Astor Kensington Hostel

This hostel has super friendly staff, ideal for a solo traveller as there is always someone to talk to. The kitchen facility is amazing and the lounge has Netflix and comfy couches. When I stayed we had a visit to the nearby park for a picnic and this was attended by staff and guests, a super fun evening.

After staying here for 5 days, I am very confused about some of the low/poor reviews. People seem to expect 5* hotel experiences on a hostel budget... Considering this is a hostel and the very low price, I am impressed - FAR better than I expected for such a low cost. Every hostel and dorm-share will have small issues regarding other guest behaviour and bathroom cleanliness but the staff here do everything they can to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. From check-in to check-out, staff and the other guests here are so friendly and great to talk with. There is a lounge/common room and a kitchen dining area to cook and eat in. You may have to wait a little for a bathroom but not long and they are cleaned very regularly. If you expect 5* luxury and absolute perfection, hostels may not be for you. If you expect friendly service, a comfortable bed, a cosy environment and great people - Astor is VERY highly recommended. I have absolutely no complaints regarding value for the money I paid. The staff do everything they can which is all that can be asked. I am VERY happy I chose Astor and will DEFINITELY be back on my next return to London. Thank you for having me and making my stay in London so pleasant!

Great location, right off Kensington Gardens with Bus and Subway stations two blocks away. Also at walking distance to Paddington Station. Premises are clean, staff is helpful, breakfast is cheap and sufficient.

Staff had become discriminatory, and kept harassing me with letters even having given them a bottle of wine before all this. The First letter given to me relates to smoking when clearly I have never smoked inside whatsoever and they can attest. Second letter is about exceeding my stay limit, when clearly there is a couple of guys who have been staying in the hostel for months and one guy pays weekly instead of daily! Third, the whole staff lives in the building which is really weird, the common room is always occupied by them… guests have nowhere to go. There are two staff members who have such a negative mentality that it actually makes you step back … as one of them was blocking the entrance to the common room and whilst on my way there they thought I was going for them which not only took a second for me to realise what they were on about but my direction was clear that I was headed for the door, I was left stunned by this creepy thought. As for the last person I had asked them to use the umbrella that was infront of me, they immediately said no and brought a broken umbrella for me to use instead of the working one that was right infront of me. That is for the guests to see what type of place this is. It is very weird as my stay relates to work only and never had time to socialise due to work demands. Not advised.

Great location and perfect for solo travelling

Yes it was easy to locate all you need nice location

Staff was great. I didn’t like the bunk style beds.

Yes

Terrible terrible terrible bed. People coming into dorm at all times of night with absolutely no regard for people trying to sleep. Rather unclean. Front desk people weird. Two way better hostels nearby for cheaper prices.

This hostel is good for a night or two. I stayed there because arrived very late the first night and knew I'd spend all day exploring London the next day & walking distance to Paddington Station to take the Heathrow Express. It's a very basic hostel. It's not dirty but not the cleanest. It can use some updating.

I have rented a private room with my friend, and the price and location were very good, close to verious shops and the Paddington station. Our room was on the 5th floor and there wasn't an elevator available, which wasn't a dealbreaker for me, but something to bear in mind if you have mobility issues. Facilities in the room were new, shower pressure and temperature were good, but there was no extractor fan in the bathroom, so the bathroom and the room would get very steamy. I have been unlucky and my stay happened during the heatwave in London, which made being in the room practically unbearable. It would get extremely hot, and while the hostel provided a fan, it did little to nothing. Would not recommend staying here in the summer, but I'm sure in spring/autumn it will be fine.

Awesome place to stay. Loved the rooms, and the kitchen/dining area.

.

There is no curtain to protect my privacy

Great priced place in a perfect location. Couldn’t beat the price for a private room with private bath. The bathroom was very tight, however still nice to have our own dedicated bathroom. We were on the 5th floor and it felt like a hike up the stairs as it seemed to be a floor and a half of stairs per flight, but for the price and location I’d stay again as it met our needs perfectly.

Loved the kitchen and dining room. Had everything I needed.

clean room and convenient location

It was alright. The people were very nice. The bed was clean and very comfortable surprisingly. It’s a shame the sockets weren’t working in my room. They had little wall mounted ones to charge phones with a usb but I wanted to turn on the fan.

Staff are friendly and nice , very helpful . Area around hotel not the best but its london

Good place, I recommend it