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International Student Center

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Traveller (13)
Room & Suite (8)
Dining (5)

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About

#12 of 41 hostels in New York City
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Located in a beautiful, residential neighborhood in Manhattan on the Upper West Side, you'll find charm, comfort, and convenience here. We offer both private and shared accommodations. In 2022, our entire place was refreshed! The common lounge, dining area, kitchen, and garden offers an inviting space to relax and connect. 1/2 block to Central Park, restaurants, cafes, shops, and the subway. Museums, iconic sites, food markets and other amenities nearby. For 70 years, our nonprofit hostel has hosted travelers from across the US and around the world. While we welcome travelers of all ages, guests under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult and reside in a private room.
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Property amenities
Paid private parking nearby
Street parking
Outdoor dining area
Meeting rooms
Baggage storage
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Shared kitchen
Shared lounge / TV area
First aid kit
Umbrella
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Room features
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Iron
Coffee / tea maker
Microwave
Oven
Bath / shower
Hair dryer
Refrigerator
Stovetop
Electric kettle
Kitchenware
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Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
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78Reviews5Q+A7Room tips

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Josh P wrote a review Nov 2023
3 contributions
+1
This is by far the worst hostel I have stayed in, and I can only advise you to look elsewhere. I was booked in for ten nights as I had business in NYC but left after two in order to find somewhere less awful. To begin this review, the hostel is deeply unsanitary: there were two bathrooms on my floor (four rooms). This is by no means adequate and on my first morning in the hostel I had to get dressed in a laundry closet. The bathrooms are falling apart, with decrepit fixtures and frankly disgusting furniture (see pictures). There was no hot water on my three attempts to shower. The staff make the claim that there is, in fact, hot water, and that there isn't hot water is a charming quirk inherent to the building being a historic brownstone – a poor excuse. Judging by the quantity of detritus in my dorm, they are cleaned infrequently if ever. Second, the rooms are insecure to the point where I felt unsafe. The dorms do not lock, and so anyone who can make it into the building can access any dorm. The only secure place to store valuables, etc. are small and flimsy key lockers, and even then the hostel does not give out keys willingly: I had to argue with the receptionist to get one. Judging by if ever. Beyond the bunks and lockers, the dorms are furnished only with a few items of bric-a-brac in various states of disrepair (my bunk had a broken CD tower that I guess was meant to be a bedside table) meaning that the top bunks do not have access to amenities such as dedicated plug sockets, reading lights, or shelves. For some reason, there is not Wi-Fi on the upper floors, meaning that if you need to look something up then you have a long climb ahead of you. While the hostel has tried to make the common areas nice, and have succeeded in part, the reception area doubles as a man-cave of sorts for the staff with their XBox and drum kit, and the kitchen in the basement, though new, is ill-equipped. As I said, I left over a week early. When I told the member of staff on reception that I was leaving and why, he tried to get into an argument that left me feeling more than a little gaslit. Apparently, the bathrooms pictured aren't an issue because it's an old building, but also the only reason I was leaving was because I had to ask for a locker key – and a guest feeling fearful that someone might walk off with their passport, etc., was not an issue for him. Out of politeness I had taken my sheets downstairs in order to check out as per the hostel's request. Apparently this was the wrong thing to do as he then yelled out as I walked down the street, asking me to climb back up to the top floor to deposit my sheets back in the dorm – truly a masterclass in reading the room. Since leaving, I have received multiple emails from the hostel management, the last of which was 500+ words and cc'd in Hostelworld (through whom I'd booked). Each of these emails has been defensive to the point of passive-aggression, attempting to exculpate the hostel. Apparently, the hostel has decrepit, non-functioning bathrooms, etc., because it is a "historic 1915 brownstone [which] has a lot of classic charm with a few quirks." And apparently I was the one who was at fault as "many concerns were not voiced until your decision to depart early." Bizarre behaviour. TripAdvisor has suggested that I "sprinkle in a few tips and recs." My tip is this: do not, under any circumstance, book this hostel.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
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Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip: Do not book this hostel. Go elsewhere.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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aspenanne wrote a review Mar 2023
Beaverton, Oregon31 contributions7 helpful votes
Ideal for a family - stayed in the family room. Fantastic location and very helpful staff. Unique experience to stay in a NY brownstone. Close to subway, Central Park, Upper West Side dining and Lincoln Center.
