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Astor Quest Hostel

London (Bayswater)

5 of 119
Address
45 Queensborough Terrace, London (Bayswater), Greater London, England   Map
Price
Low Season from £12.00, High Season from £14.00 Check Current Prices by Date Here
Location/Contact
Details
Astor Quest Hostel Online Booking
Arrival Date:   Nights:  People: 
Their Description

Features

  • Free Breakfast
  • Kitchen
  • Lockers
  • Lounge / Common space
  • TV
  • Washing Machine (laundry)
  • 24 Hour Free Hot Showers
  • Phones (public or in room)
 
The Hostelz.com Review
It's located just down the street from Hyde Park where you can go walk, sit, write, draw and be mesmerized by the greenest grass, bushiest roses, lovers in row boats, bunny rabbits, exotic herons, ducks, swans, puppies and squirrels so tame they will literally pull on your pants leg for a bite of that sandwich! There is a lock out (which can be a bummer if you are exhausted and jet lagged) but you can stow away your pack and head out for a walk (or a nap at the park) until they let you up to your room. The rooms have six bunks and a shower. There is a little kitchen downstairs, but it does not have much in the way of cutlery—you can manage if you are determined. If you need a wine key they have one at the front desk. There is plenty of room to sit and watch news or sports down in the basement kitchen area. You can also leave labeled food in one of the refrigerators. They do offer a free, which is just the basic bread and coffee deal you will find throughout Europe. But on some days they did not even provide enough for even half the people staying at the hostel.

The rooms are nice. The bunks are brand new and sturdy which can't be said for many other hostels. There is no lift so you'll have to get your backpack up a few flights of stairs.

The Astor is a decent and clean hostel. They have a pool table and internet access in the small common room just left of the entryway foyer beside reception. The reception here is uncommonly pleasant. Just do not waste your precious pounds on that pricey coin operated computer if you need to be online for any length of time. There are plenty of reasonably priced internet cafés on Queensway (same street as the tube station.) The Astor is fairly priced (always check on-line for changes) and is recommended for the laid-back backpacker. Enjoy London!

