Shefah Hotel

Good value for solo travelers who want to be near Manhattan. It's the first bus stop after the Lincoln Tunnel, and the window AC units work well. Bathrooms are shared, so bring shower shoes. All the doors use electronic codes, so keep your phone with you in case you need to call or look up a message from mgmt. I might stay again if the circumstances are right.

The bus is easy to use from here. The stop for New York is a five-minute walk away, and depending on traffic, Port Authority takes 10-25 minutes. We waited less than five minutes for the bus at most. From Port Authority, Times Square is only a block away. Buses back to the hotel leave every 10-15 minutes. There's a Target half a block from the terminal, handy for picking up dinner and saving money since food in NYC is expensive. Staying in NJ instead of Manhattan was well worth it to us, even with the New Jersey Transit bus fares. Tickets are $4 each, or $32 for 10. At the same price, the alternatives would be far out in Queens or Brooklyn, with trips to Times Square estimated at over an hour. The room was secure and had a bed and a small shelf. We booked a shared bathroom, one per floor, and never had a problem getting in during our week there. One review mentions an “open-concept shower,” but it's a one-person bathroom that locks from the inside, so you have privacy when showering. The room is entered with a code, so there's no check-in process. You just wait for the code to arrive. Trash isn't collected from the room. I actually felt more secure knowing no one enters it, and there's a bin on the way to the bus stop, so taking the trash out yourself is easy. The neighborhood felt safe. If you're okay sharing a bathroom with strangers and having just the basics in the room, I'd definitely recommend it.

The location is what made this stay for me. The city was only a 15+ minute ride away, with bus stations a few blocks off, lots of good food, little shops, and a nice clean area with culture. The roads weren't too wild, either. It was a very affordable, basic place with the usual amenities, including WIFI. You could hear other people, but in my experience it was always quiet. Parking was just street parking, which was so-so, but the pass they gave us helped a lot. Staff were kind and available during business hours when we needed help. Five stars for the location alone. I'd stay again and highly recommend it.

I was pleasantly surprised. It's a great price for the quality if you only need somewhere to sleep for a couple of nights. Close to the bus station, easy to get around, and just 10 minutes from NYC in a fairly safe area. The room and shared bathroom were spotless, the building was quiet, and the staff were nice. Definitely recommend, especially for solo travelers.