The Hostelz.com Review
International Student House is a good value and incredibly well-situated to see the best of London. Accommodations are very clean and comparatively spacious, food and drinks are available on-site, the majority of staff are outgoing and friendly, and security is excellent. There are always fun and exciting things going on, from movies to discos to lectures, so longer stays are highly recommended.
The majority of residents are international students living at the hostel and studying in London. The residents and other guests we have encountered are very nice and polite; the common areas are clean and typically quite peaceful. Even though the atmosphere and activities are very youthful, you definitely do not have to be young or a student to enjoy them.
The Location
The main building is located on Great Portland Street at the southeast corner of Regent's Park (just off the Park Square Gardens). An annex building (known as Mary Trevelyan House) is located about a ten-minute walk west towards the park. Residents and guests are not usually told which building they will be in prior to arrival, but check in is always at the main Great Portland Street building.
The main building is across the street from the Great Portland Street underground station (which is on the Hammersmith & City, Circle, and Metropolitan Lines) and is a very short walk from the Regent's Park station (which is on the Bakerloo Line) or about a ten-minute walk from the Warren Street station (which is on the Piccadilly and Northern Lines) and the Oxford Circus station (with access to the Central Line). There is a small grocery store across the street for easy access to the necessities. There is a slightly larger grocery store on Great Portland Street about five minutes away, and an even larger one near Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street about fifteen minutes away.
Both buildings are located in and around the London areas of Regent's Park, Camden, and Bloomsbury in what's known as Central London. Unless otherwise noted, the following descriptions are based on the main Great Portland Street location.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Most (but not all) rooms have a small refrigerator, and most multiple dorm rooms have two. Guests are allowed to have a kettle in the room, but other heating devices (hot plates) are prohibited. Rooms can be ensuite (with dedicated toilet facilities) or just have a wash basin. In the wash basin, hot water can be a challenge during peak use, but is almost always available late at night and midday.
The beds are adequately sized for one person under six feet. The duvet and pillow provided are nice, but the sheets are starchy and the mattress can be creaky and uncomfortable. Each room is different, so if your bed is not suitable, you can ask to be relocated (unfortunately, rooms are often sold out). Staff assured us they are steadily updating the bed situation to newer mattresses and so on, so this problem may be a thing of the past when you stay here. We brought our own sheets and a thick bed roll and were very comfortable.
Rooms are available as singles, doubles, triples, or dorms (which is usually four beds). The beds accommodate one person and bunk beds are rare. In single rooms, there will be a desk, two chairs, two nice size shelves, and a very large closet with space for hanging clothes and shelves for folded things (hangers are not provided). Closets do not lock, but safes are available for a fee downstairs (small things like passports can be free), along with luggage rooms.
If the room is not ensuite, guests share shower and toilet facilities with other guests on their floor. Toilet facilities are regularly stocked and shower facilities are cleaned each morning. Even so, the shower rooms don't usually smell very pleasant (kind of a dampness mixed with chemicals). The water pressure is never very good, no matter what time the shower is used. Hot water is much easier to come by during off peak hours (peak hours are 7a.m. to 10 a.m.; evenings between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. are usually peak hours Thursday through Saturday).
The showers are very private and there is a small changing room attached to each stall. Individual toilet facilities (one toilet in one small room) can be used by either men or women; there are usually two per floor. Facilities for just men or just women are located in the lobby.
Common Spaces
Most activities take place at the main Great Portland Street building, but the Mary Trevelyan location has a shared kitchen, a gorgeous view, and can be a bit quieter. Great Portland Street accommodations do not have a shared kitchen -- the closest to it are the shared microwaves, sinks, and kettles located on each floor. There is, however, a restaurant (and some food is available after hours in the pub).
Hostel guests normally get a voucher, which buys three items from a full English breakfast buffet plus a small Starbucks coffee from the percolator. You can purchase additional items for a fairly modest amount. Additional Starbucks coffee drinks may also be purchased at the small coffee bar, but the prices are pretty high for what you get. The restaurant has other meals throughout the day during limited hours, usually offering a small range of options, but the prices are comparable to other restaurants around London serving similar options.
This hostel recycles on each floor and in common areas, everything from glass to compost materials. As of this writing, there is no wireless internet access and internet is done through a provided cable or at one of the computer stations downstairs. Prices vary depending on the length of service you purchase. You receive ten minutes or so of free internet access when you arrive, but anything beyond that has a fee and requires a password.
Laundry facilities are really nice, but are on a card system. You have to pay a deposit, charge a laundry card online with a credit card, take the laundry card to the room, use the password to activate the charge, and then use the card in the machines. There is a launderette about two blocks away that takes cash and only charges a bit more per load, which can save you the hassle if you are staying here short-term.
