My friends and I stayed with Marylyn for four days in mid-December and were very pleased with her room and service. The room was clean and tidy when we got there, and Marylyn was just a pleasure to stay with. She was kind and welcoming but also left us to our own devices once she handed over the keys. She wasn't popping in every few hours; heck, we barely even saw her. It almost felt like we had the place to ourselves those four days. It was great.

In the room, there was a bed, pullout sofa, TV, fridge, stove, sink, dishes, etc. Everything you could possibly need. The bathrooms (two) are shared, but they were always open when we went to use them. Towels and toilet paper were provided, so we never had to worry about those. Someone mentioned that the Wi-Fi is slow, but I brought my netbook and was able to check email and use Google maps without issue. As long as you're not streaming video, you should be fine.

If I had one complaint about the room, it's that the TV doesn't get many channels, but that wasn't a major issue as we barely ever watched it. Also of note, the fridge doesn't get very cold - the milk Marylyn provided actually spoiled on us, so beware what you put in there.

The room is conveniently located. Nearby, you will find an entrance to the subway, where you can grab the A train and ride it all the way into the city. We used the subway every day and had no issues; transportation was a breeze. In terms of food, McDonald's, Checkers and, I think, Subway are just around the corner, so you won't starve.

The neighbourhood itself is good. I felt relatively safe the entire time we were there, but, at the same time, we made sure we were home by a decent hour every night. We didn't want to get caught wandering the streets after midnight. Maybe we were just a bit too paranoid and over-cautious, being out-of-towners and all, but I didn't feel as safe in that Brooklyn area at night as I did in the big city. Still, at this price point, I'd be surprised if you could find better. And nothing bad happened while we were there, so I can't be too negative. The few people we talked to were very helpful and courteous. I just felt this was a point worth mentioning for younger people travelling alone.

Overall, we had an incredible stay and were able to see all the major sights of NYC on a very tight budget. You can't really ask for much more than that. Thanks so much, Marylyn!