Chelsea Star Hotel

New York City (Manhattan - Chelsea)

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Address	300 West 30th Street, New York City (Manhattan - Chelsea), New York, USA Map
Price	Dorm beds from US$35.00. Private rooms from US$32.25/person. Price may vary by season - Check Current Prices by Date Here

Location/Contact

Details

Their Description

Features

Travel information provided
Bike Rental
24 Hour Free Hot Showers
Air Conditioning

The Hostelz.com Review

The Chelsea Star Hotel (not to be confused with other "Chelsea" named hotels) is a very clean, and affordable hostel/hotel in the centre of Manhattan. The location could not be better! It's literally a five-minute walk from Penn Station, Madison Square Garden, and the Port Authority Bus Station, which makes it great for backpackers carrying a heavy load. Manhattan sites of interest are easily reached by walking or subway.

The hotel is exceptionally clean and air conditioned (you need it in NYC in the summer!), en-suite washrooms are large and cleaned daily by staff. The bunk bed mattresses are decent although the beds themselves are very noisy and squeaky. The staff are pleasant but not overly helpful, and they are sticklers to the rules that the patio closes at midnight. Given that there is no alcohol allowed in the rooms, the closing of the only common area puts an early end to any evening festivities. We recommend this hotel to budget conscious travelers!

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
July 2006

Ratings & Comments

3.7 Average from 18 Ratings

This is an open forum, and unlike other hostel guide websites we don't censor out the negative comments.
We can't validate the legitimacy of comments posted on this site—so take what you read here with a grain of salt.

Comment by Hill Family, USA

December 2008

They dumped us on the street.
Chelsea Star dumped us on the street at midnight! We had to find another place to sleep! Read below for the story. Pros of the Chelsea Star -- Relatively Clean, Location. Cons of the Chelsea Star -- Noisy all night from the traffic of a very busy 8th Ave. and low quality windows/insulation of the room. They messed up our reservation, dumped us on the street, and didn't take any responsibility for their mistake, they didn't even offer an apology. Our original reservation was for a four-night stay for eight people occupying an entire eight-person dorm room. We were able to secure very good, cheap tickets to the broadway show "Wicked" the day after our original checkout date. We called and changed the reservation to a five-night stay. We made a follow up call about a month later to confirm that the reservation had indeed been extended to include that fifth night. Both times we called, to change the reservation and then to confirm the reservation change, we were assured that everything was fine and that the fifth night (dates were reiterated) was reserved. When the first part of our group arrived in Manhattan and tried to check in they were not allowed to because they were too early (even though we had asked the Chelsea Star in advance that it be alright for us to come that early). The did let us leave our bags behind the check-in desk but no paperwork or payment was processed. When the second part of our group arrived (different flight) and checked in Chelsea Star would not let us do so unless we paid for the entire group. So a member of this smaller group who was not the head of our group and subsequently did not make the reservation paid with a credit card. Chelsea Star did not collect any contact information nor did they provide us any paperwork outlining reservation details or such. Being jet-lagged and tired and overwhelmed by the busyness of the city and assuming we were dealing with a responsible company, we did not verify that what we had there is what we actually had reserved (it would have been wise for us to verify that Chelsea Star had not messed up our reservation). We enjoyed our vacation until on the fifth night we returned to Chelsea Star at approximately 11:30 p.m. and we found all of our belongings in plastic bags mixed together and piled on top of each other in a storage room. The Chelsea Star front desk staff member informed us that our room was now occupied by other people and we needed to get out. We were kicked out on the street with our belongings in garbage bags at almost midnight to find somewhere to sleep. After the vacation (and as we were getting kicked out) when we tried to talk to the Chelsea Star staff and manager we got a very aggressive and derogatory response from them that basically told us that they had done nothing wrong, we were at fault, and they frankly didn't care -- they had our money and good riddance, go find somewhere else to sleep. As you can tell, we still have very strong feelings about how we were treated and how it effected our time in New York (five months later). Our recommendation is to find another place to stay that cares about their guests and not just about their money, that have the means to take care of emergencies, that stand up and face their mistakes, that don't take the attitude in the end of good riddance get out of our hotel. Before posting this review I emailed it to the Chelsea Star Hotel and gave them a chance to do something about it. It has been almost four weeks now and I have received no reply from them, another indication that they do not care about their customers and have no problem treating people poorly.

