More about Continental Hostel
Cold Hostel underneath dirty highway
by TripAdvisor Member michellesouthwell
The Continental Hostel was terrible. My room had cockroaches in it, was cold and the carpet was filthy. It was steps away from the west side highway, but I didnt have a car. It was far away from the train station. It took 3 avenues to get to the nearest store (each ave in 4 blocks so that is 12 blocks). Just your typical skanky hostel underneath a highway.
Ps: (the 'entertainment center' is in the basement and outside. For some reason, the staff leaves the doors open to make the 'entertainment center' seem bigger. If you get stuck going to this dump, stay in your cold room, it is better than the basement.)
OK but not secure
by TripAdvisor Member WrenDC
If your idea of roughing it is staying at a Motel 6 or if you can't stand the thought of roaches in your room then read no further - don't stay at the Continental Hostel.
The Continental is very basic: my room has (yes, I'm writing this from the room) a bed, television, sink. The sink has quite a few small roaches in and around it. I've been here 3 nights and my room hasn't been entered/cleaned/bed made/new towels, etc. The bathrooms are a little grungy -- hair and dirt on the ground and there's some obscene graffiti in one bathroom on my floor. The place used to be a residence hotel and so there are some holdovers on my floor who are people who live here full time. I'm not saying this place is terrible, though. Overall for $50/night it's OK - I didn't expect much to begin with. I chose it over a $30/night HI hostel because I didn't want to share a room. The HI hostel here in NYC is, however, much cleaner than this hotel.
My one big problem with this place is security. There is none. My room is in the "annex" next door to the main hostel building. I walk into this building day and night and there is not lock, buzzer, door guard, etc. downstairs. So this means anyone could walk off the street and into the building. Obviously this is a safety hazard, especially for single women. I'm a single woman and the thought of going out to the hall to the bathroom at night is a bit scary, so I just wait to the morning.
There are better values in NYC
by TripAdvisor Member bricoleur
I had to arrange for lodging at the last minute, due to a reservation mix-up my regular hostel in NYC. The Continental was the only one with any availability, so I thought I'd give it a shot given its great location (safe neighborhood, very close to the subway) and affordable price.
I got a "twin private" which means I had my own room with a bunk bed. The bathroom was shared. The room was tiny--hardly bigger than the bunk bed itself--and it was pretty cruddy and depressing- looking, like it had been painted a hundred times since the building was built (probably in the 1930s, I guess) and if there was any kind of architectural defect (peeled wallpaper, bulbous outgrowths of fungus) they just slapped a thick coat of paint over it. Your typical run-down old NYC dive.
There was a pretty big TV in the room, but it was kind of ridiculous to have it in there because it was pretty much physically impossible to watch it. There was no way to plug it in (no plug-in that the TV cord could reach), no cable hookup, and even if you could have gotten it turned on and got some kind of magical reception, you would have had to watch it through the foot slats of the bottom bunk, laying on your belly. Hilarious. It was like they had to put it in the room because it was "advertised" without really caring if anyone could actually use it or not.
But the lack of TV didn't really bother me. I don't go to hostels to watch TV. I just want a reasonably safe, reasonably peaceful place to sleep. Unfortunately, the Continental didn't score very high on either point. As far as safety, I was concerned that the door lock was pretty flimsy. No chain, no deadbolt, and even when the door was locked you could rattle the door and see daylight. While I never felt the hostel was unsafe, it's worth noting that that there's no security at the desk (people just walk in and out) I'd recommend leaving NOTHING of value in your room. I even felt nervous leaving my computer locked in my room while I went down the hall to take a shower.
As far as a peaceful place to sleep? As the New Yorkers say, "fuggedaboutit!" It was *really* noisy at all hours of the night and early morning. It was like trying to sleep in a frat house. The Continental definitely had a "party" hostel feel. If you're a 22 year old hottie looking to hook up, then this may be just your cup of tea. I was tired and I wanted to sleep.
In response to some of the other reviews I've read:
• I didn't find the staff notably rude; they were indifferent at worst.
• I also didn't see any bedbugs, cockroaches, or dead mice (but I must say, after seeing the room I took preventative measures and didn't bring any food in!)
• The bathroom I used was clean, and the shower was actually very nice.
Overall, how much you'll enjoy the Continental Hostel will really depend on what you expect. Sure, its cheap -- but there are other cheap hostels in NYC that I think provide better value and overall ambience. I would recommend this hostel to young, adventurous travellers who are looking to find new friends with whom to explore New York.
shady place!!
by TripAdvisor Member aleather
i went to the hostel to ask about getting a room and was pelted with questions about where i was from, why i wanted to stay, and where i would be going after my stay. after i asked the reason for the questions, the staff was curt and rude, refused to show me a room, and told me there were no rooms available. there's something suspect about this place; it's a shady operation.
