The Vanderbilt YMCA

The Vanderbilt YMCA is housed in an old brick building on a street surrounded by businesses, apartment buildings, and restaurants. The lobby is small, but efficient, with multiple lines, clocks displaying times around the world, and lots of travel brochures. There are a few communal areas throughout the property, such as a lower-level space where the vending machines and lockers are located. The orange tables and chairs, flat-screen TV, black armchairs, book shelves, and public computer encourage camaraderie between guests. Overall, it’s a budget-friendly, no-frills hostel, though not one that’s particularly young, hip, or social. Keep in mind that outside guests using the YMCA facilities are also present. Friends and solo travelers are the biggest clientele, however, student groups are common as well -- and might be a cause of noise issues.

The Vanderbilt YMCA sits in the bustling area of Midtown East, near a variety of shops, restaurants, and attractions. Tourists are drawn to this property due to its proximity to several top sights, which are in walking distance, such as Rockefeller Center (14-minute walk), Bryant Park (18-minute walk), Times Square (19-minute walk), The Museum of Modern Art (18-minute walk), and shopping on Fifth Avenue (16-minute walk). The United Nations is just a five-minute walk from here. There’s a variety of restaurants on surrounding streets and public transportation is nearby, including Grand Central Terminal, which is about a seven-minute walk away. LaGuardia Airport is around a 25-minute drive from the hostel, or 35 minutes via public transport, while JFK International Airport can be reached in around 40 minutes by car, or around an hour via public transit. 

The rooms here are tiny and no-frills, with basic furnishings and limited amenities -- so expect some dated decor, dinginess and grit, and shared bathrooms. Rooms have either single beds or bunk beds that sleep two, and all are cramped and offer limited storage space. Wooden floors and basic furnishings are paired with orange or blue accent walls, plus bed linens are provided. There have been reports of some rooms being more dated and less clean than others. Rooms often have desks or wooden dressers for storage, which can take up quite a bit of space. Flat-screen TVs with cable, air-conditioning, towels, and free Wi-Fi are provided, plus some rooms come with mini-fridges.

All rooms share communal bathrooms (though a few have semi-private bathrooms), which have multiple sinks, a couple of toilet stalls, showers with glass doors or curtains, and wall-mounted soap dispensers. Some bathrooms are in better shape than others, with varying reports of cleanliness. Many travelers note long waits for showers and use of the bathrooms in the morning.

As the hotel allows for student groups, be aware that this could cause bothersome noise. There have also been complaints of noise from the radiators. 

The Vanderbilt YMCA offers impressive leisure facilities, including two indoor pools with lap lanes, as well as a sauna, steam room, and a massage room. Other features include an extensive workout area with weights and cardio machines. The hotel doesn’t have any dining options on-site, but there are vending machines, a public microwave, and a communal kitchen available for guest use. Coin-operated washers and dryers are available, and the front desk is open 24/7. Wi-Fi is free, and there’s a public computer. Guests can store personal belongings in small rentable lockers.