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Date of stay: March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from International Student Center, Owner at International Student Center
Responded 8 Jul 2023
We are so delighted that you and your family had a positive experience. Thank you for choosing to stay with us. After our long closure during COVID and now operating under new leadership, we are working hard to foster a high quality experience for all in our newly “refreshed” and renovated space.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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suez wrote a review Oct 2022
Seattle, Washington1 contribution
It is a sweet old brown stone close to Central Park (less than 1 block away). The inside is charming, but the bathroom in the room needs updating. The staff cleans the room and bathroom each day. The mixed general room has 5 bunk beds for a total of 10 people and we shared 1 bathroom. All the people staying were courteous and ages ranged between 20-50 years old. The people running non-profit are lovely. The downstairs communal room is inviting and people sat around and chatted. It was a great way to meet people from all over the world. There is a private backyard with greenery to escape the city for a quiet moment. The location is ideal! On the Upper West Side. Walking distance to Zabar’s and Levain’s bakery. Feels safe even in the evenings. It’s close to City Bikes (1 block away) and close to bike lanes. Trader Joe’s is walking distance to pick up food if you don’t want to go to the local markets or if you want to minimize cost. The community kitchen is clean and updated. Close to subway. stops. They also host artists to exhibit their work. It is reasonably priced for the area.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Don’t bring too much luggage. Use Apple Pay at the subway station to get through the gate.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Taly J wrote a review Oct 2019
1 contribution
My friend and I had a great Time in NY during our road trip and staying at this hostel for a week has defenetly been a plus. Comfy beds, beautiful building, very nice staff, very useful kitchen and roomy living area, clean, well organised, perfect position to have a nice walk first thing in the morning. We defenetly recommend it to serious travelers, we don't wanna spoil the good vibes with some stuck up the arse spoiled, noisy, dirty, untidy and lazy tourists !
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Date of stay: September 2019Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Manuliv17 wrote a review Oct 2019
New York City, New York58 contributions42 helpful votes
This was an okay hostel. It was very close to Central Park, which was nice, but there is a laundry list of things that concerned me when I stayed there. First of all, the doors to the dorms don't lock. This was rather distressing, as there seemed to be no point in staying in a female dorm if anyone could walk into the room at all hours of the day or night, no key required. I came back to my room once and found the door propped wide open. And the front door to the hostel needed a key to unlock, but several times I came back and the deadbolt had been turned, so it was not locked. In the room, there are 10 beds, but only 5 lockers, so if you arrive after the first 5 people have checked in, then you're out of luck and have no place to store your valuables during the day. Even so, if you do get a locker, it is so tiny that you can only store your wallet and a couple other small things inside it. The rest of your things have to be left on the bed when you're not there. You can only take a small backpack/bag up to the room - bigger luggage must be left at the front desk, which is only open between 8am and 11pm. So if you get back late at night, sorry! You can't get your clothes until tomorrow morning! Something that made my stay entirely uncomfortable was that there was no A/C in the room. It was 85 degrees outside, and no A/C in the room, so you burn up all night. There was a ceiling fan, but it didn't always work, and the staff had put a big fan in the room, but it was so loud that we had to turn it off at night so it wouldn't keep us up. The room had three windows, but only one was open, and it had no screen, so there were bugs in the room. It was so hot, it was incredibly uncomfortable. The bathroom was absolutely disgusting. First of all, they don't give you towels there, so if you're traveling light and don't bring a towel, you can't shower. There was gunk and grime all over the floor and even though they kick you out of the room for a certain number of hours every day so they can "clean," the bathroom looked like it hadn't been cleaned during my entire stay, because the same stains were always there. Sure, the trash had been emptied, and the soap and toilet paper refilled, but nothing looked like it had been scrubbed down in weeks. There was hair all over the place and what looked like mold in the shower, but the toilet was the most disgusting part of the bathroom. They give you sheets and a pillowcase so you can make your own bed, which is fine. I don't mind doing that. What I do mind is that there is no ladder to the top bunk beds, and almost nothing to keep you from rolling off in the middle of the night (there's just a small foot-and-a-half-long barrier). It didn't look like they washed the mattress covers, and most of the people who stayed in my room didn't use the sheets, just slept on the mattress pad because it was so hot, so I really hope they're cleaning them after each guest. Otherwise, that's pretty gross, seeing as everyone sweats profusely sleeping in that room due to the heat, so the mattress covers must get really dirty. The one part of the hostel that was nice was the lounge area on the lowest floor. It was clean and open. The kitchen, however, wasn't the cleanest, so I avoided making any food there.
