INTRO:
This is the best bang for the buck you'll find near Penn Station. This real discount comes with real tradeoffs.
THE GOOD:
- Affordable.
- Great location.
- Host is invested in you and REMEMBERS YOUR NAME! Michael is amazing and kind.
- Effort to make the area feel uplifting is evident.
- Light breakfast is included.
THE BAD:
- The "rooms" are tiny. Think Harry Potter in the under-the-stairs closet-ish vibes. You get what you pay for. I feel the photo of the room was slightly misleading--the "room" is 6-ish feet long, 3 feet wide, and 7 feet tall. The photos do show that the room is small, but it doesn't show the full picture. Just understand how small they actually are. I'm 6' 2" and my feet and head would touch the walls end-to-end at night. Though I was careful, I still managed to hit my head on the door frame at least three times. Size matters!
- There are many residents. Each floor section has about 20 of the "rooms." I was surprised.
- Sound restrictions. There's a strict no-noise policy (so bring headphones or expect to not chat with friends/family while here). See more reasoning below as to why the policy exists.
- No elevator. Expect lugging your luggage up and down 4-5 floors.
THE UGLY:
- Bathroom cleanliness/smell. The bathroom is rather claustrophobic, grimy, and smelly. The staff is already aware of the smell, as there are scent devices installed and working, but more effort is needed. I tried to find bathrooms outside because I disliked this aspect so much.
- Bugs. I woke up to a cockroach climbing on my suit.
- Sleeping environment. The top of each closet/room is enclosed with window-type screening material, so you hear the other residents very, very well. Especially at night (i.e., coughing, sneezing, snoring). The sound policy exists to mitigate this sound transfer at night, but others' noises will make it hard to sleep if you're a light sleeper. I played white noise from my phone to "cover" the other sounds.
SUMMARY:
You get what you pay for. Don't expect a five-star hotel, but expect a very good value stay if you're willing to holistically accept the good, the bad, and the ugly.