There is always something going on at the main building, which is enormous and hosts conference rooms, a disco, a movie theatre, a pub, a restaurant, in addition to the guestrooms! You can invite guests not staying at the hostel and register them at the security entrance.
Despite the insane level of activity and fun, the main building is a pretty quiet place to live. The layout provides a buffer for residents and guests from a lot of the activity on the lower floors. If noise bothers you, request a room on the fourth or fifth floor (don't just ask for a room away from the club, specify the floor) or ask to be housed at the Mary Trevelyan building. Also, the hostel is very quiet during school holidays (e.g., mid-March to mid-April).
Summary
There is no smoking anywhere inside the hostel. There is a small outdoor smoking area next to the main entrance, with benches and heaters. Security is wonderful. You pay a card key deposit (which you always get back when you bring back the card) and typically have four doors to use your card key on -- one door to the building, one door to the residences from the lobby, one door to the rooms on your floor, and one door to your room. Someone is staffed at the entrance twenty-four hours a day and is always willing to help. When you see the hustle and bustle of the hostel, you'll appreciate the separation from all the activities and feel very secure.
The majority of residents are international students living at the hostel and studying in London. The residents and other guests we have encountered are very nice and polite; the common areas are clean and typically quite peaceful. Even though the atmosphere and activities are very youthful, you definitely do not have to be young or a student to enjoy them.
The Location
The main building is located on Great Portland Street at the southeast corner of Regent's Park (just off the Park Square Gardens). An annex building (known as Mary Trevelyan House) is located about a ten-minute walk west towards the park. Residents and guests are not usually told which building they will be in prior to arrival, but check in is always at the main Great Portland Street building.
The main building is across the street from the Great Portland Street underground station (which is on the Hammersmith & City, Circle, and Metropolitan Lines) and is a very short walk from the Regent's Park station (which is on the Bakerloo Line) or about a ten-minute walk from the Warren Street station (which is on the Piccadilly and Northern Lines) and the Oxford Circus station (with access to the Central Line). There is a small grocery store across the street for easy access to the necessities. There is a slightly larger grocery store on Great Portland Street about five minutes away, and an even larger one near Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street about fifteen minutes away.
Both buildings are located in and around the London areas of Regent's Park, Camden, and Bloomsbury in what's known as Central London. Unless otherwise noted, the following descriptions are based on the main Great Portland Street location.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Most (but not all) rooms have a small refrigerator, and most multiple dorm rooms have two. Guests are allowed to have a kettle in the room, but other heating devices (hot plates) are prohibited. Rooms can be ensuite (with dedicated toilet facilities) or just have a wash basin. In the wash basin, hot water can be a challenge during peak use, but is almost always available late at night and midday.
The beds are adequately sized for one person under six feet. The duvet and pillow provided are nice, but the sheets are starchy and the mattress can be creaky and uncomfortable. Each room is different, so if your bed is not suitable, you can ask to be relocated (unfortunately, rooms are often sold out). Staff assured us they are steadily updating the bed situation to newer mattresses and so on, so this problem may be a thing of the past when you stay here. We brought our own sheets and a thick bed roll and were very comfortable.
Rooms are available as singles, doubles, triples, or dorms (which is usually four beds). The beds accommodate one person and bunk beds are rare. In single rooms, there will be a desk, two chairs, two nice size shelves, and a very large closet with space for hanging clothes and shelves for folded things (hangers are not provided). Closets do not lock, but safes are available for a fee downstairs (small things like passports can be free), along with luggage rooms.
If the room is not ensuite, guests share shower and toilet facilities with other guests on their floor. Toilet facilities are regularly stocked and shower facilities are cleaned each morning. Even so, the shower rooms don't usually smell very pleasant (kind of a dampness mixed with chemicals). The water pressure is never very good, no matter what time the shower is used. Hot water is much easier to come by during off peak hours (peak hours are 7a.m. to 10 a.m.; evenings between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. are usually peak hours Thursday through Saturday).
The showers are very private and there is a small changing room attached to each stall. Individual toilet facilities (one toilet in one small room) can be used by either men or women; there are usually two per floor. Facilities for just men or just women are located in the lobby.
Common Spaces
Most activities take place at the main Great Portland Street building, but the Mary Trevelyan location has a shared kitchen, a gorgeous view, and can be a bit quieter. Great Portland Street accommodations do not have a shared kitchen -- the closest to it are the shared microwaves, sinks, and kettles located on each floor. There is, however, a restaurant (and some food is available after hours in the pub).
