I stayed in this hotel for 2 nights in May as base for visiting New York. Was charged $55 per night which is pretty good as the hotel is is i the centre of town only 100 yards fro Yale University. The hotel is definitely not your usual chain hotel - in a good way. Quite a few of the mostly male occupants seem to be long term residents but not in an unsettling way. On arrival I was treated courteously and shown to my room on the 5th floor by the friendly lift operator (the lift is an an style manual opertaed one). The room and bathroom were clean, but the decor was basic with no pictures and a noisy fridge that I had to unplug to get to sleep. The fire escape is of the external steel kind you see in old US buildings and would not be suitable for anyone with limited mobility. The manual lift is operated for limited hours so you must be able to manage the stairs at other times. There's no parking but a car-park just across the road is handy but this will cost you an extra $17 per day. Note that most of New Haven has a one way system, I relied on my SatNav to find my way around. Navigating by map is very difficult unless you have a exceptional sense of direction.

On a friend's suggestion, I booked at the Duncan since all other hotels near Yale were full. We were worried, based on the other reviews. However, we got a "recently remodeled" room and it was basic, but fine: clean, large, and the main bed was decent-enough, but the second bed was only a twin and was not comfortable. Bathroom was basic, but clean. Most of the staff was great, too. The location is convenient. Room was not air-conditioned, so it would be a problem on hot days. Apparently, there are a few rooms with a/c. Rooms opened up at other hotels for our second night, but we decided to stay put and save the money. All in all, it was kind of unique and fun.

i stayed at the duncan twice last year, the first time was in january and everything was fine, spent the majority of my time on campus. however, the second time i was there, in mid-september, i was there for a funeral. after the service, i came back to change clothes and just wanted to chill in my room with some friends (keep in mind, these are friends i only see once every 2 or 3 years) and the guy at the front desk stopped us all as we were going up the stairs and told me i couldnt have any visitors in my room, unless i wanted to pay for them. i explained they were only there to visit and would be leaving in a few hours, even told him we hadnt seen each other in years and were there for a funeral ~ he replied, that it was not his problem!! i was so pissed off i checked out and went to a higher priced hotel a few blocks over ~ the extra $$ was worth it. i wouldnt recommend this hotel ~ unless your just really hard up for a cheap place to stay.

My husband and I stayed in a King Suite in March 2007. The room was fine - simple, old furnishings, spacious - but the bathroom was NOT clean. Yes, it was old, which is fine, but the toilet was filthy. If only the bathroom had been clean, I would be posting a very positive review saying it is the best deal in New Haven. Nevertheless, for travelers on a budget, I'm sorry to say it is the best option New Haven has to offer.