You get what you pay for -- I liked it
OK, I feel compelled to write a review, because there is one thing all the other posters have forgotten to talk about: the price
I can't believe that people paying 1/3rd of a budget hotel price in NYC did NOT expect to end up in a waaaaay below average hotel.
You pay 1/3rd the price of a budget hotel, you get 1/3rd the service of a budget hotel
I stayed twice 2 weeks at the Riverside Inn, both times during summer months, and I can relate to everything the other posters mentionned.
- Yes it's hot and there's no A/C.
- Yes it's a bathroom shared for a whole floor and it can get a bit filthy
- No there are no toilet paper or towels or soap in the room.
- Yes there are students all over the place, that hang out in the corridors, listen to music, etc...
- Yes the surroundings are noisy
- Yes there are roaches, although I haven't seen any in my rooms, and nowhere near the infestation that the other posters mentioned.
But to stay there for 2 weeks (both times), I paid around $450. That's barely over 30 dollars a NIGHT.
I'm talking about New York City, inside Manhattan, 2 blocks away from a major subway station, and 1 block away from the Hudson River.
What on earth do you think you are getting for that price??? A four star? Get real.
This place is inhabited by poor people. There are tons of student with no money that live here all year. There are people with nowhere else to go.
It's barely a hotel. To me, it's more like a short term rental apartment. You make your own bed, you bring your own toilet paper, and you have noisy neighbors.
So, if you have an open mind, and don't want to blow 3 times as much to stay in what most people would describe as a budget hotel (like the Malibu Hotel, at the corner of Broadway and 103st), then be prepared.
- Go to the Riverside Inn to sleep only. Don't plan on resting there all day. You're in NYC, go out and enjoy.
- Get to the nearest RiteAid and buy soap, shampoo, toilet paper when you get there. There's one on Broadway near 96th street
- Bring towels with you, and bath sandals.
- I haven't seen roaches, but I'm sure there are some, since they're EVERYWHERE in Manhattan. Bring some insect killer stuff, or buy some at RiteAid
If you do not have a adventurous student mindset, then this hostel isn't for you. You want comfort and coziness, then stay away from that place (and most budget hotels in the upper west side at least, to be honest)
But, if you don't mind "camping" for two weeks, and want to save your money for other stuff like my wife and I did, then the Riverside Inn is the best value you can get.
Now that I have a kid, I'm not sure I'll go back to the same place, but when we were single, we didn't regret once that we saved about a thousand buck on each trip by living for 2 weeks in a dirty appartment