Smart Hyde Park Inn Hostel

"There are several reasons as to why one should avoid this hostel when visiting London. Firstly, the building (although pretty) does not have the necessary capacity for the number of dormitories they have tried to fit inside it. In addition to that, the rooms were packed with beds that did not leave enough room for air to guests. Another major issue with this establishment is that the atmosphere was extremely hot and unhealthy due to the poor ventilation facilities. May I note that we have stayed in multiple hostels before, in rooms up to 24 people (comparing to the 15 of this room) and never before have we experienced such horrid and uncomfortable conditions. Honestly we wonder how this establishment is considered in line with the hygiene standards of the British law. Are there any standards? As trevelrs, we tend not to ask for much and spend mostly sleeping time in our rooms. Here nevertheless, sleeping was a tiring experience. But above all, what really bothered us was the hostel's policy to allow long term stay to guests. Of course we respect this choice on the part of the management. However one should keep that in mind when booking their stay as these people tend to be over-comfortable in the room, not respecting the rest of the guests, turning the lights on late at night, being super noisy, spraying heavy deodorants in the tiny space, etc. Consequently, we couldn't even make use of the surprisingly fully equipped kitchen, as these guests with their ambiguous behavior made us feel uncomfortable. Eventually we had to leave earlier (after enduring 3 of our 5 planned night-stays) and book a two-bed room at a hotel, that included its own bathroom and breakfast, with just +5£ a night for each."

"Stayed one night in a 6 people shared room. It had it's own private bathroom with toilet and shower. Clean and comfortable over all, very warm and very well ventilated. You couldn't ask for more, and keep in mind the location. Hyde Park, tube station and a public library (opened until 20:00) within a max 10 minutes walk !"

"I mean you do get what you paid for… one of the cheapest hostels in London and the location is pretty nice: close to hyde park and two subway stations so rather easy to get around. The less time you spend in the hostel the better but that’s true for many hostels. As other reviews mentioned: weirdly hot even when it’s getting cooler outside. The people you share the room with really make or break the stay and we were pretty lucky with our neighbors. Bathroom was decently clean; small but private. My friend and I stayed in an all female room and I would recommend doing this as there are a lot of middle age guys who seem to live here more permanently. I wouldn’t recommend staying here alone as a woman there are always a lot of guys hanging around the entrance and lobby. Beds are small and mattresses are thin but the curtains do provide some nice privacy. Lockers are a bit obnoxious as they are very loud and I would recommend you bring your own lock. Overall, I wouldn’t necessarily stay here again but it did work nicely for a cheap trip to London with a friend. Oh and I do want to add that the girl working the front desk was super nice and helpful!! She really helped make us feel welcomed. Wifi is also quick."

"In general, my stay was okay. The staff was friendly and helpful, but the room wasn’t excellent. It was really hot I couldn’t sleep for most of the night. The bed was not really comfortable. There weren’t enough toilets in the building. But for the price I paid which was £13 pounds the accommodation seemed reasonable. Won’t recommend staying for more than 1 night."

"Good hostel and really good location. As all hostel, your stay will be rated by other people that share the room with you. Me and my boyfriend shared the room with more 4 people and they respect all rules. Breakfast for 4,5 pounds. Good option because you can eat as much as you want."