Hang curtains/privacy screens around each bed.
- Replace the lockers/cubbies in each room with much larger ones, and/or add some heavy-duty shelving to keep luggage off the floor.
- Mount some extension cords on the walls so that top bunks can charge their devices, and consider adding individual lamps and fans.
- For a higher-investment upgrade, add at least 4 more sinks and toilets, and ensure there are private entries to each shower.

I was pleased with the employees, although I suspect they were understaffed.
It seems Kabir was the only worker with whom we interacted. He was very courteous, always inquired if we felt comfortable, and tried his absolute best to improve our situation. We asked for a refund (at least partial) for the second night, citing the unsanitary bathroom floor and lack of privacy. Kabir called management to try to advocate for us, but ultimately they denied our reasonable request.

The building is a charming historic brownstone in Upper West Side, only half a block from Central Park and around the corner from the nearest Subway station (86th St stop on blue “C” train & orange “B” train) so it’s very walkable. The building is not labeled as a hostel from the outside, so you ring the doorbell, call the phone number, or use a room key to enter: it’s quite safe from the street.

The 70-year-old nonprofit housed there (Association of the World Travel Exchange) has a wonderful mission, and the space would probably work somewhat well for people who already know each other. However, it’s currently inadequate as a hostel open to the public for vacation accommodations.

I think that this space is very poorly suited for a hostel. The dorms, each which housed 12 people, were only equipped with one toilet and one or two showers. Also, the shower and the toilet were in the same room, so if one person was showering, someone else would have to wait until they were done with their shower to use the toilet. This caused a back-up of folks trying to get ready in the morning. Check-out is at 10, and I was up at 7:30 or so with barely a chance to brush my teeth and put my contacts in. In addition to being unhygienic, the lack of necessities could very easily cause a schedule disruption for guests. I found sleeping in the room incredibly hot and humid, even with the fan on, and the lockable cubby could only fit small bags. Curtain around the sides of the bunks are a cheap and easy way to improve privacy, which I greatly recommend. The upper bunks did not have outlets or extension cords reaching up from the ground level outlet.
The ground floor of the building was explained to us as an art gallery, which is great if that’s what you’re looking for! However, I think if you’re going to be a gallery, then be a gallery, and if you’re going to be a hostel, then be a hostel and do it well.
I’m right in the middle of their age range (18-30) and I’ve stayed at hostels in the US as well as Mexico and South America, so I don’t believe this is a “me” issue.
I hope this is helpful, and if you’re okay with these conditions then I say go for it! I just wish someone would’ve made the bathroom situation clear before I booked.

Came here on holiday with my cousin for a few days and it was perfect. Great location, really welcoming and helpful staff, nice common areas, clean and comfortable rooms. Didn't spend much time there as we were out visiting most of the time but it was the perfect fit for our visit.

ISC was my second home during the trip. Thankfully to the hostel’s stuff, I felt myself like in a TV series Friends. They were very kind and friendly, always ready to help and to recommend where to go.
I also would like to highlight that all tge bathrooms, dorm rooms and common space were extremely clean. Kitchen was very convenient in use
My roommates were polite and we stayed in our room with pleasure.
The location of the hostel is perfect for tourism, it’s very quiet, safe area, close to the main museums and subway.
Thank you for ISC for all the conditions and new friends

horrible experience. terrible staff.

I stayed here when i was just 18, summer of '96. Amazing to see that it is still there. Cost me $12,50 a night back then :)

Fabulous hostel! We loved our home away from home. Staff were so friendly, everything was super clean and the vibe was great. Plenty of hot water even though it took a while to come through, kitchen was well equiped and lounge area was lovely with TV, games and lots of books. We were on the top floor so there were a few stairs to climb but no drama for us. A bit noisy at times but that is to be expected in a hostel, most travellers were very polite. We stayed for 9 nights and overall thought it was great, especially the price for NYC.

This is by far the worst hostel I have stayed in, and I can only advise you to look elsewhere. I was booked in for ten nights as I had business in NYC but left after two in order to find somewhere less awful.

