Usually, I have good experiences staying at hostels when overseas. Okay, perhaps an exception is U.S.A. I realised that when I reach Chelsea International Hostel (CIH) located in New York (NY), U.S.A. on 29 Apr 2012.
Truthfully speaking, CIH did the job it was supposed to do: provide a cheap lodging right in heart of the busy Manhattan. I have totally no complaints about its location as it gave me the convenience which I much needed to explore Manhattan and fully utilise my
NY pass.
But even for a someone who is used to staying in hostels, I could not make myself stay there until the day I fly back to Singapore. I booked to stay at Sleep Inn Jamaica (SIJ) a.k.a Sleep Inn JFK Airport on my last day in NY using the WiFi provided by CIH. Yes, I was desperate to get out of CIH.
As compared to CIH, SIJ was a godsend. But still, do not go in expecting to enjoy the usual hotel facilities such as swimming pool or cafes/restaurants. It is more of a no-frills lodging. But, it was definitely worth forfeiting the money I paid for my supposedly last night stay at CIH.
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| Entrance |
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| Corridor |
SIJ's staff were friendly and helpful, especially their manager, Wendy, who will make you feel just at home. I still remembered that when I had trouble accessing their WiFi and needed to print my flight check in confirmation badly, Wendy took the extra trouble and helped me print it.
The room size is sufficient for me and nicely decorated. Important thing is that heater is in a better working condition than CIH. At the very worst, I had a quilt to keep warm in SIJ instead of a blanket provided by CIH.
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| Queen size bed |
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| In-room heater |
The bathroom size was so much better as compared to CIH. And yes, it does come with a bath tub. Another thing that made me fell in love with SIJ is the little notes found in the bathroom. They made me feel wind down, stress free and well taken care of. It was definitely very reassuring to know that I can always approach the front desk in case I need to replenish my toiletries.
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| Lovely note in the bathroom |
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| Lovely note (again) in the bathroom |
Though SIJ provide simple complimentary breakfast, I mentioned that they do not have cafe/restaurant within the hotel where you can have lunch or dinner. Instead, you can refer to the menus in the room or at their front desk to order food delivery from local nearby restaurants.
The major down side is that SIJ is located in the Queens borough of New York which is kind of far from Manhattan (about an hour subway ride in). So if you are planning to stay there to explore Manhattan, do factor in more time for travelling.
Other than that, it will not appeal to shoppers as there seem to be no shops around it once you take the free bus shuttle ride back from the subway station (according to my 1 night stay there).
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| Shopping mall next to subway |
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| View outside the entrance |
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| View from the room |
Thinking back, I pretty much enjoyed my stay with SIJ :)
References:
- ChoiceHotels.com - Sleep Inn JFK Airport
- Tripadvisor - RYWsg in Jamaica
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