A fantastic cheap place to stay in New York, half the price of other places. (YMCA (Vanderbilt))

Member Name: andyLDN

Product:	YMCA (Vanderbilt)
Date:	18/11/08 (100 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Location, Clean, Great Service, Cheap Price

Disadvantages: Room is basic - but a small price to pay

I have heard so many mixed reviews from friends who have stayed in hotels in New York. Usually they failed to live up to their expectations, being dirty or noisy and all far from cheap.

A friend of mine sugested I stated at the Vanderbilt YMCA when visiting New York. It is cheap, and although unglamourous, you know exactly what to expect when you get there. After tax we paid each $333 for a week (works out as £223 with a dismal exchange rate of $1.49 to the pound). So really not a bad price, all things considered.

For this price, we had a small room with bunkbeds on the 7th floor which is accessable by lift and staircase, and the rooms are operated by a key card and each resident gets one each. Both beds come with sheets and a blanket, and you get fresh towels and a maid service every day. We also had a wall mounted TV with cable, a refridgerator, a desk, and a small area for hanging clothes. Also included was free WiFi access, which was handy as I have this feature on my iPhone, plus heating and airconditioning.

Bathrooms are shared, but were always clean and well maintained. There were also two separate shower rooms, so I never had to queue at all. For the sporty, also included was the use of the gym and pool, although I am ashamed to admit I didn't use either.

The staff there were also friendy. One day I managed to lock myself out, and with some ID, they created me a new card in a matter of seconds, I was very impressed.

Also, location-wise It was brilliant being in Manhattan rather than neighbouring districts. The hostel is about 5 minute walk from grand central station, 10 minutes to Times Square and maybe 10-15 minutes from 5th Avenue. The nearest subway is also two blocks away.

The hostel also does dormitary room beds, and also rooms with 3 and 4 beds. Of course the more to a room, the cheaper it becomes. Although we were two 20 something males, there appeared to be a varied mix of people of all ages and also families with children.

Booking online is straightforward, you need to enter creditcard information, but you're free to cancel without penalty 3 days before travel. They just send you an email confirmation which you need to take to reception and payment is in full on arrival.

As long as you're aware of the room's limitations, I think this is an excellent place to stay in terms of cleanliness, location and price. People I know paid double what we did in other places and didn't have nearly as good an experience. I will definitely stay there again.

Summary: If you want to know more, seach for the hostel online - highly recommended