The Generator Hostel ★☆☆
The granddaddy of hip and trendy hostels in London
When London's The Generator opened in 1995 between the British Museum and King's Cross Station, the few private hostels that existed in Europe were largely indistinguishable from the official IYH ones—bland, institutional, with dozens of beds to a dorm and encumbered with long lists of draconian rules.
The Generator was one of the very first to change all that, to show that a hostel could be a fun, welcoming place to stay, not just a cheap one.
The sense of fun and designer whimsy Generator introduced has since proved a model for the private hostel scene, and the London flagship (there are now a baker's dozen of Generators across Europe, plus in Miami) remains an excellent inexpensive place to spend the night, with dorm beds ranging from £22.50 to £30 in rooms with 1–8 or 1–12 beds (including female-only rooms).
There are also private twins and triples (and twins with private, en-suite bathrooms).
There is a cafe, and a bar that stays open until 3am, and a "cill-out room" with games and a screen for movie nights.
Book it- Booking.com - Booking.com lists more than 350 hostels across the U.K., with nearly 100 in London alone, complete with verified user reviews.Partner
- Hostelz.com - An aggregator shows you the rates its can find at multiple booking engines at once, so you can find the lowest price out there on hostels and other cheap accommodations.Partner
- Hostelworld.com - Booking site with hostels, cheap hotels, apartments, and B&Bs in more than 80 destinations across England, including an impressive 184 in London alone. Partner
- Bookhostels.com - A classic hostel booking engine, offering deals on more than 115 hostels in London alone.Partner
- Independenthostels.co.uk - A guide to about 400 hostels, bunkhouses, and camping barns all across Great Britain, including England, Scotland, and Wales. It is much stronger in the countryside, towns, and smaller cities than in London (which is pretty much ignores, weighing in with less than half a dozen).
- Yha.org.uk - The official hostelling site, linking to all 158 official YHA hostels and bunkhouses in the U.K. This does mean, however, it ignores the many, many excellent private hostels.
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Also in Reid's List: London Lodging:
- 11 Cagodan Gardens Hotel★★★| £££
- The Savoy Hotel★★★| £££
- The Connaught★★★| £££
- Duke's Hotel★★★| £££
- The Gore★★★| ££
- Juliette's Bed and Breakfast, Dawson Place★★★| ££
- Cheval Three Quays at The Tower of London Apartments★★★| £££
- The Royal Horseguards★★★| £££
- Hotel 41★★★| £££
- Charlotte Street Hotel★★★| £££