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Date of stay: September 2019
Location
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Room Tip: Higher floors are hotter because there's no A/C
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Sagar wrote a review May 2019
5 contributions1 helpful vote
The price is too good to be true. The location of the hostel is exquisite- 5 mins walk from the central park. While the rooms are alright, I never expected a lot in the price for the hostel located on the Upper West Side in New York City. The staff is very helpful- very each to reach and greet you with smile.
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Date of stay: October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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sarahaccorsi wrote a review Sept 2018
Auckland Central, New Zealand6 contributions12 helpful votes
Myself and a friend stayed at the ISC in New York - while the hostel was old and rickety it was in such a great location and the neighbourhood was safe and comfortable for two girls to walk around in any time of the day. Staff were lovely and helped with any concerns. The hostel was cheap and affordable especially considering the location. For anyone on a budget and wanting to see the city, I recommend the ISC but if you are wanting to stay in flash accommodation, perhaps look elsewhere.
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Date of stay: September 2018Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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glengomez wrote a review Jul 2018
Metro Manila, Philippines1 contribution1 helpful vote
I visited a week ago, I told them the AC wasn’t working. The temperature inside the mixed dorm room was 95deg. Then I visited the next week again (my fault) - they never repaired the AC. The staffs do not know how to respond to a complaint. Until I have to persuade one of them to bring one more fan to the room. (She refused at first). Terrible. But room is cheap. I woke up with colds coz we were all sweating and almost naked in the mixed dorm room (co Ed).
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Date of stay: July 2018Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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Klaratie wrote a review Nov 2017
Rostock, Germany13 contributions13 helpful votes
Exactly what you expect from a good hostel. It's very clean (as it should be since they tell you they clean from 11 till 3 the rooms and before that kitchen and lobby), The staff is super nice and helpful. And you stay right in Manhatten, in a walkable distance from the central park and the metro. And if you only bring a small suitcase then you can bring it into your room. Just don't take your biggest one or leave it downstairs. I would totally recommend it!
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Date of stay: November 2017Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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Annika du Toit wrote a review Sept 2017
Cape Town Central, South Africa120 contributions12 helpful votes
This hostel is perfect for solo travellers or friends travelling in small groups. Very basic - there is nothing fancy, but everything is spotlessly clean and neat. Common room area is awesome - very nice and spacious, with a fully equipped kitchen area. Lockers available. Front of house staff super friendly and welcoming. I have stayed here twice now. Super location as well, close to to the subway!
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Date of stay: June 2017
Location
Cleanliness
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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ALSO KNOWN AS
international student hotel new york city
LOCATION
United StatesNew YorkNew York CityUpper West Side
NUMBER OF ROOMS
35
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT CENTER - UPDATED 2023 Hostel Reviews & Price Comparison (New York City) - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about International Student Center
Which popular attractions are close to International Student Center?
Nearby attractions include Upper West Side (0.5 km), The Bard Graduate Center (0.2 km), and West Side Community Garden (0.3 km).
What are some of the property amenities at International Student Center?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include meeting rooms, baggage storage, and an outdoor dining area.
Which room amenities are available at International Student Center?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a refrigerator, and an oven.
What food & drink options are available at International Student Center?
Guests can enjoy an outdoor dining area during their stay.
Is parking available at International Student Center?
Yes, paid private parking nearby and street parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to International Student Center?
Conveniently located restaurants include The Consulate UWS, Jacob's Pickles, and Barney Greengrass.
Are there any historical sites close to International Student Center?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Hamilton Park (4.5 km), United Nations Headquarters (4.2 km), and Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site (5.6 km).