Palace Hostel London

I stayed at this hostel for three nights in May. The staff were fine and our room was good; the sink and refrigerator make a big difference. Showers are difficult to come by but if you look you'll always find one. The location was perfect — central enough without being noisy or dirty. It was also cheap compared to other places we looked at. There's also something to be said about being within walking distance of Hyde Park. Good hostel.

I was in this hostel a year ago, near Christmas 2003, with a pair of friends. I'll give it just one star, because there isn't a worse rating. I wouldn't recommend this hostel to anybody either. The first impression I had when I saw its facade was that it had no colors, like the photos I had seen on the Internet. The maintenance apparently has been forgotten for a long time. Once I was in the hostel and we started to climb the stairs (it is not necessary to say that there is no lift) carrying our luggage to the fourth floor up the narrow and old stairs, I thought that the best idea was to look for another place. Just in that moment I had the feeling that the stairs were about to collapse. The worst thing was the pervading stink of dampness all over the hostel. What about the rooms? In the four-bed room there were two bunks, a table, an old, small washbasin and a mini refrigerator. Sheets? I thought there was an old duvet, and I was thankful I carried my sleeping bag. No comment about changing the "sheets" or cleaning the bedroom, nothing about that. At the most somebody will collect the rubbish bags that guests leave in the corridor. At least I saw this person once in the five days I was there. The bathrooms deserve a special chapter. There were two communal bathrooms on my floor. It was absolutely impossible to enter one of them due to the stink to dampness, and the other one had two showers, through which not-always-hot water went out. Besides, it was really grimy. You have two options, not to shower or take a risk, and finally you decide to shower quickly and without thinking about it. Even worse, there was a hole in one of the windows of the bathroom. I will never forget that, because one night I was ill and I spent a long time going between my room and the bathroom, bearing the zero degrees of a cold night of December. I hope that the hole has been repaired, although I don't think so. Talking about the staff, I have no opinion, although every time I entered there was a different person. Finally, this place has worse things than the staff. Nor can I say anything about the kitchen and the social room. Once I saw the room and the bathroom we didn't want to see anything else, and we spent the whole day outside. We were in the hostel just at night. Although nothing happened, I felt no security in that room. To say something good about the hostel, I would say that the location is superb. The hostel is in the Bayswater area, near the Tube and Hyde Park, surrounded by shops and pubs. It is a bustling area. The central heating is also good (except for that night when I was ill and it didn't work), and as usual in London, necessary. And the price is great, surprisingly cheap for that area of London. It was the cheapest one we found, but there was a price to pay. As it's said, you get what you pay for. Eleven pounds per night and per person is about a half of the price of any other accommodation in the same range. Nevertheless, it isn't worth it. Next time I will pay for a more expensive place, with no doubt.

Best hostel ever! As an ex-staff member, I know what im talking about. Best parties, best people, and I'm going back there asap. I wonder if theres any really long term people left? Nels, Natalie, Brendan, Liam, ya know, if you have been there. Rock'n roll.

This hostel was an excellent place to stay in August 2002 after a complete refurbishment, but since then the owners of the company have failed to spend any more money than neccessary on maintenance. As a result the bathroom facilities are in a poor condition and several of the ceilings are in danger of caving in. The cleaning is poorly undertaken, for example, only the common areas of the hostel are cleaned. Rooms are almost never cleaned by staff, room bins are to be emptied by the residents and bedding is rarely changed and has to be asked for and changed again by the residents. The staff are surly and uncooperative and will throw people out for anything that they deem unacceptable. The only reason I stayed in this hostel for 15 months was the very good atmosphere that the (mostly long term) travellers provided. In the end, the bad feeling caused by the staff forced me to leave. I would not recommend this hostel to anybody staying in London, either short or long term.