So about a month ago a friend and I met for a catch up in London. There was some dancing, a bit of networking with an established Irish producer on my friend’s part, and plenty of tequila and wine. Which meant that instead of risking an hour train journey home, we forked out for a private twin room at Astor Museum Inn.
Common Areas
Given that I’ve never stayed in private rooms in hostels before, and that there was absolutely no way we were going to be joining in on hostel activities in our drunk state, this hostel review is a little different to my usual ones. I didn’t get the chance to check out the kitchen or lounge areas, as we socialised more in London town and I went out for coffee from Prét first thing in the morning!
Service
I can however say that the service from the lad at the reception desk was really friendly, especially considering the badgering he got on my friend’s part (not a usual hostel-goer) to let us sleep later than check out the next morning!
A little hard to find with no obvious signage out the front, the big blue door eventually gave it away, and whilst private dorms are kept in a separate building around the corner, we found it easily enough with the help of two backpackers in a neighbouring building who didn’t mind us asking through the window!
If you are staying in a private dorm separate to the main building, I would suggest providing your own map for the receptionist to doodle directions on, as the one we were given was teeny tiny, even if it did come with great verbal instructions!
Location & Price
Location-wise, it was superb! Price-wise, it wasn’t so great, but then I’m used to Eastern European standards and let’s face it the location for a capital city is so great that the prices are bound to reflect this! I
t’s super close to Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street, as well as (surprise surprise) the British Museum so for visiting travellers, whilst you may overrun your budget a little, I would recommend a couple of nights here to get your bearings and a good night’s sleep! It’s also not a far walk from Soho which is my favourite place to drink in London.
Comfort
Comfort-wise, the beds weren’t too bad. I’m not a fan of metal frames, but then there is a lot to be said for hostels that use them over wooden frames, especially in the case of bed-bugs! I was pleased to see thick, clean mattress protectors, and whilst the duvets and pillows were a bit lumpy I was very cosy the night through!
As it was pretty hot this time last month, we were really pleased to see the room had a fan! Most of the time it just seemed to be pushing around the warm air, but it’s the thought that counts and there are plenty of hostels who wouldn’t have even have bothered with fans so I definitely appreciated the effort! We also had our own sink which was great for teeth-brushing and getting drinking water!
My favourite part of the spacious room, however, was the tiny bookshelves and “I Love London” mugs they provided. It’s little home comforts like this that make a huge difference when travelling from place to place!
Gallery
I tried to photograph the most essential parts of the room, but like I said my trip missed out the all important part of experiencing the common areas and hostel community! Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my stay so perhaps I’ll get a chance to experience Astor again!
Click the photos to enlarge!
Have you experienced Astor Hostels? Let me know what you thought below!
Visit their website: Astor Hostels
Any suggestions as to other great London Hostels for my next trip?