Astor Quest Hostel

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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! ;)

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.

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.

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. :)

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.

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!!

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.

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.

Very friendly atmosphere! I had a great time at the quest in London, great people, relaxed atmosphere, home away from home!