Hostel guests normally get a voucher, which buys three items from a full English breakfast buffet plus a small Starbucks coffee from the percolator. You can purchase additional items for a fairly modest amount. Additional Starbucks coffee drinks may also be purchased at the small coffee bar, but the prices are pretty high for what you get. The restaurant has other meals throughout the day during limited hours, usually offering a small range of options, but the prices are comparable to other restaurants around London serving similar options.
This hostel recycles on each floor and in common areas, everything from glass to compost materials. As of this writing, there is no wireless internet access and internet is done through a provided cable or at one of the computer stations downstairs. Prices vary depending on the length of service you purchase. You receive ten minutes or so of free internet access when you arrive, but anything beyond that has a fee and requires a password.
Laundry facilities are really nice, but are on a card system. You have to pay a deposit, charge a laundry card online with a credit card, take the laundry card to the room, use the password to activate the charge, and then use the card in the machines. There is a launderette about two blocks away that takes cash and only charges a bit more per load, which can save you the hassle if you are staying here short-term.
There is always something going on at the main building, which is enormous and hosts conference rooms, a disco, a movie theatre, a pub, a restaurant, in addition to the guestrooms! You can invite guests not staying at the hostel and register them at the security entrance.
Despite the insane level of activity and fun, the main building is a pretty quiet place to live. The layout provides a buffer for residents and guests from a lot of the activity on the lower floors. If noise bothers you, request a room on the fourth or fifth floor (don't just ask for a room away from the club, specify the floor) or ask to be housed at the Mary Trevelyan building. Also, the hostel is very quiet during school holidays (e.g., mid-March to mid-April).
Summary
There is no smoking anywhere inside the hostel. There is a small outdoor smoking area next to the main entrance, with benches and heaters. Security is wonderful. You pay a card key deposit (which you always get back when you bring back the card) and typically have four doors to use your card key on -- one door to the building, one door to the residences from the lobby, one door to the rooms on your floor, and one door to your room. Someone is staffed at the entrance twenty-four hours a day and is always willing to help. When you see the hustle and bustle of the hostel, you'll appreciate the separation from all the activities and feel very secure.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
April 2010
Their Description
International Student House Details
|
|
(To add or correct information for this listing, please use the Listing Update Form.)
Map Location/ContactHow is International Student House rated on other websites?
Not listed.
International Student House Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
This is one of the better hostels I stayed for one night in March. ISH was established by the Queen in the '60s so the building itself and
the front facade is quite old. But inside, the mixed 4-bed room was clean with a sink and tables with lights. The picture posted here doesn't do the room justice. They even had a in-room safe in a large closet where you can hang up your clothes. The shower and toilets were plentiful. The breakfast room served up some varieties of cooked and packaged food that you can buy. The service was not friendly and could improve. — Siddy , USA (2007-04-12) awesome! even the food! and really friendly staff! — sarah (2006-09-01) I like this plase very much! I was there about two weeks. My favourite teacher is Rose! — Irina (2006-07-11) This hostel is in a very convenient location and near to the Metro station. It is good for backpackers who would like a pleasant stay at London central. The room is not big but very clean. My two friends and I stayed two nights at this hostel and we were satisfied with the place. This hostel is recommended if you want an inexpensive and clean place to stay in London. — Maggie L. (2005-07-19) Just spent a month at ISH. The rooms are clean and the staff is friendly. You get what you pay for, an inexpensive room with sufficient service. Be aware there are students of all ages at ISH. There will be times when the noise can go late into the night (or early morning). — M (2005-07-08) This is a great place to stay as long as you avoid going for the bargain basement prices. The four-bed-dorm is optimum. It has a lively atmosphere and the rooms are done up. There is locker space and the showers are generally quite functional. However, it is a *huge* complex. Location-wise this hostel is right next to Great Portland Street with a Tesco nearby. — Sameen (2005-02-22) Awesome location–you come out of great Portland Station and the hostel is right there. It nakes it so easy to get to all the sights. Rooms are big and very secure, except for not having lockers. It is extermely cheap as well, if booked over the internet. I would definitely stay here again. — Anonymous (2004-08-04) This is a great place to stay in London. The room is very secure and the rate is excellent! The only negative is there was a group of very young students who made quite a lot of noise at night during our stay. Recommended. — Zebra8 (2004-07-24) I stayed here for two nights several weeks ago. This is a nice hostel -- it's big, it's busy and there are lots of things nearby. Transportation to anywhere in London is a snap, because there are two Tube stations right close by. There is good security, as you have to get through three keycard swipes to access your room! The bar is nice, though I spent little time there, and there are always lots of people around. If you are looking for a good hostel in London, this is the one for you. — Anonymous (2004-05-12)