THE SEAFARERS & INTERNATIONAL HOUSE NYC

THE SEAFARERS & INTERNATIONAL HOUSE NYC

Pound for pound: 5 stars. Sleep like a baby for under $100 in a perfect Manhattan location.

The Seafarers & International House is 100 percent of what I wanted and needed -- a quiet, safe, well-located place to sleep while enjoying Manhattan.

I usually stay at 4 and 5 star places or exclusive apartments, so the idea of shared bath and shower frightened me back to the days of college dorms and dirty facilities.

Not the case here.

The single-seater shared toilet was cleaner than my bathroom at home.

The single shower (much better than a locker room set up with multiple showers) had endless warm water and again, was cleaner than my own one at home.

The room was tiny, but quiet.

The location is perfect -- a block from Union Square, with its subway link to the rest of NYC and its great shopping, restaurants, etc.

The staff is super low key, but helpful.

On a super tight budget, I wanted to stay one night, then stow my bag the next 18 hours to catch an early morning flight...ie, partake of Gotham for a day without paying for a room.

I had much trepidation about leaving my stuff there.

But the folks locked it up in a room -- better service and more secure than I've had at full service corporate hotels that toss your bags on a pile where anyone could steal them.

After 10 p.m., you show your room key to get buzzed in -- making it safer than a chain hotel where anybody could sneak into the elevator and roam the hallways.

The staff even let me get my boarding pass faxed to their office (when the printer wasn't working from the free internet computer in the lobby).

I could go on and on about the Seafarer's simple and superlative service.

Of course there's no pool, restaurant, concierge , etc...

You are paying only for a clean place to rest, sleep, shower and secure your stuff... while you play in Manhattan and pay a room rate equal or below the price of a roundtrip cab ride from/to LaGuardia. Amazing.

If I hit the lotto, I'm going to donate some money to these folks to help their core cause of aiding Seafarers -- which is supported by nightly stays from tourists.

http://www.sihnyc.org/newyork-guesthouse.php

123 East 15th Street
New York, NY 10003-3594
(212) 677-4800