Horrifying and traumatising....

Myself and a friend began our 3 week USA tour here and were horrified beyond belief. You know you're on to a loser when you're asked if you want a room with or without a window at "reception". Our "room" was a poorly designed cubicle with thin "walls" which didn't even go to the roof. I had to ask people next door to be quiet. The showers were disgusting and I felt threatned just being in them. The place was bad value for money and we invested in a small safe and we felt the room was so unsecure. This is how I imagined the nightmare hostel featured in "The Beach" to look. We cancelled and left the next day and would have sooner if it hadn't been so late. My advice - avoid this nightmare, I even took photos so others would actually believe me when I spoke vehemnantly about this "hotel" we dubbed "Camp Death"....

It was scary....

We all know that places to stay in New York are bloody expensive... but this place was a total disgusting dump and rip-off... On our first night they put us right next to the showers and toilets and we did not sleep a wink, especially since it seemed like the lights were on all the time... we complained and they moved us up to the top level... why they didn't do that in the first place is beyond me... it wasn't much better... only slightly darker... The room down the end which belonged to a lodger reeked and was full of rotting food and wouldn't suprise me if a dead body was in it...As for security it doesn't really exisit...

so if you want to break into a room go ahead... oh sorry you don't even have to break in... just go to the counter ask for a room number and they instantly give you the key... we found out by accident as we asked for the wrong cupboard... the girls next to us got broken into and had their wallets stolen (while one of them was sleeping)...You will find at this dump that they don't ask for payment of the full stay...

because to be honest who would want to stay for more than a few days...It is not worth staying here jsut to save a few extra dollars...

there are a lot better places...We couldn't wait to get out of there...

and it will stay blocked out of our memory forever...

We liked it!

My girlfriend and I liked the place. We found it to be quite clean, we found the staff to be very helpful and it was very well located. The building is old and I think some people have confused that with cleanliness. But the place was definitely clean. Our room was small but it was we expected and we found the description on the internet to be accurate. The location was awesome. We would definitely stay there again - for NY, you cant beat the price! I am not sure people's expectations for price in NY are realistic.

You like BEDBUGS, BUMS and LOUD NEIGHBORS, visit this dump!

My boyfriend and me made the mistake of believing this dump's website.

The "rooms" are actually cubicles that have no roof, the walls are merely partitions that don't even extend to the ceiling, so you hear every single noise your neighbors make, making it difficult to sleep or get any real rest. The building also houses several unsavory bum-types who lurk outside...one guy who was trying to pick me up was almost seven feet tall and smelled like he never bathes...he was truly scary and I felt real nervous until I went upstairs. Some of the original bums from the old days still live here, and they must be carrying a lot of BEDBUGS, because my boyfriend and I were severely bitten for 2 nights in a row. We complained and were given 2 nights credit, but I doubt that the clowns running this place have any clue about how to deal with their problem...I know cause my brother is a professional exterminator. Avoid this place unless you're in a graduate studies program majoring in parasites and insects.

You get what you pay for

I stayed here for a week and thought it was quite clean and fun. The TV room and kitchen was a good place to hang out and warm/keep your food.

Maybe I just got lucky with a good week or floor or room but I had no major problems besides the inconvenience of handing in keys. The rooms were tiny and there were no frills but I didn't expect much more for what I was paying. The staff were all friendly and I could walk everywhere I needed to in new york city because the location of this hotel was awesome.

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE.

Like all the other reviews say, don't stay here unless you REALLY have to. The website and the reality of the building have nothing in common.

Something you'd maybe expect the DTI to investigate in the UK.

From the blurb on the website - "Located on New York's famous Bowery, The Whitehouse was a well known "Lodging House" providing housing accommodations to New York's working class. close to 100 years ago.

Today, the unique charm of the Whitehouse has been preserved to capture the "feel" of yesteryear, but the property has been ugraded for the modern-day traveler."

The 'rooms' are nothing more than partitioned off areas, roughly 6ft by 4.5ft. I say 'room'; but rooms usually have walls that reach the ceiling, not stop just above head height. You are provided with a bed not much bigger than a sleeping bag, a few hooks on the wall and a light. The doors are long past their sell by date.

The 'wash area' consists of several showers (at least they work), sinks and toilets. The toilet doors don't lock so expect someone to enter whilst you're on the throne (happened to me). True to the blurb though, the wash area has retained it's original look and feel - old, dirty and crap.

Aircon is non existent. The receptionist had put the heating into overdrive so that the floor was like a sauna. A few ceiling fans attempt to provide cool air but just end up making a noise.

The people you'll find there are a mixture of travellers on vacation from around the US and Europe, out of work bums and some permament residents apparently. The blurb implied that a family ran the 'hostel' and would be there to welcome you etc etc. I've yet to meet them.

The shame of it all is that it could with little work be someplace real nice, but obviously they're not bothered about their guests....

To summise, only come here if you are hard up. Expect to meet all sorts of people. Avoid coming here if you are on your own.

Beware!

I thought I nailed the deal of the century when I booked this place. The minute I entered the lobby I sensed I had made a bad choice. The lobby didn't look at all like what the website photo shows. Instead it looked drab and run-down and smelled of urine & alcohol. I approached the attendant on duty - he was partitioned behind a plastic divider that looked similar to what you would see in a liquor store in a bad part of town. So I get to my room - it's more like a closet, and I find bedsheets that are stained in some places and a blanket with holes in it. I only got 2 hours of sleep that night because I had people on each side of me, and since the walls don't go all the way up to the ceiling (there's about a 1 foot clearance) I could hear their snoring and heavy breathing. You can also hear people 10 doors down because the walls are paper thin and the doors need to be strongly slammed shut in order to close well. This is the most terrible place I've ever stayed at. What I am angered about the most is the fact that this place falsely advertises itself as a HOTEL, but it's MORE LIKE A SHELTER since there is a sign on the wall that says part of the building is for INDIGENT HOUSING. Spend a little more money ($20 more!), even if it's out of your budget (that's what I did) and stay clear away from this place. You'll be thankful I said so.

Once a flophouse, and still a flophouse

I stayed here for a week in early August 2003. The place looked okay on its website and price was way cheaper than anything else in Manhatten, but it didn't take me long to start wishing I'd spent a bit more money.

The first thing to know about this place is that your "room" really isn't. It's a tiny (and I do mean tiny) cubicle with walls that don't go all the way up to the ceiling so you share the airspace with dozens of other similar cubicles on the same floor. This means that you hear every noise, and you really get no sense at all of having your own room. It's also quite grotty, and they make you hand your key in every time you leave the building. I suppose you get what you pay for, but this is one to avoid unless cost is your absolute top priority.

Only if you can't afford anything else

Found the Whitehouse hotel on the internet looking for some cheap lodging in lower manhattan. Checked-in, and immediately felt I had made a mistake. Turns out that the place is an old flophouse for semi-indigent men. You get a private "room", but its really just a partioned off space with a really uncomforable bed. Barely enough room to get dressed. This would be ok, but the place wasn't very clean either. On the other hand, I think it's one of the cheapest deals in manhattan, and it had A/C, which was really important when I was there (July). After the first night, I relocated to the Habitat Hotel in mid-town. Double the price, but much better.