Sankofa Aban Bed and Breakfast

I searched for and found this B & B on the web and from the information on the site it sounded like an old restored brownstone owned by a third generation child of the original owner. It pains me to give this B & B a bad rating as the owner is a lovely person. The state of the building is not lovely. The building is dinghy, in a state of disrepair and covered by decades of grime. It is located in a neighborhood that while interesting is not integrated. There are absolutely no facilities for disabled persons. One has to go up the tortuous steep front steps enter the building only to have to climb another two or three flights of stairs. There is only one small window air conditioning unit in the room, the bedding felt more than dirty, in the bathroom, which has to be shared, there are no towels, the shower barely works and runs hot one minute and cold the next. The bathroom window and the room windows of the room I occupied face down into a courtyard that looked like something out of a Stephen King novel. It could have been lovely if it had been cleaned up. In fact the whole place is in need of a pressure washing. All of the curtains throughout the building are badly in need of a good washing and all the floors need to be scrubbed and waxed. The lighting is practically non existent all the rooms are dark and dinghy, There are absolutely no amenities as are commonly found in other American hotels such as a coffee pot or a place to heat hot water, etc.

The bed and breakfast is in brooklyn on a nice quite street and close to a subway stop. The people we met on our way to the subway were friendly and no matter what time of night we returned even after 1:00 a.m. we never felt worried for our safety, it was a nice sensation. Now our hostess Debbie is one of the friendliest people I have ever met. She makes you feel at home the min. you walk in the door. She is charming and quite a good cook, try the pancakes and tell me they aren't great, you can't. The house is an old Victorian Brownstone and gives one the feeling of being in a different time period. The stairs sqeek a little but I never heard them in my room, in fact I was never bothered by any noise in the house, I slept like a baby on the very firm mattress on our bed. My husband and I were not aware of the fact that on friday and saturday nights there is a jazz get together in the front parlor of the house with old time jazz food and drinks provided by our hostess for just $20.00. We had a great time and i can say it added a bit of extra enjoyment to our trip staying at the Sankofa Aban.

We found Sankofa Aban delightful. It is a bit of an adventure, so be prepared. Bed-Stuy is fascinating but, of course, on the rough side.The class Brownstone house is old and creaky but charmingly full of character. Debbie, the owner, was helpful, fun, and full of interesting conversation. The breakfasts were great. Biggest treat of all was the jazz concerts she hosts on Friday and Saturday nights. All in all, a great Brooklyn experience. We look forward to the next time.

Owner more concerned with personal matters than guests

No soap/shampoo, no hair dryer, one towel. Shared bathroom could prove problematic, if busy. Other than that, it was a pleasant hotel with a most welcoming staff. Music from the Friday night jazz night (+ food; $20 cover) was quite good, heard through the floor/walls, but it ended near 2 a.m. Not good for those with early commitments on Saturday morning. Because of our schedule and commitments, we were unable to partake of the breakfasts, so we have no information on that.

Welcoming family atmosphere the host Debbie is a very friendly warm person. The Bed and Breakfast provides easy access to Manhattan via the subway system. All in all we enjoyed a good time and would visit again in the future. For those who like period housing with all the ambience of the late 1800 Sankofa Aban is ideal, with low lighting in the bedrooms the appearance is atmospheric. For the traveller the Wifi access is good and a must.

I can only echo what the other reviewers have said about Debbie, She is one of the lovliest people i've ever met. This was my 7th trip to New York, but my first time in Brooklyn and it was the best. The house is beautiful and the area is relaxed and friendly. I'm a female travelling alone and I felt perfectly safe and the only rude people or unpleasantness I encountered were in Manhattan.

It was the worst bed and breakfast I have ever stayed in. There was no customer service or courtesy. The breakfast, what little there was of it, was stale and days old. For how much I paid, I was extremely disappointed and have no intention of ever staying at that place or recommending it to anyone.

Everything was wonderful and I wish I could've stayed forever.. It was very comfortable and clean and she made sure you feel at home. Thank you so much xoxo

The B&B was lead by a lovely, jazzy lady who organizes different events on the ground floor (jazz evenings, dancing...). However, it was not noisy and the street was also quiet. The B&B was near a metro station with an easy access to Manhattan. I recommend this B&B to people who like to experience a taste of Brooklyn!