Cheap hostels in London

February 3, 2007 9:24 AM

Where is the cheapest hostel in London?

I need to be in London from the 19th-23rd February (4 nights, Mon-Fri), but not to see the sights or anything -- I just need a simple, functional, cheap-as-possible place to sleep. I don't have to be anywhere at all central, as long as I can make it to Islington in a bus ride or two. Where should I stay?

posted by reklaw to travel & transportation (15 comments total)

have you tried hostelworld.com? i've had good luck with their rates and it's good for short stays. a quick look for cheap london hostels brought up the usual suspects; it seems to be pretty comprehensive for london. as a side note don't underestimate the cost of transportation in london. it might be worth it (financially) to spend a couple extra quid a night to be within walking distance of islington instead of spending 5 pounds a day on the tube.
posted by mosessis at 9:43 AM on February 3, 2007

I stayed at The Generator in London in 2001, and it was cheap and very well-run. I'd absolutely stay there again if I went back. Looks like they're currently £10 a night in the winter, at the cheapest.
posted by autojack at 9:50 AM on February 3, 2007

Camden Inn which is handy for Islington, just a couple of stops on the tube (i think) or you can get the bus. A day bus pass is £3.50 so definitely the cheaper option. There's a YHA hostel on Euston Road which is even more central.
posted by cardamine at 10:30 AM on February 3, 2007

I'll second The Generator. I stayed there in 2001 as well, and they've apparently added more features, activity nights, and other events since then. They have discounted dinners, a bar, a nice lounge, and all in a nice central location. It's a little walk to the Russell Square tube station, which is right on the Piccadilly Line, which is what goes to Heathrow.

Even if you're not seeing the sights, it's a good location for travel.
posted by cmgonzalez at 12:12 PM on February 3, 2007

that's odd, i used to live in the next street to The Generator and i never even knew it was there. looks really good.
posted by cardamine at 12:22 PM on February 3, 2007

was at the generator in september for 10 nights, i'd spent probably 21 nights or so there, collectively, on two previous trips, and always thought it was great

beware tho, w/o earplugs or a lot of booze/drugs, you won't get much sleep! just bring earplugs, the big 16 person co-ed rooms can be noisy, people come and go come and go, in and out in and out allll night, not to mention the noise created by the natural result of the co-ed nature of the accommodations....

but it is quite cheap, very very central, and secure, safe etc.

also, it's a good place to get some poo-nanny if that's your fancy
posted by Salvatorparadise at 2:34 PM on February 3, 2007

There are a bunch of hostels/boarding houses in Kings Cross - I've stayed at the one called Central Hotel.

They are about 40 pounds/night and clean.

You can grab the 73 to get into Islington easily.
posted by k8t at 2:41 PM on February 3, 2007

I've heard similar things about The Generator to Salvatorparadise, so if a good night's sleep is important to you, go with cardamine's suggestion of Camden Inn or alternatively St Christopher's Camden is a similar price.
posted by Busy Old Fool at 6:58 PM on February 3, 2007

I stayed at The Generator in 1997 and found it to be the worst place I stayed on my trip. Trash bags were piled by the front door, the windows had bars on them, the hallways were lit with black light and decorated with gory horror movie posters, the "activity room" had only a broken pinball machine and a crappy little TV, and the bathrooms... just ick.
posted by Servo5678 at 11:44 PM on February 3, 2007

I've heard similar things about The Generator to Salvatorparadise, so if a good night's sleep is important to you, go with cardamine's suggestion of Camden Inn or alternatively St Christopher's Camden is a similar price.

right, mind you, my trip abroad was for having fun and having fun only (ie, girls, partying, wandering about, maybe checking some museums, sights etc.) and for that the generator is ideal. but as i get older and more mature, i'm certainly more attracted to a nice place to get REST, and frankly, the generator is hardly that...but it just depends what you want!
posted by Salvatorparadise at 11:57 PM on February 3, 2007

On my first "pleasure" trip to London, I stayed at The Generator. The Generator is a very dormitory-style place to stay, but that turned out to be a good thing. I met people from France, Australia, and Mexico.

Consequently, there's always some sort of fracas going on down there, so it can be a little hard to get to sleep some nights. People were constantly coming and going from my room. Not many people stayed there for more than a few days, but that means you will meet a lot of fellow travelers, which is always interesting.

All in all, I'd say the Generator is the best place to stay cheaply in London. You'll get the most out of your experience if you stay there, especially if you're only there for 4 nights. The bathroom facilities are more than adequate. The beds are clean. There's a bar there. The atmosphere is friendly. I couldn't recommend a better place to stay.
posted by Caper's Ghost at 2:43 AM on February 4, 2007

Casper's Ghost, it's pretty clear from Relaw's question that, appropriate as the Generator was for the needs of your trip, it isn't what he's looking for.
posted by Busy Old Fool at 5:40 AM on February 4, 2007

In the end, I stayed in Hostel 639, in Kensal Green, for £5 a night. It was incredibly, incredibly bad (wonky floors, falling-apart furniture), but I'm pretty sure it was the cheapest. Next time I'll shell out for the non-cheapest hostel, I reckon.
posted by reklaw at 5:59 AM on April 10, 2007

Gracious. £5 is extremely cheap and half the price list listed on the Hostel 639 website. How did you get such a good deal?
posted by Busy Old Fool at 10:14 AM on April 18, 2007

It was a bit odd. I booked it through hostelworld.com, and that was the price they gave me. But seriously, it wasn't even worth it for that, especially since the buses around there were unusable enough to force me onto the tube.
posted by reklaw at 3:21 AM on April 23, 2007