Comment by Mya , London, England

December 2008

Good value for money, safe, and clean
My three girl-mates and I stayed here for four nights on a shopping trip to NYC. The room was perfect for what we needed it for, safety, comfy beds and cleanliness. We were not in the room much apart from resting but thats the way when you re in NYC -- there is too much to do! I would recommend the four-bed dorm rooms, as they have a good en-suite and are very secure. I found the staff very helpful and even got our bags to our rooms for us! Always a treat when you're jet-lagged, disoriented, and have everything plus the kitchen sink in your case!

Comment by sally

October 2008

Bad
small room, very small. bed was not good at all, and what about the smell in the stairs? me and my boyfriend stayed for three nights, not good. but we did see some of the other room and they looked great. and you have to clean bathrooms more than once a day when there are so many people using the bathroom.

Comment by Clara, Spain

July 2008

Perfect for low budgets
The dormitory is incredibly clean, including the bathroom, we had air conditioning and the people at the desk were correct. You can have a nice chat in the common area, but that gets a little too noisy for the people inside the dormitory that's just by it. But in the dormitory there are no lockers, and there's little space, but the ambiance is really nice so we never worried. Overall, I'd recommend it, great location, price, and accommodation.

Comment by Lucas, USA

July 2008

Clean, inexpensive, great location
The best hostel ever! It's clean, fairly quiet, and located in the center of the city! Restaurants and food carts just down the street for a quick meal, and laundry mat only a few blocks down! Within walking distance of Times Square and Empire State building! For the low price for a bed, you cannot find a better value in Manhattan! My only complaint is the lack of a commons room, which makes it more difficult to meet other tourists.

Comment by Joshua Schulze, USA

June 2008

Good
All in all my stay at the hotel was fine. The good points were that the hotel was clean and quiet. I did have to wait a bit at check in because a large group were checking out, and there is only one attendant at the desk. No big deal. I had booked a private room, but because of the wait (an a reward for my patience) they upgraded me to a private en suite.so I can't comment on issues of sharing a bathroom. The hotel seemed a bit far from tourist sites, but I like to walk and the metro is nearby. Staff was not overly helpful, but not rude. Considering the astronomical prices of hotels in NYC, this can't be beat!

Comment by Chris, USA

March 2008

This is not a real hostel, more like a joke.
Good points -- the room was large and relatively clean. It's in a great location. The front desk staff seemed fine. Heating was too warm, although it's nice to see a hostel with air condition at all. Basically from what I can tell it's an old apartment building that is kept in nice condition. Nice hardwood floors and whatnot. They place all the bunk beds in each former apartment room. They have co-ed rooms which you might end up in if they're tight. With that out of the way let's talk about how bad this place is. The bathroom is in the room. That may sound nice but I don't like that. When you wake up you have to wait and you could end up waiting two hours or something ridiculous just to pee. I'd rather there be a bunch of restrooms out in a hallway on several floors so you could check several to see if they were open. And what if you have to shower? I like to shower at night before sleeping, but I feel bad taking a noisy shower with the people in the room asleep. No problem if the shower is in the hall like most other hostels. There isn't a general hangout spot that is indoors. There is one internet computer. They do have free Wi-Fi but I couldn't use it because there is no general hangout area that is indoors. Assuming you are not visiting during perfect weather, you are stuck in the room. Stuck in a room with nine roommates doesn't bode well because you'll be bothering someone. I didn't even feel comfortable reading because I knew eventually someone would want to sleep or turn off the lights. Boy, I sure wish there was some sort of indoor hangout area. Did I mention they don't have one? The staff kept on walking through our rooms. No knock, no warnings. The staff would very, very, very frequently walk into our back or front door to either go to a supply closet or go to the backyard or hallway. In other words, if you're unlucky enough to have the room I had, the staff basically uses it as a hallway at all times of the day. They also do not lock the room when they do this. Now you may think "hey, there's nine other people in the room, what's the big deal?" Well, imagine sleeping in the morning and the staff just bursting into your room very frequently, not being quiet, using your room as a hallway. Ridiculous. See, your roommates are being quiet and respectful. The staff is there to work. They are fully dressed, wearing shoes, stomping around, opening closets, and generally being inconvenient. Apologies from the staff mean nothing at this point. In the mornings when people were getting ready or trying to sleep, there would literally be about thirteen people all in the room stomping around. This is way louder and more crowded than the worst hostel rooms I've ever stayed in. That's not just lots of roomies, that's literally a party in your room in the morning while you are trying to sleep. As far as I know this place didn't offer anything in terms of activities. I've stayed here in one of their normal hotel rooms years ago. It is nice and well kept. The room was great and a decent value for what you get. But of course it's a normal hotel room so it is normal hotel room price. Don't base the hotel part on the hostel part or vice versa. The hotel part is great, the hostel part isn't. Speaking of the bed, it sucked. I don't normally complain about bed quality whenever I do a hostel or hotel review, but this one deserves exception. My bed's springs made my body ache horribly. I never ever got a good night's sleep for the three nights I was there. I would eventually drift off to sleep at 4 or 5 a.m., only to be awakened by the staff using our room as a hallway a couple of hours later. Aside from the good physical shape of the rooms, this is the biggest crock of poop I've ever seen calling itself a hostel. One of our roommates said it best, "this isn't even a hostel, it's just a bed." If you want a bed -- and absolutely nothing else -- this is for you. Considering other hostels offer the things this one is missing for the same price or less I would say risk the drop in room quality and go somewhere else. What a rip off.

