The Nolita Express Hostel — Hotel in New York

The location of this hostel is good and despite the unusual layout (no ceiling) we figured it would be an interesting experience to stay here. The bed was comfy and the shower was hot. But that is the end of the positive feedback. |The place is lifeless, the girl who checked us in was miserable and didn’t even raise a smile which wasn’t a great start. This aside we went to our cabins and settled down for the night. The following morning I went to the female bathroom to find only one toilet for the entire floor along with one shower. The second shower is broken because the roof has fallen in but it would appear no one has bothered to do anything about it. That being said, the one shower was hot and powerful. Don’t expect any privacy at all as the shower and toilet is in the same tiny, soaking wet room. |The place is noisy which was expected but it’s just a place to sleep and with the ear plugs we managed ok. Then we found the bed bugs. My sister first and then me. Considering the number of previous reviews mentioning bed bugs I can’t believe the hostel hasn’t done nothing about it. It would appear that basic hygiene is completely disregarded by the owner/management of this place. Yes it is cheap considering the area but come on, everything else I can deal with but bed bugs is just disgraceful. When I complained I was moved rooms but I am concerned by the fact that people are raising this issue and it’s being ignored. My sister was moved rooms as well however the following morning I discovered more bed bugs in the new cabin. We immediately checked out and found a new place nearby. I’ve never ever experienced bed bugs before and have stayed in much cheaper hostels. Bed bugs aren’t due to unclean bedding, they bury in to the mattress which shows how neglected this issue is. |I wouldn’t recommend this place for that reason. It may be cheap for the area but seriously, spend a little more to not have to share your bed with disgusting bugs. I honestly question the hygiene of those who have found the place acceptable. When we told the staff, they weren’t at all surprised and immediately offered a refund. The first occasion they offered a two night refund but when we checked out due to finding more bugs they said they would refund the whole stay (4 nights) and would process it immediately. However this did not happen and my sister has had to chase them many times for our money back, which still hasn’t arrived over a month later. Complete lack of customer service. Absolute joke! I can not express enough... DON’T STAY...

I booked a mixed gender full room and received a room on the 4th floor. I stayed 4 nights over a long weekend. It was very spacious and I was lucky enough to get a window in my room. There were 2 pillows and a top sheet provided, no blanket. It was hot at night but not overly. 2 wall sconces. Plenty of outlets. No table or wall hooks or anything in the room, just the bed. I was also given one towel. There are earplugs and eye masks available for free.

My first night there I was woken up at 6am by a fire because someone hung something up on one of the wall sconces and it caught on fire. It was also unclear whether it was a real emergency or just a test because the fire alarm was only a beeping tone with no announcement. People were moving very slowly and some in fact stayed inside of the building, so that is a little concerning. Maybe some wall hooks would be a nice addition.

The ceiling is open so you can hear everything but I didn’t really have any issues with noise. I only used the bathroom on the 3rd floor (women’s only). The bathrooms on the 4th floor are male only. Bring your own toiletries/soap. Rainfall shower head so I would recommend you bring a shower cap. There doesn’t seem to be any temperature setting and the water is quite hot when it first comes out. Little privacy in the showers so if you are wary of people seeing you nude I would look elsewhere or shower at odd hours. No paper towels / hand towels in the bathroom or kitchen so you have to shake your hands dry basically.

Very few people congregated in the common room on the women’s only floor it seemed, but then again I was out most of the day and am not very social myself. Across from the kitchen area (cups, plates, utensils, filtered water machine, fridge, microwave etc) there was a little vanity room which was nice to do makeup in. I honestly did not go on the 2nd floor ever.

Location is very nice and it was affordable as well. I would book again, however I would opt for the female only floor option. I did not interact much with staff so I cannot comment on that. They do seem to warmly greet you every time...

I want to be upfront about both the positives and negatives of my stay.

I reserved a single pod on the female floor. The place is aesthetically pleasing, especially the lounge, which has beautiful décor. The bathrooms are cleaned once a day and are in good condition, and the showers work well. The kitchen is also clean, offering cold and hot water, a fridge, and a small microwave for heating food.

The location is excellent, surrounded by restaurants and cafés, which is very convenient.

staff is friendly but the customer support are the worst and they don’t care about you as a customer, they will do whatever it takes so they charge you or take the deposit and not have to give it back to you. They tell you to check up between 11-12 (the reception man) but the policy says before 10. The contradiction is disgusting and after a long argument I just told them when I checked out at 11 , if you want the deposit just take it.

, there’s free tea and coffee and the first floor , that’s nice. The rooms are clean but so small , and you get a clean towel and a cover ready when sleeping.

Now, for the downside: I would absolutely not choose this place again. Over the course of four nights, I barely got any sleep and couldn’t wait to get back to my own bed. The noise was constant, 24/7. You hear everything—from people in neighboring pods to the cleaning staff, who seem to make an enormous amount of noise, starting early and lasting throughout the day and they open the doors suddenly while you are inside not knocking first.

What made things worse was that men, for some reason, had access to the female floor, which made me feel uncomfortable, especially when walking between the pods. On two occasions, I had to confront people: one was a person on the phone next to my pod while I was trying to sleep, and another was when someone’s alarm went off for an entire hour at 5 AM without them waking up—I had to search for their pod and ask them to turn it off.

In short, this was the worst sleeping experience I’ve ever had. I will never stay here again. It...