I am about to finish a very comfortable, friendly and enjoyable stay here. The hostel is clean and has a nice atmosphere, everyone is very friendly and helpful, both staff and the other guests, but I realise that the latter is luck of the draw! No meals are provided but there is a supermarket down the road and a great guy who sells all manner of fruit on the corner of Union Square. The transport links are great, with a subway station on that same corner ( roughly 3 minutes' walk) with connections to most of Manhattan available, and certainly all the major tourist sites. Only issue is that the window in my room didn't completely shut, but this was by millimetres, I was on the 3rd floor and noise wasn't a huge issue. I would definitely stay here if I were to return to New York in the future.

We were fortunate enough to be able to stay at this hotel, after hearing about it for many years. We loved the location, the price, and the staff. We had a room with a private bath, on the top floor. It was clean and had everything we needed. It's convenient to subways and buses. You can experience the farmers' market at Union Square if you stay over on a Saturday. There are great little places nearby to have breakfast, too. Book early, though, as they fill up quickly.

I stayed this week during two of the hottest days I have ever experienced in NYC. This was my (perhaps?) seventh stay here and I like it more and more with each visit. The staff is friendly and accommodating both on the telephone and in person. The room is basic, but has a flat screen TV. Mattress is very comfortable. I always use the shared bath and shower... never a problem. Usually I go to the supermarket (Food Emporium) across the street and pick up yogurt and a fruit cup for breakfast to eat in Union Park. Location is superb with three subway lines around the corner and several bus routes in all directions. Basic but sufficient.

Seafarers & International House is a guesthouse rather than a hotel, so it provides basic accommodation for much less than a hotel would cost in NYC. I stayed for 6 nights in May, 2012. I reserved a single with a private bath, and I realized when I checked in that the rooms with private baths all have two single beds and are the corner units. The other rooms are smaller and have one single bed, and use the hall toilets and showers. My cost was $116 for weeknights and $125 for weekend nights, and because of the charitable mission of Seafarers, no tax is charged. This is a real bargain for a prime location 1 block east of Union Square Park in Manhattan. Transportation by bus and subway is excellent from this location to anywhere in New York.

The room and bathroom were clean, but somewhat shabby. The mattress was comfortable and the sheets and towels were clean. Soap and plastic drinking glasses are provided, but no shampoo, etc. There is no hair dryer in the bathroom. There is a lounge on the mezzanine where two computers are available free of charge, and coffee and tea are available in the lobby for 25 cents per cup. If there was one thing I noticed, it was that both elevators could use a good scrub-out, but that's not a deal-breaker for me.

I was comfortable at Seafarers, and I would definitely stay again.