After reading a few reviews on the Duncan, it didn't seem that bad. It certainly is a 50's style hotel with a 120 year old hand operated elevator. I am thinking "cute and quaint", and right next to Yale. It also looks like you've stepped into a horror movie. The lobby is the only nice thing about the place.

After a rude, front desk person pushed a piece of paper over to me to fill out, our kindly elevator operator took us to our second floor room. We were guided to our room, which smelled like stale cigarettes. The door did not lock. In fact, I screwed in the loose deadbolt screw and then propped a chair up under the doorknob for "added security"

The mattress was flat. The furniture were all mismatched pieces that looked like they were from the 70s. But the best part -- the bathroom was really something else. I don't think they bleached or cleaned the tile in years. The toilet rocked on its base when you sat on it. There was no garbage can, no alarm clock, no hair dryer, no iron. Nothing you'd expect to get a hotel.

We went to sleep to the sound of the elevator and our noisy neighbor next door. Later that night, the steam radiator kicked off and we woke to a cold room.

Guess you really get what you paid for: $84 for two people to stay overnight at the Duncan. If you need a budget room and you don't really need much more than a bed and shut eye. This is the place. Otherwise there are two other properties within the same distance of the University.

My son and I stayed at the Duncan for one night at the end of October. I had requested a non-smoking room away from the street and was shown to a large, clean, quiet room in the back. Everything was nice, the tv worked just fine, and the staff was polite. You can not beat this place for the price -- my room was $78 for 2. We will definitely stay here again!

Whilst visiting Yale in September last year (05), I stayed in the Hotel Duncan for 2 nights and will be returning in October this year. It is a ideal location for both the town and the university and I found the staff very friendly and helpful. There is a real old world feel to the place, reminiscent of the 1950's. I am a student and a real believer in value for money. Sure the decor is somewhat tired and the place is in dire need of some tlc but you get what you pay for in life. At $44 a night this place is a real bargain.

In taking into consideration the comfort for cost ratio I must give this hotel an "above average" rating.
I paid $50/night (plus $6.00 taxes/night) and had a teriffic room. It was spotless, had a tv, maybe not all the niceties one is used to but for me it was just fine.
It is very close to virtually everything...Yale U, museums, restaurants.
I found the staff to be helpful and congenial.
I've stayed in hotels where I have paid three times as much and didn't like them nearly as much as this one. As has been previously mentioned, there is something rather old-fashoned and genteel about this place. It is not your cookie cutter type hotel.