Your Opinions for LONDON Hostels - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

gdanza · 04-17-2004, 06:17 PM

Hi people! I'm 19 yo girl traveling solo to London in late May. Thanks to comments on hostels in this website and several others, I finally narrowed them down to Astor Museum Inn, St. Christopher's Village, and maybe (Piccadilly Hostel).

First of all, I cannot live in a dirty place. Cleanness (esp. bed and hot pressure shower) is the most important factor when I choose a place to live. Please don't get me wrong. I don't expect hostels to be 5 star hotels or anything. I've stayed several hostels in New York so I know what I should expect. I was okay in most of the hostels but there were places where I didn't feel like taking off my clothes in bed or even taking a shower because of insanitation.

And then location. I like going to theatre, opera, jazz clubs or bars at night. Because there are no tube running at night, less frequent night buses and expensive cabs, I want to stay pretty close to those areas.

Actually as long as I can get a clean, somewhat central locationed and not that expensive bed, I don't really care about noise, rude staff, bad breakfast, etc.

Piccadilly seems so cool because of its location but I heard it's kinda dirty. (No offense. I just have no idea) Astor Museum Inn is like an alternative(?) to Piccadilly. Is it clean compared to Piccadilly? Or can you walk home from Covent Garden/Soho even at night? St. Christopher's Village seems clean and nice. I'm just wondering if it's walkable distance to West End or if there are frequent (and maybe convenient) transportation.

Now I sound so picky.

It's not that I'm looking for a "perfect place" to stay...but I just want this to be detailed. So I really need your help please. How do you think those hostels? How was your experience? Or do you have any other recommendations? I just want to hear many opinions and get the general ideas. Thank you so much!!!

lucky · 10-14-2005, 06:41 PM

I'm going to NYC next month (11/2005) and I was just wondering if anyone here has any suggestions based on recent experiences/info?

I'd love to hear!

**Diorama** · 10-14-2005, 07:19 PM

St christophers village hostel was nice and clean. However they do have a bar downstairs. And on the weekends it is LOUD! great if your looking to party, but pretty shitty if you have to get up early. Request a higher floor. don't have one over the bar like I had!

It also doesn't have a kitchen, which is kind of a bummer. But so many london hostels are shit holes so this is a nice alternative that is clean. I don't know london well enough to tell you if it's close to the west end. It's in southbank that's all I remember.

I also stayed at the astor leinster inn. What a hole!! So I'd be wary of the astor name.

**Diorama** · 10-14-2005, 07:21 PM

haha I just responded to a post that is a year and a half old. Guess she doesn't need that advice anymore.

**Elizabeth** · 10-14-2005, 09:22 PM

Input on an old post could help people other than the original poster (such as myself lol)

I've been reading on hostelz.com about St. C's and they say

"they have the ANNOYING shower heads that turn off automatically" - June 2005

"The showers were awful, a little dribble of water and then it would turn off like the sinks you have to hold down to keep the water running and there were only two showers for the entire floor so while you're struggling in the shower trying to make it work other people are waiting and the bathroom is co-ed. The toilets were also disgusting." - another June 2005

Do you think these people are exaggerating, hit the nail on the head, or something else?