Kama Central Park - Hostel in New York - 36 W 106th St, USA

I chose the Kama Central Park because I wanted to spend 10 days in NYC by myself and was unwilling to spend $200+ per night at a typical hotel or AirBnB. . . . . . The location is amazing. It is about a 3-minute walk to the B/C trains at 103rd or 110th St. There are lots of bodegas, restaurants, and services (nail salons, laundromats) within a short walk (Columbus Ave, Amsterdam Ave). There is a Lidl grocery store just up the street at Frederick Douglass Ave near 118th/119th. This is walkable, but you could also take the train two stops if you are carrying a lot of groceries. The Lidl has everything I needed: Yogurt, fruit, chocolate, take-away meals like salads with chicken strips. Even a decent and comfortable pair of black trousers for $15 when I ran out of clean clothes, lol. . . . . . I stayed in a 6-bed female-only room. I appreciated the privacy of my own capsule --- being able to climb into bed and close the door and not have to interact with other people. I also appreciated the common area, where I kept some food in the communal fridge and ate breakfast and a late supper (takeaway from Lild or nearby restaurants) most days. . . . . . I had pleasant interactions with travelers from all over the world. I will mention that I am 55 years old and I met many young people of typical "hosteling" age, but also people my age and older. . . . . . The en-suite bathroom attached to my bedroom was always clean. In the hall --- open to all residents, not just my 6-person room --- there were a shower room (3 showers) and a toilet room (2 toilets and a sink). For early morning showers, I used these hall facilities rather than my room's en-suite so as not to wake my room-mates. These hall facilities were not as clean as the en-suite, but they were not frighteningly dirty. . . . . . Each bed was assigned a small locker in the bedroom; I left my valuables in it during the day (mainly a laptop). My small suitcase did not fit inside the locker, so I left it sitting outside the locker. I was a bit anxious about that for two reasons. First, I was slightly worried that someone would steal the suitcase (even though it was empty). Second, I was worried that my room-mates might be irritated that my suitcase was sitting there, possibly in their way, and not stowed somewhere. The latch on my locker did not work very well. It was very difficult to make it latch properly. I had to buy a lock. The website said I could buy or borrow a lock from the front desk, but they did not actually have one, so I had to go out and buy one at a CVS for $5. This was not a problem, but I was a little concerned about leaving my belongings unlocked for the first few hours until I purchased the lock. But nothing was stolen. . . . . . One thing about the room was irritating to me --- because my bunk was on top, I had no place to spread out and organize my belongings when packing my day bag each day. This might sound odd, but it was hard for me to *think* about my needs each day and pack appropriately because I couldn't *see* all of my belongings at once. ("Let's see, today I need an umbrella, jacket, hat, grocery bags." On a different day, it might be "I need sunblock, flip flops, and an extra t-shirt in case I get in the water at Rockaway Beach.") If I'd had a bottom bunk, I could have used the bed for this purpose. Instead, I had to spread out my belongings on the floor or on top of the suitcase. This was not as comfortable and just didn't work as well. A table in the room would have been helpful for this purpose, but I suppose a room-mate probably would have stored their belongings on the table if there had been one --- in other words, if the room had a table, it probably would not have been left empty for the purpose of packing one's day-bag. If I stay here again, I will request a bottom bunk. This problem --- lack of space to pack up for each day's adventures --- was minor, but after about 6 days, it was starting to feel more and more irritating. I think maybe 6 days is *my* limit for living in such a confined space. Other people's tolerance may vary! . . . . . Having said all that, I would gladly stay here again.

Great place to stay for a couple of days, especially if you’re gonna be staying out most of the time. Everything was great, easy check in, bed is clean and big enough - Plentiful Showers and bathrooms were clean. Only thing that can be improved is the Air conditioning since it was summer season and quite humid outside when I visited.

Je recommande cet hôtel tout proche de central Park et à quelques stations de métro du centre de New York. L'ambiance est calme et conviviale. Tout est bien entretenu et sans prise de tête. Parfait pour découvrir la ville quand on a un petit budget, qu'on veut rencontrer des gens, et profiter à fond de son séjour.

Biggest gripe would be the quality of the women’s bathroom/showers, the third floor bathroom the toilet leaks and sprays out of the handle when you flush. The light above the other toilet needs to be changed. The showers are old however acceptable, but the last shower on the left (3rd floor) the door is off the hinges. The sink faucets need replacing immediately. They are extremely old and hard to wash hands, brush teeth or wash your face when you have to have one hand holding the bottom down to keep it on (and you have to hold it down pretty hard) I found that the men’s bathroom and shower room (they are separate) were spectacular in comparison. In men’s bathroom and shower room the sink was in workable condition however the showers themselves are pretty narrow. Also how come the men’s bathroom has a full length mirror and the women’s doesn’t? I’m assuming they are still under construction that could be my only guess. The bar in the lobby also looks to have once been (or plans to be) a full bar and coffee stop but is completely out of commission as no one is working that station, it’s not advertised that it is in commission but just a heads up bc I watched multiple people wait for service at the bar. And the ac unit in my room looked like it had not been cleaned or serviced in at least a decade, every time I came back to my room my nose would start to run and would cause me to sneeze. The cleanliness inside of the pod was questionable (liquid marks on wall of pod door) also the little sign in side the pod is hard to see because of the location in relation to the overhead pod light.

I have stayed at this hostel twice, and after my second visit, I will avoid this place at all costs. The first time, it was a typical 3-star hostel experience. The pod had ventilation and a sliding door, there was a hook to hang items, a locker, and a small table. The showers weren't spotless, but they weren't gross either. It was acceptable for a hostel. However, my second stay a month later was atrocious. The shower drains were all clogged, there were no hooks to hang anything, and the room was stripped down to just the pods and a locker. The pod itself had only a curtain and no ventilation or fan. There's a reason why this is one of, if not the, cheapest places around. If you have the means, spend a few extra dollars elsewhere. I initially thought this place was a frugal find, but now I strongly advise against it. Forgot to mention, I left my bag in the storage area and came back to find someone's dirty underwear on top of it. Next, I left in the morning and returned in the afternoon to find chips and crumbs all over the pod. Make sure you have a lock if you want to risk staying here

Bonne expérience dans cette auberge. Le personnel est très sympathique. Le lieu est propre et calme. Je vous déconseille cependant les capsules dans la chambre mixte de 10 en été. Malgré la clim, il y fait assez chaud. Pour le reste, c'est très bien !

Perfect location. Subway station, central park, nice cafes and restaurants are all nearby. Moreover, the location is pretty quiet and safe. Rooms are clean. I stayed in a female dormitory with 6 people. For breakfast they have coffee and bagels. I liked my stay at Kama’s. Highly recommend for travelers.

J’ai passé un super séjour dans cette auberge. Les capsules sont bien équipées, la climatisation marche bien. Le lieu est propre, sécurisé, personnel très sympa et on est à deux pas de Central Park / le métro.