To begin this review, the hostel is deeply unsanitary: there were two bathrooms on my floor (four rooms). This is by no means adequate and on my first morning in the hostel I had to get dressed in a laundry closet. The bathrooms are falling apart, with decrepit fixtures and frankly disgusting furniture (see pictures). There was no hot water on my three attempts to shower. The staff make the claim that there is, in fact, hot water, and that there isn't hot water is a charming quirk inherent to the building being a historic brownstone – a poor excuse. Judging by the quantity of detritus in my dorm, they are cleaned infrequently if ever.

Second, the rooms are insecure to the point where I felt unsafe. The dorms do not lock, and so anyone who can make it into the building can access any dorm. The only secure place to store valuables, etc. are small and flimsy key lockers, and even then the hostel does not give out keys willingly: I had to argue with the receptionist to get one. Judging by if ever. Beyond the bunks and lockers, the dorms are furnished only with a few items of bric-a-brac in various states of disrepair (my bunk had a broken CD tower that I guess was meant to be a bedside table) meaning that the top bunks do not have access to amenities such as dedicated plug sockets, reading lights, or shelves. For some reason, there is not Wi-Fi on the upper floors, meaning that if you need to look something up then you have a long climb ahead of you.

While the hostel has tried to make the common areas nice, and have succeeded in part, the reception area doubles as a man-cave of sorts for the staff with their XBox and drum kit, and the kitchen in the basement, though new, is ill-equipped.

As I said, I left over a week early. When I told the member of staff on reception that I was leaving and why, he tried to get into an argument that left me feeling more than a little gaslit. Apparently, the bathrooms pictured aren't an issue because it's an old building, but also the only reason I was leaving was because I had to ask for a locker key – and a guest feeling fearful that someone might walk off with their passport, etc., was not an issue for him. Out of politeness I had taken my sheets downstairs in order to check out as per the hostel's request. Apparently this was the wrong thing to do as he then yelled out as I walked down the street, asking me to climb back up to the top floor to deposit my sheets back in the dorm – truly a masterclass in reading the room.

Since leaving, I have received multiple emails from the hostel management, the last of which was 500+ words and cc'd in Hostelworld (through whom I'd booked). Each of these emails has been defensive to the point of passive-aggression, attempting to exculpate the hostel. Apparently, the hostel has decrepit, non-functioning bathrooms, etc., because it is a "historic 1915 brownstone [which] has a lot of classic charm with a few quirks." And apparently I was the one who was at fault as "many concerns were not voiced until your decision to depart early." Bizarre behaviour.

Do not, under any circumstance, book this hostel.

I´m so happy I got to stay at the International Student Center Youth Hostel. Great service, incredibly nice people and ideal location. Will definitely come back.

Was on a budget trip to NYC with my partner and decided to stay here— I’m so glad we did! It was our home away from home. The staff were friendly, the street was quiet, and the overall location was superb. Would stay again!

First time staying in a hostel. Was pleasently surprised as I was very nervous for my first stay. The employees are so nice and accommodating, the rooms are nice and clean with good beds. Bathroom also super clean. Great location on the upper west side.

Minor thing is there was a weird smell in the common room, wifi didnt really work in the dorm room, and there was some loud drumming sunday evening (stopped before quiet times so wasnt too big a deal). But these are really minor considering the overall experience, location and price!

Had a great time at this hostel, the staff were awesome and so helpful while I was there. Shout out to Julian, Jonathan, and Kabir. Awesome guys, very friendly and welcoming.

Um ótimo lugar

Perfeito, recomendo muito

Este hotel é muito bom pra vc descansar

Muito bom!! Recomendo !!

Ótimo serviço, recomendo fora o perfeito atendimento dos funcionários temos serviços de qualidade lá!!

Muito bom, tudo organizado

everything was very good, great quality service, I loved it and I will definitely come back again

Hotel maravilhoso , em ótima localização e ambiente muito agradável ????

È uma ótima opção para quem procura um lugar confortável, limpo e econômico para se hospedar em Nova Iorque.

Ótima localização, experiência maravilhosa muito acolhedora. Voltarei o mais breve possível. Muito obrigado pelo serviço

Ótima acomodação, profissionais atentos e dedicados, super indico! Com certeza voltarei!

Simplismemte maravilhoso o hotel, voltarei sempre!!!