An OK Stay
by TripAdvisor Member dreweyj
This Hostel, although plain, simple, and unrefined, isn't too shabby when comparing its price to other places to stay in NYC.
The location is great... only two blocks from the 96th Street station and within minutes of most of New York! I thought the staff was friendly. Every question I asked was fielded politely.
The property wasn't well maintained but for the price... you can' beat it. While I wouldn't stay here with my family, I'd stay here if traveling alone to save plenty of money.
Would I recommend this hotel? To younger single travelers and for those on a budget I would.
The Continental definitely owns...
by TripAdvisor Member infinitylost22
For a cheap place to crash in an extremely expensive city, the Continental was fantastic. The only problem i had was not being able to control the heat in our room, because it got extremely hot during the night. Otherwise it was great, the atmosphere was very laid back and if you're not exhausted from exploring the city theres plenty to entertain you in the basement lounge. I would absolutely stay here again.
Great place to stay!!
by TripAdvisor Member noddingheadgirl
I stayed here with my friend Friday 2/9/07 and stayed one night. I had never stayed at a hostel before but I was happily surprised how clean and safe everything was. The bathroom was extremely clean too. The room we got was a bunk bed and it was tiny but next to a window and had a heater. Only drawback about that was that we could not control the heat which meant we were hot at night. The hallway was cooler but still comfortable. Front desk was very friendly and open 24 hrs. No lockout which was helpful. Check in/out was very fast also. We got a smoking room and smelled a bit but was expected. There was no ash tray and the front desk did not have one either. The basement had lots of games to do and seating for people to gather and talk. Everyone staying there was nice and the wireless in the lobby area was awesome. And there were computers to use in the basement, which was at 10cents per min. I would defiantly stay here again next time I visit New York City.
Actually Not That Bad
by TripAdvisor Member chinkyspice-007
I stayed here for one night after a horrific experience at hostelling international on Amsterdam Avenue, We arrived at the check in time and the staff although were extremely busy were very funny and helpful, the lift is a tad antequated but it beats the stairs when you have lots of luggage!! for me and my 2 friends we had a private room with 2 bunk beds, the room wasnt quite ready when we got upstairs but it was only by a few minutes and the cleaning staff were more than happy to give us extra towels sheets etc when asked. The room itself was light and airy but most importantly clean! i didnt see any insects like mentioned on other review but i guess its just bad luck. The decor of the corridors could be less gairsh but its not massively important, That night i arrived there was free pizza and a pool tournament so we got to mix with lots of other travellers... needless to say it ended up in a bar crawl!! the lounge downstairs has pool tables, table football, internet access and comfy sofas to just chill out, overall i loved the chilled out vibe from this hostel and i am going back in 6 weeks time!! if you dont like your room, ask for a change!!!
sleazy hostel, very dirty
by TripAdvisor Member chris.calgary
We spent 3 nights in this place and had to change our room 2 times. The first room didn`t even have electric light. There was a dead mouse in the hallway to the second room. A family, which apparently lived there, kept us awake with loud music. Additionally we found cockroaches in the bathroom.
The staff at the reception was sometimes quite rude, but all i n all acceptable.
There were taxes (about 16%) applied to our bill which was not clearly marked on the website were we booked.
All in all we would not recommend this place, it is just not worth the stress.
Forum Posts
Continental Hostel?
by Typ88
Hello everybody,
has anybody of you ever heard of the "Continental Hostel" before? Its located 330 West 95th Street., New York City, NY 10025, USA. I cannot find any information on the hostel on the internet so I am wondering, if this is a good place to stay. Does anybody here have any experiences with the hostel?? I would be very glad, if you could answer as soon as possible :-))) Thanx a lot!!!
greetings from Germany,
Rene
RE: Continental Hostel?
by shutterlust
Hiya, my best friend from Scotland just stayed there a little while ago. He enjoyed it, but then again, he's used to hostel and 'roughing' it, I guess. It's on 95th Street and Broadway, near Riverside Park (excellent area) and the north of Central Park. It's a pretty good location for a hostel, on the Upper West side, near Columbia University, so if you head a little more north you'll be in a student area, plenty of good cheap places to eat, restaurants, shops, etc. You also have the trains nearby, so you don't have to worry about being stuck to just that area anyway. Let me know if you have any other questions! I'm trying to update my NYC page as much as possible so your questions could help me as well as you! :-) :-)
Hope you enjoy Manhattan!! :-)
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