Lodging

Guest Post from our friends at Hostel Bookers

Be sure to check out Hostel Bookers new Twitter competition where you can win a free week at St. Christopher’s hostel in Amsterdam.

With scenic parks, historical sights and excellent shopping, London makes one of the best city breaks in the world. From the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace to riding around on an iconic red bus, the city is full of memorable moments, but has a reputation for being a pricey place to visit.

Luckily there are hundreds of London Hostels all over the city providing you with great value accommodation, close to most of the main sights. Forget crowded dorms and broken bathrooms, the capital’s hostels offer the ‘best of British’ hospitality, with wi-fi facilities, funky design and in-house bars for enjoying a pint of beer.

Palmers Lodge

Palmers Lodge Hostel

Fancy really soaking up some London history? Then stay at Palmers Lodge, an elegant Victorian mansion in a leafy, affluent area of North London. Built in 1881, the Lodge’s rooms are thoroughly modern, ranging from private rooms to a bumper 28-bed dorm. With a lounge, games room, and laundry, this hostel adds a touch of the English country manor to life in the big city. With free breakfasts and a bar serving pizzas and Paninis, you won’t get peckish during your stay here.

Astor Hyde Park

Astor Hyde Park

London has an awful lot of green spaces for a big city, and you can experience country living close to the expanse of Hyde Park. The Astor is part of a popular chain of hostels in London, and the Hyde Park outpost is housed in a historic period building, updated with ultra-modern interiors and abstract art on the walls. Each room has its own ensuite bathroom, and the hostel boasts a stainless steel kitchen, two lounges and a digital TV amongst other facilities. Situated in hip South Kensington, you are close to the upscale shopping of Harrods and High Street Kensington, and the National History, Victoria and Albert and Science Museums for a dose of culture.

St. Christophers Inn

St Christopher’s Inn Village

Across the street from foodie heaven Borough Market, St Christopher’s Inn Village is only a short walk from the cultural delights along the Southbank, with scenic views over the River Thames. Once you’ve explored the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and the Tower of London, return to the ‘chill-out room’ and watch a movie. With its own Belushi bar serving cheap drinks all night, and basement nightclub, St Christopher’s has a full-on party atmosphere. The rooms range from 2-14 bed dorms, but the best thing about St Christopher’s are the personal touches – from the sauna and roof terrace, to walking tours and free breakfasts.

UMI Hostel

UMI London

Live like Hugh Grant in the film ‘Notting Hill’ at the UMI London, located in the trendy Notting Hill and Bayswater area of West London. This hostel is chic and cheap, housed in an elegant townhouse in a quiet leafy square. Each room is private with an en-suite bathroom and plasma TVs, and the in-house coffee bar and lounge with complimentary newspapers feels like a first-class hotel. You’re close to the quirky cool stalls of Portobello Market if your budget won’t quite stretch to the department stores in Knightsbridge.

YHA Hostel

YHA London Central

Few hostels can claim to be in the heart of London’s sprawling metropolis, but the YHA London truly is ‘central’; a stone’s throw away from the shopping on Oxford Street, the nightclubs of the West End and cool cafés in Soho. With a free locker room and wi-fi, travel desk that books tours and offers travel tips, and hip bar with tube maps on the wall, this is the perfect base for young backpackers.

Journey

Journey’s London Eye

Journey’s may look like a traditional pub from the outside, and the hostel comes complete with a fully-licensed bar serving cheap drinks. But inside you’ll find a more homely affair, with comfortable rooms, an internet café, pool table and roof terrace upstairs. Welcoming parties ‘of all sizes’, the friendly staff give every guest a welcome pack on arrival. On the banks of the Thames, you’re a short walk to Westminster and the houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and yes, the London Eye, boasting panoramic views over the city.