It sounds like other travelers had a bad time here, but I thought this place was fine. Maybe things have improved? We booked super last minute (like day before) but were still able to get a spot here. Private room for two, $80 ($40/person). Good location RIGHT by the subway & central park in the upper west side of Manhattan. There was even free parking available to us on the street.....in New York City. Shiiiet. Be advised, though, that you can't park during street cleaning in the afternoons on Mondays & Thursdays. We booked our stay here on Monday & Tuesday night, & took off before cleaning on Thursday ;) Be advised: CASH ONLY....yeah, weird! Facilities were OK, not super nice, but not gross or dirty. I've been to a ton of hostels and this one was pretty OK in my book. read more

I'll admit it, I was a little skeptical of staying in hostel, but it was nothing like I imagined. It was very clean and the people (both staff and hostel mates) were extremely nice. It's in a great location and super close to the subway, which was awesome! The price was great too! Only 30/per night and I only had one roommate. It feel like my belongings were safe and secure. The bathroom situation wasn't too bad, but you usually didn't wait too long for one. If you're short on money or don't want to spend all of your money on a hotel and you plan on being out the room for most of the day, I highly recommend this place. And make sure you bring cash because they don't accept credit or debit cards. read more

Generally, it was OK. 3/5 is the best this place could get from me. I had to stay here for 5 days, and survived, and so can you. First of, the location being close to metro is a big advantage (less than a block) and transportation is not a problem if you get used to the metro system. (don't take express trains, like I did.. what a waste of time) Also, the rooms are generally clean, but blankets are definitely not. I was so disgusted by the hair on the blankets, and couldn't use them during my stay, however, I could find a use for them.. isolation. My bed was next to the window, and I was constantly cold in bed, since I noticed that they use duck tape for isolation. I used the blankets for isolation, and it worked. WOW. The hostel is under camera surveillance, so I did not feel much insecure, and they have lockers in the rooms, in which only a wallet and a watch can fit. Nothing else. This is my list of things to be brought to a hostel, for a much better stay.. -Bathroom cleaner -Slippers -Shampoo -Towel -Sleeping bag (I am now sure that this is the best idea ever, and clean) -A sheet, pillowcase and blanket if you don't have a sleeping bag. -Padlock for mini-lockers. Good Luck. read more

I stayed here with a friend in December of 2009 for four nights. We paid $22 per person per night through an online booking service. I'd characterize the condition of the hostel as old and clean...enough. It is a cheap hostel in Manhattan, after all. In terms of what I expect from a hostel, this place delivers the minimum (beds, bathrooms, and internets) but not much else. The people at the front desk were responsive to direct questions, which is a nice way of saying they don't go out of their way to do anything. They will store bags for you in a locked room on your check-in and check-out days. They also gave my friend a key to the girls-only bathroom. I peeked in and it wasn't any different from the unisex ones (which like everything else were old and clean enough). We stayed in a room that had four beds, lockers, and two Germans. The beds were clean enough and warm enough. The lockers were small as another reviewer pointed out, but if you travel sensibly, your stuff will fit (my two cents on packing light). The Germans were pleasant and left after two nights. There was a creepy old dude in the hall a few times. I don't think this hostel has an age limit, but he wasn't creepy because he was old, he was creepy because he wouldn't stop staring. Central Park Hostel is conveniently located a stone's throw from Central Park and the 103rd St subway station. It was very nice to be just a minute away from trains to downtown. If you are able-bodied, you can also walk to any of the touristy locations in and around Central Park. For the price and location, I was satisfied. If you stay in a hostel, you are paying for a place to sleep and should expect to spend most of your time elsewhere. If I were staying at a hostel in New York City again, I'd look for something better, but I wouldn't mind staying here another time. read more

When I came there on Friday, I was told that there were no more beds, even though I had a reservation. So they sent me away at 9.30 pm at Friday night in New York - alone. After telling me that it would be impossible to find other accommodation at that time. Very poor service. Avoid at all costs. read more

