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February 2025 by Lindsay Isenhart
I am so happy to have discovered this gem when staying in Ithaca with my daughter. Everything was clean, comfortable and welcoming. Importantly to me when traveling is that I also felt very safe and parking is easy. The staff is welcoming, super helpful and informative. The Dorm Hotel is close to everything but just off the beaten path. They have a very cool draft brew distribution system in the lounge area and all the cooking amenities you might need. My room was clean and modernized. It has a fun college dorm theme, with a Cornell flair! I will definitely be staying here again on return trips! I highly recommend this cute boutique hotel.
Rooms: Comfortable, clean and full of team spirit. Each room has its own heat/cooling and light control. I rested easy knowing the notorious RBG was looking over me! (-;
Nearby activities: Cornell is why we came, but Ithaca is full of great restaurants, farmers markets and a fun art scene. You can’t miss the abundance of natural beauty including the Funger lakes, and a stunning gulch and hiking paths that run right through town. The best of Upstate New York.
Safety: Main entry is keyed during later hours otherwise staff is right there to greet you. Rooms are keyed with added deadbolts. Parking is on site and secure.
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January 2025 by Maise O'Connor
They wrote on the day at 6pm that we couldn't check in because it was fully booked and that we would get the money back. Its now 2 weeks ago and still haven't got my money back and they are not responding to inquiries.
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January 2025 by Mona O'Dowd
My partner and I chose this Hotel because of its great location, affordability and fun Collegetown vibes. Including kegs of alcohol in the lobby and dormroom themed everything. But, then, once we checked in many of the kegs were dry our entire stay. The location and atmosphere is good if you have some desire to relive your college days. The rooms, bathrooms and beds were tiny and very raised off the ground. I thought my dormroom at UMass in college was nicer than this.
Then about a year later on Christmas I ordered gifts online through fast checkout, and they auto addressed my package to The Dorm Hotel. When the USPS delivered my package to The Dorm Hotel, the hotel claimed they never got it. So I never received my Christmas gifts. It was a bad experience staying there, but when my information got compromised on an online order because of it, I figured they would follow policy and reject a package that wasn't theirs. I even filed a missing package claim with the USPS. But it was denied based on their proof of delivery. But my Christmas package somehow vanished, and the hotel had no security footage or anything to back their negligence. The Ithaca police even took a Police Report. I also have to add that before any of this Christmas package debacle ever happened, I had heard rumors about the employees watching cameras here, violating people's privacy. And just being creepy all together. I am disgusted with the way The Dorm Hotel conducts it's business. I definitely don't recommend staying there.
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December 2024 by Lulu Yuan
I had a pleasant stay!
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December 2024 by Grace Van Hollebeke
Best hotel to stay at when visiting Cornell!
I was so excited to stay at this hotel because I stayed at the original Hillside Inn forever ago, before the new owner completely renovated it, and let me say, it was absolutely amazing.
The concept and design of it was adorably Cornell. There was a self-serve wine/beer dispenser in the common areas. But the best part was that it was incredibly clean and the staff was so friendly. The price was such a steal compared to the Statler and Commons hotels, plus the location is hard to beat.
My favorite surprise aside from the self-serve lobby? How simple the parking was. Something about campus and commons parking is always so stressful, but I could pull right up. It was so pleasant.
Rooms: I loved how clean the rooms were and how they felt like an adult & elevated "dorm" style. The rooms are pretty average size depending upon which category you book. There isn't a ton of bells and whistles to them, but you have everything you need and the decor/comfortability is 10/10. The common area in the lobby is also a plus!
Walkability: Super close and walkable to campus!
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December 2024 by Glenn Johnson
Located just outside of the Cornell campus this is a small hotel with many high tech features.
The hotel desk is only staffed from 8 am to 9 pm. Once you have your room key you can get in and out.
The rooms are imitation dorm rooms with a high tech focus. The bed is very tall with storage underneath the bed. It takes a step stool to get in and out of bed.
The room has a control book which is intended to control the lights, blinds, call housekeeping, and set the privacy light in the hall. Light control was a total fail. Both on/off and dim/bright turned the bath lights on and off but did not impact the room lights. The blinds worked. I bumped the pad and opened the blinds during the night.
There are so many status lights the room is bright.
The TV requires a cellphone app, pairing the phone with the TV, and streaming. This is likely beyond the comfort of many of us.
The lobby has a bar with beer, wine, and cider taps. This is operated using the room key. There are honor snacks and you leave a note for what you take.
Parking is 25 spots. There is a back entrance to the building which leads to an elevator.
We would stay here again.
Nearby activities: Ithaca downtown is close. Cornell's campus is across the street.
Walkability: You can walk to many places.
