YHA London Central

Really nice hostel. - I only have a couple complaints. No free internet. (It requires a a full phone number address and your mother’s maiden name to sign up and sign in. So, not exactly free. And the (convienient) plug over my bed didn’t work. No big deal. Nice friendly lobby, though. Expect to meet people.

100%

The hostel was great. Easy to get to everywhere from there. The breakfast was very satisfying. The benches in the lounge/lobby were not very comfortable for sitting and checking emails or working from. No worries though. The elevator was continually breaking down and the stairs were difficult for my husband. But he made it. I’ve stayed here before and was happy to stay again. My greatest concern and what really dampened my enjoyment was that we were approached my three individuals when we first arrived on Bolsover St. We were about 50 meters away from the front door. The first individual asked us if we needed help finding someplace. I told him we were looking for the hostel. He pointed in the direction and told us he would take us there. He was uncomfortably close to me and as I started backing away two other men approached us quite quickly saying they were the “Metropolitan Police and that they needed to talk to us. They held onto the man that was giving us directions and kept telling us to walk over to them. They had positioned themselves between my husband and I. I was closer to the hostel side. They flashed some type of badges quickly and proceeded to tell us to come over and talk to them. I told my husband I didn’t know who they were and to keep walking. They became a little more assertive. I told them they could talk to us at the hostel and began to walk away but my husband was still on the other side of them from me and he just stood there. Then I said louder “I don’t know who you are. Russell, keep walking!”. He wasn’t sure what to do. I asked to see their badges again and they flashed them so quickly I couldn’t read them at which point I was getting angry. I said very loudly (to attract as much attention from others on the street) I don’t know who they are!! Russell, keep walking!!”. And I began to walk away. Finally after the fifth time saying this, my husband began walking around them and they hung back and I just kept walking towards the hostel. I told the woman at the desk about how upsetting that had been. I don’t know if anything was done after that point but I did make her aware of the situation. The rest of our stay was quite uneventful compared to that. The hostel was well taken care of and in spite of the elevator’s unreliability and the initial confrontation of the men on the street, I had a delightful stay.

93%

Positivo: la ubicación y los servicios. Negativo: no pude hacer la reserva directamente en la página de YHA al no ser británica, y en esta página de HI no se cargan los descuentos de alberguista y de menores de 16 años (no funciona esa opción). Cuando pagué el resto de la estancia directamente en el albergue no me hicieron el descuento de menores de 16 porque dijeron que ese descuento solo se aplicaba si se hacía la reserva en la web de YHA, no entiendo por qué. Por otro lado, algunas cosas en la habitación estaban deterioradas aunque sin afectar al uso de ésta.

77%

A little hicup at check in when I couldn't get a bottom bunk to sleep in (being disabled), but the staff were brilliant and found a room with a suitable bunk for me.

97%