Clink261 Hostel Review Contents:

The Atmosphere | The Room | The Staff | The Location | The Price

Last week I got the chance to return to my favourite hostel brand… Clink Hostels!

If you missed it, I reviewed their Clink78 hostel last year, but as I would be in London for meetings I wanted to experience Clink261 Hostel just around the corner, which I heard was a little calmer!

Clink261 Hostel Review

The Atmosphere

Sticking to the Clink tradition of bold and British, the design of the common spaces in the basement of Clink261 gives the hostel a vibrant atmosphere. The picture below shows two of my lovely roommates already chatting away to another guest in the TV room on their very first morning, showing just how great the environment is to get to know others.

The kitchen area is open for guests in the afternoon and evenings, once the cleaning has taken place after breakfast. And as the dining room is in a fairly cosy space it’s pretty hard to shut yourself away and not get chatting to anyone.

But before you even get downstairs, the reception area gives a delightful first impression!

Bright and exciting colours plaster the walls, with a large chalkboard letting you know exactly what kind of crazy activities you can get up to in the area… including the best bars around!

If you need it, there is a guest computer in reception (as well as a few more elsewhere – just ask at reception!), but my favourite feature was the book exchange you can see above – a staple of any decent hostel!

The Room

I was really pleasantly surprised by the dorm room at Clink261 Hostel! Expecting something slightly more cramped and similar to Clink78, the 10-bed dorm I stayed in last week had plenty of floor space.

Oh and the beds were really comfortable!

For those concerned about security, each bunk bed came with it’s own under-bed locker. So as long as you carry your own padlock (or buy one from reception!) you have a great way of keeping your valuables safe!

There was also a sink & mirror in the room if you wanted to do your teeth and makeup without crossing the hall to the bathrooms.

Separate male and female bathrooms are located on each floor, and I never had a problem having to wait for a shower or toilet. If you’re staying on the girl’s floor – then of course there are no male bathrooms near yours!

One of the most useful features in the rooms were the charging strips that ran along the top of each bunk! Not only did each bunk have two of it’s own personal charging points, there were also USB outlets (so useful!!) and a reading lamp.

Above the strip there is also the space to store a few personal items. As you can see above one of my roomies found this space the perfect fit for his personal jar of Nutella!

The Staff

True to form, the staff at Clink261 were as fabulous as ever! Check in is always a friendly affair, feeling more like a conversation than anything else, and with more information on the hostel (including breakfast!), and the local area than you can shake a stick at!

Part of the staff service at the hostel includes providing a free breakfast for all guests, and the staff do all the setting up and washing up! I always felt bad giving away my coffee mug to the lovely lady at the sink. But if you need any more milk or sugar there is always someone there to help!

Breakfast is the standard selection of cereals and toast you would get in most hostels in London, plus the most important of all – coffee! It is also free, so no need to worry about spending extra on fuelling your exciting day out exploring London! If you do need any extra, take a tip from my roommate and bring some Nutella along with you.

The Location

Once again, Clink Hostels have got themselves a great location in the heart of central London.

King’s Cross & St Pancras stations are just a five minute walk from Clink261 Hostel on Gray’s Inn Road, meaning any trip around London on the metro (click here for a great metro map!) can be accessed within minutes. The main station is also great for getting connecting trains to anywhere across the UK… and even for a day-trip to Paris on the Eurostar!

Last week I spent a lot of time in Covent Garden, which is just six minutes on the Piccadilly line South.

The Price

Considering the great standard of rooms and bathrooms at Clink261, as well as it’s fantastic location in London, the price is quite the bargain. As with all other hostels the weekends are the pricier times to visit, but even then you can get a bed for £26… and half that price during the week!

My best suggestion is always to book directly with the hostel through their website, and to visit for a couple of cheaper days plus one weekend night if you have the flexibility! That way your average room night will be a bit cheaper than the whole weekend… but you’ll still get to experience the best that Clink261 has to offer!

Overall, Clink261 was the perfect choice for my stay in London last week. As I had a busy schedule, I didn’t have too much time to socialise inside the hostel, but I still wanted to feel at home with the staff and comfortable in the room… which I did!

The great thing about staying with Clink Hostels is that if you are looking for a bit more a party vibe than is offered at Clink261, you are more than welcome to visit the Clash Bar and other common areas in Clink78.

I would like to thank Clink Hostels for arranging my stay with them, but as always opinions are honest and my own.