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review


Ratings & Comments

3.7 Average from 15 Ratings

This is an open forum, and unlike other hostel guide websites we don't censor out the negative comments.
We can't validate the legitimacy of comments posted on this site—so take what you read here with a grain of salt.
Comment by Ajda, slovenia
October 2007
4 Good
I really like this hostel. the location is amazing, staff is very friendly, breakfast was very good. Maybe they should work on a tidiness a little bit more but my whole impression of this hostel in quite good. I would recommend everyone!
Comment by Zach, Namibia
June 2007
2 It was ok, I guess
Planned to stay here for three nights but ended up only staying one. I had just come from a week working in Dublin with my own hotel room and had gotten sick, so that could be part of the reason I wasn't so happy. I arrived at 12:30 a.m. and immediately fell asleep -- or tried to. The room was incredibly hot, even with the window as open as it could be. Staff was friendly, en-suite bathroom ok (horrible shower though). After the one night I left and used some hotel points to stay at the Hilton, which I wanted to save for a special occasion, but I wasn't in the hostel mood on this trip I guess. For London it's a good price -- my bed in a six-bed en-suite room was about US$32 per night or so, but the room is so incredibly cramped that I just don't see myself staying here again.
Comment by mina
August 2006
4 i'm a relatively quiet person but not even i could resist talking to the friendly guests and staff here. the open kitchen was a sight for sore eyes when i came back in the middle of the day to eat something and rest. the building seemed pretty old but renovations were being done. i was not a witness to any drug use although it seems that just about everyone in london smokes. best place i stayed in europe.
Comment by zivia77
June 2005
2 Having just left a fantastic hostel in Edinburgh my opinion of the Astor Quest may be a little skewed. I am however certain that the accommodations with which we were provided and the atmosphere into which we arrived were not worth the money we paid. An important note (which the site does not mention) is that the Queensway Tube station has been closed until May of 2006. There is, therefore, a fair walk from the next closest station. If you happen to be carrying a large pack the walk can be a bit grueling. The main road is lined with hotels so there can be heavy foot traffic at times, as well. Astor Quest does have a few things going for it. It is in a great neighborhood just north of Hyde Park and adjacent to Notting Hill. There's a great selection of cafes and restaurants down the road. The hostel itself is usually very clean. Each morning of our stay the cleaning person arrived to tidy our en suite bathroom before any of us had even made out of bed. The facilities in the hallway are a bit more suspect but even they were in good shape. The fact that we arrived during renovations (of which we were not aware) could be considered both a curse and a blessing. The kitchen is closed all day and guests are only allowed in after 5:30. They've brought painters in to freshen up the place but without proper ventilation the fumes can be overwhelming. The front steps and reception area are generally crowded with other guests socializing and smoking (both inside and out). As a non-smoker and a North American I found this a bit unappealing but understand that smoking in public places is still the norm throughout much of Europe. What is not of the norm is open use of drugs. This behavior has the potential to be dangerous for other guests. The crowd around the front desk also makes it difficult for others to make inquiries or purchase things like phone cards. Of course, even if you buy a phone card it may not work. The one we purchased had expired access numbers and was therefore completely useless. Though we did obtain a refund it would have been helpful if the staff were aware of this beforehand. Ultimately the most annoying thing about the Astor Quest is the incredibly loud techno music played by someone a couple of floors below us. Our room gave onto a small airshaft. The music, which started in the early evening and often continued until 2 or 3 in the morning, filtered up through the airshaft. Because the room is so small and filled with six warm bodies shutting the window is not an option. If you can deal with the smoke, the noise, the crowding and the ongoing renovations then the Astor Quest may be worth a try. Just make sure you bring earplugs.
Comment by Anonymous
May 2005
2 The rooms are ok, and the bathroom too. But the staff actually lives there, so they think they own the place. And that can be a problem when they keep listening to loud music up to 2 a.m. every night, especially if you are located on the second floor. That denotes total lack of consideration for the guests. Besides that, there were people sitting in the front door of the hostel (with staff people there, too) rolling marijuana cigarettes and smoking. That wasn't the kind of place that I was looking for. Don't go there if you are not looking for party people.
Comment by Pieter Serneels
March 2005
5 This hostel rocks. I just got back from it after 4 days. We stayed there with 60 people and we all had a great time. The breakfast isn't very big but with a cup of coffee and some cereal I was more than happy. The people at the Quest are more then fun, they're wonderful. Butchey, you rule man!!! The lounge room is just the best. Good music, nice seats and lots of fun. I loved staying there and I'll come back for sure.
Comment by Jim
February 2005
5 This is an awesome hostel. The rooms and showers were clean and the beds are comfy, though by the time you climb to the fourth level of stairs you know about it! ;) Breakfast is basic. The staff make this hostel, along with the lounge area. I would say if you want to have peace and quiet to read a book quietly in the lounge this place wouldn't be for you. The dorms were pretty quiet, though. But these are the reasons why I liked it so much! ;)
Comment by Paul
December 2004
3 This is a great value hostel in a good location, handy for buses and easy to find your way back to. The only drawback was the lack of working showers, which was a bit of a nightmare.
Comment by Angie and Taly = catalanes
October 2004
5 Astor Quest is a fantastic hostel, with nice, friendly people. We had a marvelous holiday at the Quest. It couldn't have been better. Everything was good: the rooms, the kitchen, the dining room, the bathroom, and the staff. We'll come back soon, definitely. We recommend it to everybody.
Comment by Ayman
October 2004
4 Considering its price, location, and en suite facilities, this hostel can easily be rated among the best in London. I stayed here for three days. The staff were nice, and the rooms, kitchen, and shower rooms were clean. The breakfast wasn't of a high standard, but for such a price and location I don't care much about breakfast!! The thing that didn't make my stay perfect was the height of my room! It was on the 4th floor and there were no elevators. Otherwise, I would stay here again without a doubt — but I would require a lower floor. :)
Comment by Anonymous
August 2004
5 Quest is probably a very good hostel to spend a few nights or even weeks in. If I have to come back to London, I will probably go there again. But beware the mice, there are some there. This helps the cleaners and even you because you can eat sandwiches and mice clean the room at night ;) Anyway, it's a cool hostel, safe and clean (reformed in 2002), and there are cool people to meet.
Comment by Annika
June 2004
5 The Quest hostel is a wicked place for any backpacker to enjoy a few nights (or weeks-like myself!!). It's a great base from which to explore London. The rooms are extremely clean and hygenic, and the kitchen is the same, as are the bathrooms. Overall, the best thing about the Quest, however, is definitely the staff. They are friendly, helpful and laid-back. You'll be sure to make some very good friends over here, and enjoy a few nights kicking back some beers, chatting, or hanging out in the park. I highly recommend this hostel to anyone who's looking for a place with atmosphere, cleanliness, and a great time in London!!
Comment by Anonymous
May 2004
3 I stayed there at the beggining of May and enjoyed it. The rooms are ok, and they have good bathrooms attached. The breakfast is poor, but as the hostel was a cheap one, I didn't expect more than that. It's at a great location, very close to the Queensway and Bayswater stations. I probably will stay there again.
Comment by John is the Manager
May 2004
2 I was here this summer with two friends. The manager didn't hear us any of the 1,000,000 times we tried to ask for light(!!!) in the bathrooms, and the girls who cleaned the place didn't do anything--for two weeks there was a sh*t in the middle of the bathroom!!! There were cockroaches and mice in the kitchen, I saw them!!! It's true, don't go here.
Comment by John
January 2004
4 Very friendly atmosphere! I had a great time at the quest in London, great people, relaxed atmosphere, home away from home!
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