My review can be translated with the letter I wrote to the manger: Dear Michael, I'm writing to you to report an incident that occurred at the Central Park Hostel on Tuesday, November 3rd. I have been to Central Park Hostel many times, and have always recommended it to my Brazilian and American friends, but this time was different. I live in Washington, DC, and was in NY just for one night, for business, and booked with you online. I checked and saw that could be a low-budget option to stay in the private bedroom - this was the recommendation I made for 2 of my friends who stayed with you in a private bedroom and liked it. So I made the reservation: $89 dollars for a room and shared bathroom. As such, I would be able to have more privacy to finish some work and reading before my morning meeting. I arrived there around 11pm. The guy in the front desk checked me in and gave me my keys. I paid the $89 in cash and went to check my room. But the smell of smoke (cigarettes) was terrible, and paying $89, I thought at least I deserved something that didn't smell like smoke. So I came down to check with the guy if they would have another room available. He said there were no more private rooms, just beds in the dorms, and I said ok, but then he explained he would not refund me the money I had just paid him. I was honestly amazed. He wanted to charge me $89 for a bed in the dorm. I objected and he told me he would call another place, managed by the same owner. He said that it was just some blocks away. So he gave me back my money, called the hotel, and I started walking. I would see no problems to walk to the other place, if I was not a woman or if it was not almost midnight. Coming from a big city like Sao Paulo and knowing how big cities are, as a woman you need to be more careful and that situation honestly was not ideal. So I arrived on Hotel 99 and was very welcomed by the front desk guy. The hotel is still under construction, but I believe it has potential, and the people who work there are very helpful. But I decided for just one night, I would go back to Central Park Hostel and get a bed in a dorm. When I called back the Hostel, I was surprised to find that the same guy told me he would not book me in. He kept me asking what were the reasons I would go back there, I said that for the time and to avoid trouble, I just wanted a bed, but he said he would not allow me book in. I asked his name and he refused to give me and then I asked why he was doing that. He then said he would call Hotel 99 and ask them to not check me in there too, saying that I was 'troublemaker'. With a meeting scheduled for 9 a.m., tired, hungry, and still having to work before my meeting, I was totally shocked. He called Hotel 99, to try to make his point, but I was glad to see that the guy from Hotel 99 ignored his call and booked me in. I will definitely make sure that my complaint gets registered on Trip Advisor, Yelp, and other popular sites that people like myself always check before booking a room. Moreover, I will have a hard time recommending this hostel to my friends in the US and Brazil. The question now is whether I will be able to include a positive response from the management, having been informed of the problem. Hostels need to stop thinking that just students and backpackers stay there. As a budget traveler, I am always looking into places where I can have a bed and a reasonable bathroom. That's enough. At Central Park Hostel, I was paying $89 (not small money for a Hostel) for a private room, and the minimum that I would require is a room that isn't filled with the stench of cigarette smoke. I also expect better service, which perhaps required more training for employees who deal with the public. To begin with, they should give your contact information to customers who ask for it. If they don't, how will you know when there is a problem? Twice I called, and twice I was denied this information, and twice your employees hung up on me. I am coming to you because I believe that's part of good management too. If they hate their job so much, they need to go do something else. Thank you very much, Luciana read more

If you like RATS, ROACHES, MOLD, PUBIC HAIRS and CRUMBS in your BED, then you should stay here. As a bonus, you'll receive the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE ever. The ONLY plus to this place is the location. Dont bother reserving a room online or over the phone with a credit card. They will sell your room to someone else before you get there anyway. That's what happened to us. Then when you get there, the people behind the counters who dress and act like total thugs will act unprofessionally and threateningly. They will stick you in a room where the "clean" beds are COVERED in pubic hairs, long hairs, crumbs, and some sort of scabs or something. That doesnt even cover what is too small to see with your naked eye. SICK! The showers are moldy and there are roaches in there. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE (or lack thereof) was terrible. These guys could CARE LESS about helping you find a bed. At one point when I was trying to check in, and I found out that my private room had been given to some other guests, even though I had reserved it on the phone with a credit card three weeks before, I asked the clerks what they were going to do about it. And they took up a gangsta fighting stance and turned their hats around backwards like they were going to FIGHT ME. WTF?! Then they said my husband and I are no longer welcome and were shouting at us to leave. They said we no longer have beds there, and were shouting at other guests in the lobby to "STEP UP!" so they could give them the room that we were trying to get. I AM TELLING YOU - TRUST ME - DONT EVEN WALK INTO THIS PLACE. read more

I had arranged to stay with someone in New York while I was here but he decided to bail on me last second leaving me with almost no options. I went to the closest HI hostel but they were sold out for the night (typical of New York)... I then spent an hour or two going from place to place until i found this place. Its not the worst hostel I've ever stayed at, but by no means is it even close to the best and I have stayed at many dozens of hostels around the world. The price is what really got me, $40 a night! come on, I got a place in Tokyo that was better for under that. I would have just slept in the park across the street but i was having a shit time and had a feeling it would just get worse if I decided to do that. Anyway, the staff was far from friendly the people in and around the hostel were just a tad "shifty", and it just didn't have some basic amenities i feel a good hostel should have (i.e. free lockers, free internet, generally clean restrooms, etc...). If you can stay somewhere else, New York has a plethora of hostels, there is bound to be a better one. read more

When in NY I was hospitalised with food poisoning. This hostel behaved so badly they could not even be bothered to help me with my bag to the ambulance despite being asked twice. When out of the hospital but still very ill they explained that because I had used the sheets from more than one bed (ie because I was so ill... you get the idea) they were going to charge me for three beds for the week. I could go on with the story but you get the general jist. I've never written a review before but was so upset by their behaviour this time I had to. read more

New York can be a very expensive city, especially when it comes to accomodation. Staying at a place like this will give you a few extra bucks to spend having fun. The location is great (really close to the subway.) When I stayed this place was packed with young backpackers from all over. Very good atmosphere. I stayed in a 12 bed mixed dorm. I payed around $30 a night, which isn't bad at all considering New York prices. I will definitely stay here again the next time I visit New York. read more

I cannot recommend this Inn. My son stayed here for 3 months while doing his college internship at a NYC restaurant. He moved out on May 18, 2015 and we are still trying to get his security deposit back, almost 3 months later. They give no reason for the delay and we must keep calling for status, to no avail. I have read other reviews which also complain about security deposits not being returned unless you constantly call. read more