New York (NY) Manhattan Times Square Sleep Economy reviews

“In my circles, I am known as cheap-to-a-fault. I survived this experience at Manhattan Times Square Sleep Economy, whereas most would reasonably go running (fast) in the other direction. This is a hard core operation, so be ready to pray for kind and considerate roommates who, let’s just say it, will be sleeping in super-close proximity to you in the Mixed Dormitory. If you believe at all in Karma, NOW is the time to start paying it forward!

YOU MUST bring ANY size towel (none was provided). Good ear plugs are good to have (and/or ear buds to silence rude roommates). And you’ll be glad if you bring any tiny shampoo from your last, actual hotel stay.

In the shower was “bed bug powder” (at least throughout my stay), so you should consider your comfort with what this implies. FYI, I haven’t had a problem with itching, and I checked out 3 days ago!

I did stay both of my reserved nights, but I chickened out from using the shower on my second night–it just felt like too much work.

I thought the host was professional, reasonable, very responsive and trying his best, and I really do appreciate that.

Though I did secure a non-smoking reservation, there was a young lady (who seemed mentally unwell, if in a harmless way) smoking cigarettes throughout the night. I just didn’t feel comfortable to suggest that she refrain from smoking (excessively as she did) and I didn’t have the guts to drag the host into this arena; quite frankly, I felt better knowing she’d be less likely for nicotine withdrawal, so I kept my face covered with a mask (thank you, 2020!) while I slept, b/c the smell of her smoking really did bother me.

Lastly, what’s strange is that the owner didn’t skimp on toilet paper… I’m not kidding–it was super-luxurious two-ply and embossed! Or maybe I just got lucky with another guest having left it behind!

Karma…”

“Staying here is a mixed bag. First of all, there’s a typo in the listing; it’s a hostel, not a hotel. Infact, calling it a hostel is generous; it’s an apartment with partitions for people to sleep, and one private room. Second, for the price, it’s worth staying here if you’re just looking for a place to sleep.

However, there are a couple of red flags that you should know about. First and foremost, when I stayed here, the person took a picture of my driver’s license with his phone, which is 100% uncalled for. Yes, you need to show an ID and that’s normal, but there is no reason for him to be taking pictures of your government-issued ID and just having that image on his phone. When I called him on it, he said it was “required” to stay there. When I pressed him on his having a picture of my driver’s license on his phone, he claimed it was a “city law” that required him to do so, which NYC had no clue about. He claimed that he removed it from his “system” (his system is just pics on his phone), but I have no proof that he actually did so.

In addition to the ID thing, there is also no WiFi offered at the location. When I asked him about WiFi, he said they don’t offer it because someone who stayed there once committed cybercrime. However, he did offer me 2 QR codes to connect to routers within range of the building, both of which worked intermittently at best. As I was trying to connect to the WiFi, he saw that I had 5G data and said that I should have good enough connectivity with my 5G data.

It’s also worth noting that the bathroom is so disgusting that I didn’t dare try to take a shower while I was there.

So if you just need a place to rest your head, it’s worth it for the money. But if you can manage to find another solution, I’d recommend making other arrangements.”

“Let’s be honest, if you’re spending one night in NYC and you want to be near Times Square and you want to be at the heart of Times Square, this place is OK.
Not the cleanest, unkempt facilities, but you don’t have to worry about staying out after 2 am and not having a PATH train to your hotel out of Manhattan.
If you want luxury, go somewhere else. If you want a room to stay the night and not be worried about time, this place is OK.”

“The place is centrally located around the homeless people and the place itself is extreme dirty and extremely filthy. Hallway, staircases and bedroom are very dusty. The bathroom is full of mold and super dirty. I had to use the public washroom in bus station or restaurants because they are cleaner.
I would never recommend it and should be removed with the on line listing with Agoda. Thanks though yo Agoda contact number that they could contact to open the door for me when checking in otherwise I will be sleeping on the street. “