Saint James Backpackers

Good for the position - Museums, Hyde Park, High Street Kensington - all within walking distance. In addition to breakfast, the first 30 to sign up on a list can claim free dinner. Not really impressed by some of the staff, and although the place can be busy with some guests not being particularly attentive to cleanliness themselves, the place could be way cleaner.

They don't have an elevator, but the staff helped me with my luggage, so I can't complain. They offer free dinner (on my stay it was vegan beans, salad, and rice) and free breakfast (eggs cooked for you upon request). They have a dedicated bathroom for women which is great. The only mess was that the key they gave me at checkin didn't correspond to my bed number. The locker was stuck under the bed. When I came back from theatre in the evening, someone else put her stuff on my bed. I had to go check with the reception and they pointed me to another unused bed. All the changes caused a longer check-out time.

Wonderful people, and the option of a free meal in the evening (subject to numbers signing up) was completely unexpected!! Courtyard area is beautiful. Visited in the middle of a heatwave so wasn't really able to take advantage of a lot of the facilities because I felt so tired! But the sound of people playing table tennis below as I cooled down inside made me smile :-)

Impossible to sleep. Loud and hot, no air, no AC. 6 peoplein very small room

This was a good stay, convenient and handy. The feel with a double room is a little like a b&b, with helpful staff and very simple rooms. The main negative is a very noisy pipe running in the room which seemed to be linked to people having showers, although the nose finishes at midnight. The communal areas are nice, and it served a tofu and potato curry for free evening meals (you have to get on the list so maybe email in about this as it fills up fast. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. Going by out stay the private rooms are at the top, so accessibility could be an issue (steep stairs) ... Overall, I would definitely come again, it has a nice vibe and for the price and location, it's really good.

I tried for a week to reach the hostel in several different ways: phone, email, Facebook. I never got any response. The stay itself was great.

Needs refurbishment

Good place to stay

very accommodating staff, friendly guests, good services, would recommend!

Saint James hostel is a welcoming place to stay. It gives you the feel of a family home, with its very friendly and helpful staff who connect with guests. The hostel offers free breakfast and free dinner. They organise events and games to entertain. They even have a happiness manager! Tosh does a great job whether he is cooking dinner, making popcorn or organising a game for the guests. I recommend trying it if visiting London.

Not happy,2 cans ovv my beer stolen from fridge , asked for replacement not given or refund £ as details on fridge anyone taking items not there’s is theft No lift wasn’t pleased

I came to check in and this was all fine. The only issue i found was the place had things dumped everywhere and it was not tidy. Once checked in i was given a tour of the building and told the rules. The guy who showed me around was pleasent and explained most things well. On the tour the place seemed very untidy and had a weird feeling about it. My dorm room was on the top floor which was very unsafe to access as the staircase was steep and there were no handrails as you reach the top where the staircase starts to spiral to the door. Trying to open a door when on a spiral staircase with nothing to hold is not the safest thing i can think of and this made me nervous. Upon returning to the dorm room that night i found the flooring was very loud and can annoy guests (it annoyed me while trying to get some rest with the sound of suitcases and shoes keeping me awake). Another part of this trip that made me feel uncomfortable was that around 3am one member of the dorm returned with a friend and turned the light on. This was on for 30 minutes while they both were sat on thr bed opposite mine staring at me. They thrn left after making lots of noise on the noisy floor when taking out their luggage. Upon leaving the hostel the next morning i went downstairs to return the key. I was told i couldnt have my £10 deposit back unless i went and took off the bedding i had used. Is this not a service you pay for for one of these establishments? This was never pointed out in my tour.......

The staff was helpful and a lot of the costumers were friendly. The location was very close to the tube station and had several bus routes that pass really close

They have a lovely cat who wonders around! Highlight right there

This is a family owned and run hostel that has been generationally passed down. It is affordable, well run, you always have hot water, and the staff are very welcoming and helpful and keep the bathrooms clean (which is quite a task!). In addition, there are lockers under the beds where you can store your stuff (just bring a lock), the breakfast is good and predictable and there is an optional dinner you can sign up for every evening. There is a football match on nearly every evening to boot (in season of course)! It is only a 5 min walk from the tube (Stamford Bridge is only 2 stops away!) and restaurants abound. A couple of things you won't know from booking here: there is a 10 pound refundable deposit for the room key (bring cash), bring a towel (but a small travel towel on Amazon) and soap/shampoo with you (or buy it at the grocery store when you arrive), and they have deals on weekly rates of you book with them directly and you don't start your stay on the weekend. Overall, I'd go back in a heartbeat. Next time you travel to London, don't stay at a hotel, support a local family that is doing good work in the city. Stay at St James Backpackers!

Highly recommended

Basic, toilets were passable however not in large enough numbers on each floor. Breakfast was most welcome as were beds being made on arrival.

The best option to make good friends and sleep in London

Great for a traveller passing through

Walking distance to the Museum of Natural History, V&A, Harrods and more