Comment by maria, austria

November 2007

Nice hostel in nice area
this hostel was small, at first I couldn't find it. but the hostel itself was ok, clean, and nice! I slept in a dorm which was divided in two rooms. the people tried to be quiet and I was able to sleep, but it was not such a good sleep atmosphere as in some other hostels. the area was cool, and the hostel is just a short walk from the empire state building and time square! I spent every single night there! good hostel, I met lots of great people there!

Comment by James, UK

April 2007

I stayed in ten-bed dorm room for seven nights in April for $33 per night. Good points -- unbelievably good location. Staff were courteous and helpful. Cleaned every day -- dorm room had en-suite bathroom. Excellent security -- key passes and cameras. Reasonably priced internet (can use for free at library though). Bad Points -- no atmosphere and no real communal areas. Smells loads of the subway sandwich shop below. No kitchen.

Comment by MR T, Australia

April 2007

They screwed up our booking, which was a blessing in disguise because we were upgraded to the adjoining apartment run by the hostel for the same price as we were quoted for a lesser room. The staff were polite and helpful, and although i didn't see much of the actual hostel it looked clean and well kept. The location is also excellent and the price was in line with others in NY, it's worth paying a little more for a place that is safe, clean, and not run by transient bong heads.

Comment by Eric

January 2007

I stayed here for seven nights in December 2006. It was nice and clean. The location was fantastic (just cross the street and you will get to penn station, walking distance to empire state building). The staff are friendly and they provide free map which give you discount on some attractions. A ten-mixed dorm cost about $36.50 after taxes. It is a great hotel to lodge in (or rather hotel, whatever way you like to call it). But one thing i do not like about here is without the kitchen or fridge, so you basically have to eat out all day. And, you will not have chance to meet friends unless you are lodging in the same room, because there is no common place for you to relax and chat really.

Comment by Jac Loh

December 2006

We stayed for four nights in a ten-person dorm. Check-in was speedy, the sheets and pillows were clean, the bathroom was cleaned every day. Although there will be a wait for the bathroom in the morning, it is something to be expected. The place is well-heated, an important point as it is now winter in NY. Located very conveniently to subway stops and very easy to get around from the Hostel. We paid about $33 per night after tax was included in the price. If you don't mind paying a few dollars more for a very clean place, you should definitely go to this one. Security cameras were all around. Basically it was a great stay.

Comment by Anonymous

July 2006

While staying there, we shared a room with two girls from Ireland, who told us that during their stay a couple of days earlier, one of the hotel workers entered the room (dorm but entire room rented privately) at 5:00am, and when questioned what he was doing by one of the males in the party, he apparently stated he was there to bring a fan (even though the A/C was working well). On my trip, the same male employee entered the room without knocking at about 6pm and tried to enter the bathroom where another girl was showering. When I asked him what he wanted, he stated he was checking to see if the bathrooms were clean. I told him they were already cleaned today and he left. This could have been very innocent, but given the story I had heard from the Irish girl earlier that day regarding the same male employee....I was suspicious. All said, I would still recommend this hotel to other budget conscious travelers!

Comment by Dominic

May 2006

Very nice hotel, rooms were clean, staff was friendly. You get a good room in a good location for a budget price.

Comment by Vic

August 2005

This hostel is in a superb location, easily accessible by bus, subway etc. The dorm rooms are small but very clean. Similarly, the hostel generally is spotless, especially the bathrooms. There is not much atmosphere but it is great value for money.

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