Chelsea International Hostel

Doesn't Recommend

delionita

Joined 6 years ago

Good location, bad front desk service. I stayed at the hostel in June. The location is great but the staff at the hostel is the worst ever. They charged me more than what they said they would when I made the reservations on the phone. They made a mistake when processing my credit card and did not want to take responsibility for it. When I complained about it they just said: "This is New York, baby", showing total disrespect. The rooms are too crowded and so is the dining room. There is not a common area where you can relax, except for the patio, which of course doesn't work if it rains or if it's cold. The bottom line is: if you go there, make sure you don't get ripped off while living your NY experience.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

International flavor is this hostel's saving grace.. The Scene
This ten-year-old hostel occupies a long, white three-story building on a relatively tranquil Chelsea block. It is an oasis for the bargain-thirsty traveler. Guests like to lounge on the picnic tables and smoke and drink in the large courtyard, which is surrounded by bungalow-style buildings. It really gets wild on Wednesday nights when the staff doles out free pizza.

The Details
The newly renovated private bedrooms and four- to six-bed dorm rooms are standard, small and even plain. Still, they are cheery by hostel standards. All bathrooms are shared, and kitchen facilities are downstairs. The private rooms have double beds or twin bunk beds--make sure you specify what type of bed you want when making reservations. Call four weeks in advance for reservations. Guests, including U.S. citizens, are only admitted to the hostel with a passport. There is no curfew here.

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snickus

Joined 10 years ago

Not bad. Not bad at all.. I stayed here last Dec. and really liked the place. Here's what I liked: 1. CHEAP! I only paid $25/night for my dorm bed (2 bunks per room) 2. Decent accomodations. Besides bunks, room had sink, mirror, closet, and lockers. Also a gorgeous view of the Empire State Building! Hostel has dining room, kitchen, and meeting room (internet, tv). Also a long picnic table in the backyard where travelers mingled. 3. Good company! This will of course vary though. 4. Nice staff. 5. Location! Chelsea's cute and you're only a 15 min. walk from Penn station. Here's what I didn't like: 1. It's a hostel. Which basically means it's not...um...aesthetically pleasing. I've stayed in some nice, pretty hostels in Europe, but hostels in the U.S. don't compare. This place though is way better than the other hostel I stayed in while in NYC, and I plan to stay here repeatedly.

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lxine

Joined 11 years ago

Location Makes Up for Lack of Character. Chelsea International Hostel is on a safe quiet street in the funky Chelsea district. Unfortunately, the hostel did not seem to absorb much of the neighbourhood character! The private room I rented with my boyfriend was pretty much a bed in a shoebox. We also suffered in the August heat without an air conditioner or fan (although I believe the shared rooms had A/C). However it was a clean place to stay and its location was fantastic for checking out the sites.

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bigray

Joined 11 years ago

Good place to stay in NYC.. Review for German visitors. :-) Das Chelsea Hostel ist erste Wahl, da es im Vergleich zu anderen Hostels sehr preiswert ist. Es ist sauber, relativ gemuetlich und es gibt einen Internet-Raum. Die Lage ist super (zentral... Subway, Restaurants und Clubs gleich um die Ecke). Ausserdem ist es sicher, da sich direkt gegenueber ein Polizeirevier befindet.