Food & drinks: There is some snack food at the hotel and many food options within 2 miles. There is an automated bar in the lobby. Pictures below
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October 2024 by Meg Joong
I have been staying at the Dorm Hotel while on exchange at Cornell University and while the location is great, the rooms are well suitable, the standout is certainly the incredible Queen of Ithaca herself, Joanne.
Joanne is the GM of the hotel and has made the space and time in Ithaca at at the Dorm Hotel a true home experience. You would be lucky to come across someone like her in any corner of the earth, and she makes sure that everything is considered and well-taken care of. She has made my time here feel like home, and this is something incredibly rare and special.
So while this is a review for the Dorm Hotel. It is really a praise and a thank you for an incredible woman in this space. Highly recommended just for her alone!
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October 2024 by Sarah Zarling
I found this place to be original and charming and absolutely delightful. If I appreciate it as much as I do, I can only imagine how much Cornell alumni love it. I'm so happy we stayed and I can't wait to stay there again. Can't say enough good things about here or Ithaca itself.
Nearby activities: Ithaca itself is pretty walkable and this hotel is in a great location to be able to walk or easily get to wherever you need.
Safety: I appreciate the secure entry into the facility, as well as the parking.
Walkability: I loved being in such close proximity to the Gorge Trail and to be able to walk to get coffee. Ithaca and the whole area is a slice of heaven on Earth.
Food & drinks: The lobby/seating area is completely awesome. Loved the snacks and the tap wall. 🍻
Noteworthy details: The Cornell pride runs deep, man. Go Big Red. 🥳
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September 2024 by Felix Lin
Great location on campus and near Collegetown. Very clean, quiet. Cozy lobby set up like a dorm common area. No refrigeratornin our room (guests mark their food and keep in a shared fridge in the common area).
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September 2024 by K Home
Room was not really clean. Only after repeated requests was soap refilled Ambience is nice. Rooms are modern and well equipped
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September 2024 by Naught Ryu
I was sleeping in the early evening right after checking in and got waken up by sounds of an old man grunting in the next room which was terrifying to hear as a solo female traveler. I took a walk outside and the area was very quiet and close to the university. When I returned around midnight it smelled terrible like a sewer. This smell was particularly strong by the headboard of the basement room that i was staying in. I opened the window but that didnt help. It was overall really unpleasant. There was no staff in the evening to help me out. The manager gaslit me over the phone when I brought this up and gave me a lecture about it. I will not be staying here again. I think it's better to spend $50 more dollars and stay downtown.
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September 2024 by Hung Thai
After mostly staying in chain hotels for the past 2 weeks, it was pleasant to stay in a hotel with more character and quirks. It's the perfect location if you're visiting Cornell being a skip and a step from campus. As the name suggests, this will give you that dorm experience less the bunch of dudes shooting each other with airsoft guns (I never did that in my past college life).
The room was clean but a bit small. The bed was surprisingly very comfortable. The bathroom looked renovated.
Our host was super friendly, nice and helpful.
My favorite part of the hotel is the self-serve beer/wine dispenser. You scan your room card, it lights up, then off you go. It charges by the oz. I liked it because you can try a bunch of beers/wines without a huge commitment.
This looks like a house converted into a hotel so keep that in mind. If you're on the lower floor, you will hear every step from your upstairs fellow travelers. Other than that, I had a very pleasant stay. Thanks to Joanne for being very hospitable to us..
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August 2024 by kathy wang
I traveled with my daughter for the Cornell summer camp, we arrived to hotel at 1:45pm, the checkin time is 3:00, while asking if the room is ready earlier, we would appreciate getting the earlier checkin. Unexpectedly, the front desk lady must have had a very bad day, she was very impatiently tell us we can’t check in early.
We then walked to lobby to wait, at this point my daughter was not used be treated this way, mentioned that this lady is very not friendly and I agreed that this lady was rude. Before I knew, she started ask us to leave the hotel! I asked her to cancel our reservation and she told us to talk to Expedia since we booked through there. We left immediately and will never be back!
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June 2024 by Jackie Costantino
The room is compact and efficient. Loved the college vibe. All staff were extremely friendly and helpful. It's in a very convenient location though the roads around it are kind of a mess. The mattress was a little too soft for my taste but the rest of the stay far out shadowed that bit. Thank you for a very enjoyable stay!
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May 2024 by Cindy P
Stayed one night to explore Ithaca. Hotel was clean, parking tight but off street, room as described. We had a 3rd floor room. Elevator only goes to 2nd floor but taking the stairs to 3 was not a problem for us. The room was quiet and cozy. Enjoyed the outdoor seating area and the tappers in the lobby were fun. Would return!
Nearby activities: About 10 mins to Buttermilk falls and the trail next to the hotel has a pretty waterfall too!
