writingale
This must be the grandest hostel I have ever stayed in my life And I have stayed in quite a few. Honestly the building looked like an old palace (it used to be a biscuit factory), and I was feeling a bit like... read more royalty, even though I had to sleep in dorm bed, it came with awesome private curtains and night light, and ample under the bed storage for each person. Room is nicely heated, and so gets rather hot in the night, best to open the window. Not all dorms have power sockets in each bed, so if you plan to work in your bunk bed, you must request in advance. Also take a padlock to look the under-bed drawer, or you can buy one at the reception for 2 quid. Take ear plugs, the snoring does tend to spoil your sleep in your are in a smaller dorm. Only real issue I had was the temperamental wifi which logged in and out every couple of hours in the name of security, ufff. The bar/restaurant played peppy, catchy tunes almost all day but this never spilled into the rooms, which were all in the same floor. The conservatory and outdoor garden attached to the bar is a cool place to hangout, with a billiards table and dart board etc. Kitchen was tiny but did the job with modern ameneities like microwave and conventional over, just don't expect to cook elaborate meals. Free water, tea and coffee, and of course free wifi and... And I have stayed in quite a few. Honestly the building looked like an old palace (it used to be a biscuit factory), and I was feeling a bit like royalty, even though I had to sleep in dorm bed, it came with awesome private curtains and night light, and ample under the bed storage for each person. Room is nicely heated, and so gets rather hot in the night, best to open the window. Not all dorms have power sockets in each bed, so if you plan to work in your bunk bed, you must request in advance. Also take a padlock to look the under-bed drawer, or you can buy one at the reception for 2 quid. Take ear plugs, the snoring does tend to spoil your sleep in your are in a smaller dorm. Only real issue I had was the temperamental wifi which logged in and out every couple of hours in the name of security, ufff.The bar/restaurant played peppy, catchy tunes almost all day but this never spilled into the rooms, which were all in the same floor. The conservatory and outdoor garden attached to the bar is a cool place to hangout, with a billiards table and dart board etc. Kitchen was tiny but did the job with modern ameneities like microwave and conventional over, just don't expect to cook elaborate meals. Free water, tea and coffee, and of course free wifi and extra pillow on request. The lounge is like some ornate ballroom, and I spent many hours there, writing or just relaxing. No shady charactars lurking around, which tends to be the case in cheap hotels, here the security is very good. In fact the entire hostel was never loud or rowdy, in spite of so many youngsters checking in every day. I don't know how this is possible! Even the crowd seemed more mature than party goers IYKWIM. I was initially a bit worried about the unisex toilets and shower rooms, but no problemo, if anything people were in and out in a jiffy, no waiting or awkward encounters ever. Water pressure is very good, but too little hooks in the shower rooms; no complaints about hygiene, cleaning is done every few hours meticulously. The staff are very approachable and try their best to help you out. And finally, location is top, adjacent to high street and equidistant from two metro stations, one mega supermarket (Waitrose) and two budget ones (Iceland) and several restaurants like KFC, McD, sushi etc in walking distance. This hostel is the best option, in fact best kept secret in London for the budget minded traveller, and there's also an elevator so no more lugging around heavy suitcases! More read less
11/14/2018
